Cutting Delivery Platform Commission: More Direct Orders Through Your Own Website

Every order that comes in through Uber Eats, Deliveroo or DoorDash costs you anywhere from 15 to 30 percent in commission. For a restaurant that relies heavily on these platforms for takeaway and delivery revenue, that adds up to a serious share of margin flowing straight to a platform you have no direct relationship with your guest through. Getting more orders directly through your own website is one of the most concrete ways to improve your margin, without needing a single extra guest.

Why delivery platforms are still worth using

Delivery platforms aren’t the enemy: they bring extra visibility to people who don’t yet know your restaurant exists, and they capture orders at moments when your own channel is still unknown. The problem starts when every order, even from regulars who already know you, keeps flowing through the platform. That’s when you’re paying commission on revenue you could just as easily have captured directly.

What commission actually costs you

On an average order of 30 euros with 20 percent commission, you’re left with 24 euros before the cost of ingredients, staff and packaging. On your own website, you typically only pay a small fixed fee or a low percentage for the ordering module itself. Shift a hundred orders a month from the platform to your own site, and the difference quickly adds up to hundreds of euros in extra margin, without touching a single price.

Platform for visibility, own site for repeat orders

The most workable strategy isn’t “stop using delivery platforms”, but using them for what they’re good at: reaching new guests. Once someone has ordered from you for the first time, it’s your website’s job to get that guest to order directly the next time.

How to shift orders to your own site

1. Launch your own ordering module. Without online ordering set up on your website, a guest has no alternative to the platform, no matter how much they’d rather order directly.
2. Make the channel visible at every touchpoint. A card in the delivery bag, a sticker on the packaging, or a line on the receipt with your own ordering link or QR code works far better than a link buried on your homepage.
3. Offer a concrete perk for ordering directly. Just like cutting OTA commission on hotel bookings, a small discount, free drink or extra side convinces a guest to use your own site next time.
4. Build trust on your own ordering page. Reviews on your website and clear photos of your dishes give a guest just as much confidence as the star rating on the platform.
5. Stay in touch after the first order. Ask for an email address on a direct order and set up a short follow-up through email marketing, so the second order no longer needs to go through the platform.

Stay active on the delivery platforms too

As long as platforms keep bringing you new guests, it’s worth keeping your profile there up to date: accurate opening hours, sharp photos and quick replies to reviews. A poorly maintained platform profile costs you visibility on exactly the channel you’re already paying commission for.

Delivery platforms and your own website don’t have to compete with each other. Use the platform to reach new guests, and your own site for everyone who has already ordered from you. That way your average commission per order goes down, without losing any visibility.

Ready to bring in more direct orders? Try Sitebite for free and connect your own ordering module.