Commission-free online ordering system for restaurants

A commission free online ordering system takes orders through your own website without keeping a percentage of each sale. You pay for the software in a different way, usually a fixed monthly fee. Card processing is still charged by whoever handles the payment, and some providers add a fixed fee to each order or to your customers’ baskets. “Commission free” describes one fee. It does not describe the total.

For a takeaway paying marketplace commission on most of its orders, the gap is large. For a restaurant taking 30 online orders a month, a percentage can cost less than a subscription. The answer for your business depends on order volume, card mix, contract terms and how many customers you can move from the apps to your own site.

Choosing a system on features, checkout speed and set-up is covered in the guide to choosing an online ordering system for restaurants. This page is about the money: each fee defined, published prices with dates, break-even maths in euro and sterling, and the contract clauses that decide what leaving costs.

Commission free: the definition

Online orders carry three kinds of transaction cost. They are charged by different companies, on different bases, and they appear on different invoices.

1. Commission. A percentage of the order value, kept by the ordering provider or marketplace. A 10% commission on a €30 order is €3.
2. Card processing. A percentage plus a fixed amount per payment, kept by the payment processor. On Stripe’s standard Irish pricing, a standard EEA card on a €30 order costs 1.5% × €30 = €0.45, plus €0.25, so €0.70.
3. Per-order fees. A fixed amount per order, charged either to you or to your customer, kept by the provider.

A commission-free provider removes the first item. The second remains in every model that accepts cards. The third may or may not be there.

Around those sit the fixed and one-off costs: subscription, set-up, hardware, marketing add-ons and delivery.

Owner.com, which publishes its pricing in US dollars, listed a Flat Rate plan at $499 a month with no additional restaurant fees, and a 5% order support fee paid by guests, when checked in September 2026. A plan can be flat for the restaurant and still add a charge your customer sees.

Fee types on online orders

Commission

Commission is simple to understand and expensive at volume. It is also self-adjusting: a quiet month costs less. Marketplace commission rates for Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats are covered in the Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats commission guide, including VAT on commission.

White-label ordering providers can charge commission too. OrderYOYO’s GB terms and conditions describe commission as an agreed share of turnover from online orders, with the tier set by each location’s turnover. Its April 2025 fee update says the commission brackets are recalculated weekly, with lower rates as website and app revenue grows.

Card processing

Card fees exist in every model that takes card payments. Where the provider runs processing itself, the fee may be built into a combined rate or listed separately. Where you use your own Stripe account, Stripe charges you directly.

Sources: Stripe Ireland pricing and Stripe UK pricing. Stripe says it charges no set-up, monthly or closure fees on standard pricing.

Other published card rates, checked September 2026:

• Slerp Pay: 1.5% + 20p for UK standard cards.
• Square online payments: 1.4% + 25p for UK cards, 2.5% + 25p for non-UK cards.
• OrderYOYO’s YOYOPay: 0.99% per order, listed on its April 2025 fee update page.
• Flipdish: handles card processing; rate not listed on the pricing page.

The fixed part of a card fee matters more on small orders. The table applies Stripe’s standard Irish rate for a standard EEA card, 1.5% + €0.25, to different order sizes.

A café taking €10 coffee-and-cake orders pays a higher share in card fees than a pizzeria taking €40 family orders, on the same rate. Use your own average order value in every comparison.

Per-order and customer service fees

A per-order fee charged to you is a cost like any other. A fee charged to your customer is harder to see, because it never appears on your invoice.

• One OrderYOYO notice set a £/€0.50 service fee for consumers ordering through restaurants’ websites and apps from 3 February 2025. Its GB fee update set the fee at £0.75 per order from 7 April 2025.
• Owner.com’s pricing page lists a 5% order support fee paid by guests, alongside its US-dollar plans.

Example: a £0.75 customer fee on a £20 order adds 3.75% to what your customer pays. A customer comparing your website with an app sees that total, not your invoice.

Subscription and set-up fees

Published subscription prices, checked September 2026:

• Flipdish Ireland: Starter €69 a month billed monthly or €588 a year; Professional €99 a month or €948 a year; per site. The UK page lists the same figures in sterling. Hardware and implementation costs vary.
• Square Online UK: Free plan with no monthly fee; Plus from £29 a month.
• GloriaFood: free plan; online payments US$29 a month; advanced promo marketing US$19 a month; POS US$49 a month per location with a two-year commitment.
• Eclyde: €499 to launch, then €99 a month, no Eclyde commission on direct orders.

