How to Take Restaurant Orders Without Commission

Restaurant margins are thin — often single digits after rent, food, and labor. So when a delivery app takes 15–30% of every order, it doesn't just shave profit; on some tickets it erases it entirely. The good news: for a big share of your orders, you don't have to pay that toll. You can let customers order and pay you directly, with no per-order commission.

Here's how commission-free ordering works, and where it fits alongside the delivery apps.

The real cost of the delivery apps

The convenience of the big delivery platforms is real — but so is the math. A 25% commission on a $40 order is $10 gone before you've paid for the food. Across a busy month, that's often the difference between a profitable service and a break-even one. And because the app owns the customer relationship, you don't even keep their data.

The alternative: your own ordering channel

A QR-code menu with built-in ordering lets diners scan a code — on the table, the window, or a flyer — browse your menu, and place an order that comes straight to you. Payment goes through your own payment processor, so you keep the full amount minus normal card fees, with no per-order commission on top.

It works for exactly the orders the apps overcharge you for:

• Dine-in and at-table ordering, where the customer is already in your restaurant.
• Pickup and takeaway from your regulars, who'd rather order direct.
• Your own website and social traffic, instead of pushing them to a third party.

How it works in Drentio

D

Taking a direct order through a Drentio QR menu

• Build your menu with photos, prices, and options.
• Turn on ordering and payments — orders land in your dashboard, payments go to your account via Stripe, with no per-order commission.
• Place your QR code on tables, the counter, and takeaway bags so customers can reorder in a tap.
• Update instantly — mark items sold out or change prices in seconds.

Direct ordering is on Drentio's paid restaurant plan; a view-only QR menu is free to start.

Be honest about where the apps still help

Commission-free ordering isn't a reason to quit the delivery apps entirely — and it'd be dishonest to pretend otherwise. The apps are discovery engines: they put you in front of new customers who've never heard of you, and for many restaurants that reach is worth the fee.

The smart play is to use both on purpose: let the apps bring you new customers, and steer your existing customers, dine-in guests, and regulars to your own commission-free ordering. Over time, more of your volume shifts to the channel that keeps its full margin.

A quick example

Say you do 400 direct-able orders a month at a $35 average, and a delivery app would take 25%. Moving those to your own channel keeps roughly $3,500 a month that would otherwise go to commissions — minus ordinary card processing fees. Even a fraction of that covers the cost of the tools many times over.

(Illustrative math — your order volume, average check, and app rates will vary.)

FAQ

Can restaurants really take orders without commission?

Yes — with your own QR-code menu and payment processor, customers order and pay you directly, with no per-order commission (normal card processing fees still apply).

Should I stop using delivery apps?

Not necessarily. They're valuable for reaching new customers. The goal is to move your existing and dine-in orders to your own commission-free channel, and use the apps for discovery.

Do customers need an app to order?

No — they scan your QR code and order in their phone's browser. Nothing to download.

Is it free to set up?

A view-only QR menu is free. Taking orders and payments is on a paid plan.