Set-up fees pay for the work of getting live: menu build, photos, domain, payments, printers and training. A low or zero set-up fee can mean that work is yours. Ask for a written list of what the set-up covers.

Delivery costs

A marketplace order delivered by the app’s riders carries no delivery wage for you. The same customer ordering direct needs your driver or a courier. That changes the saving per order, and the break-even section below shows the maths. Own drivers versus on-demand couriers, with cost per delivery and employment rules, are covered in restaurant delivery management software.

Disputes and refunds

• Stripe charges €20.00 or £20.00 per dispute received, and a further €20.00 or £20.00 if you counter it, refunded if you win (Stripe Ireland pricing, Stripe UK pricing).
• Stripe says its processing fees from the original payment are not returned when you refund.
• OrderYOYO’s GB terms say the customer indemnifies OrderYOYO for any bank chargeback amount plus chargeback administrative fees (clause 5.10).

Published pricing compared

Every figure below was taken from the provider’s own page in September 2026. Prices change, so check each link before you decide.

Where a provider does not publish a figure, this page does not guess it. Ask for a written quote that covers every fee type in the table above.

Commission free online ordering system cost comparison

The tables below compare five fee structures at three order volumes. The structures are examples built from the fee types above, not quotes from named providers, except the €99 flat fee, which is Eclyde’s monthly price.

Assumptions for the examples:

• Average order value €25.
• Every payment on a standard EEA consumer card at Stripe’s standard Irish rate: 1.5% × €25 = €0.375, plus €0.25 = €0.625 per order.
• Marketplace example: 30% commission with card processing included in the commission.
• No delivery costs included. Delivery is handled in the break-even section.

Monthly cost, Ireland, example structures:

How the 600-order column is worked out:

• A: 30% × €15,000 = €4,500.
• B: 8% × €15,000 = €1,200, plus 600 × €0.625 = €375, total €1,575.
• C: €69 + (5% × €15,000 = €750) + €375 = €1,194.
• D: €99 + €375 = €474.
• E: €30 + €375 = €405.

Cost per order and per year at 600 orders a month:

On structure D with Eclyde, the first year also carries the €499 launch fee: €5,688 + €499 = €6,187.

Structure E is the cheapest line in the table. It is also the one with no set-up work done for you, no POS, no delivery tools and, in GloriaFood’s case, a published end-of-life date. Price the work you would do yourself before you pick the lowest number.

Monthly cost, UK, example structures. Average order £22, standard UK consumer cards at Stripe’s standard UK rate of 1.5% + 20p: 1.5% × £22 = £0.33, plus £0.20 = £0.53 per order. The £99 and £69 fixed fees are examples in sterling.

Quiet months and busy months

A percentage fee falls in a quiet month. A flat fee does not. Run both through your own seasonal pattern.

Example: a takeaway with 300 direct orders in January and 900 in December, at €25 an order, standard EEA cards.

In this example the flat fee costs less in both months. The commission structure only costs less in a month with fewer than 50 direct orders, as the break-even section shows.

More than one site

Many subscription plans are priced per site. Flipdish’s pricing page, for example, bills its plans per site.

Example: two sites, 400 direct orders each, €25 average order, standard EEA cards.

• Card fees: 800 × €0.625 = €500.
• Flat €99 per site: €198 + €500 = €698 a month.
• 8% commission across both sites: 8% × €20,000 = €1,600, plus €500 = €2,100 a month.

Ask every provider for multi-site pricing in writing, including whether a second site needs its own set-up fee and hardware.

Where a percentage fee fits better

A commission structure can be the better choice when:

• Direct volume is low. Below the crossover in the break-even section, which is about 50 orders a month at 8% or 80 at 5% on a €25 order.
• The business closes for months at a time. A seasonal café pays no commission while closed. Check whether a subscription can be paused.
• You are testing online ordering. A short trial on a percentage shows demand before you commit to a fixed fee. Check the minimum term first, because some commission contracts run for 12 months.
• The commission buys services you would pay for anyway. If the provider manages your ads or photography, price those services separately before comparing.

Break-even maths

Moving orders from a marketplace

The formula:

• Saving per order moved = marketplace cost per order − direct cost per order.
• Orders needed per month = monthly fixed cost of the direct system ÷ saving per order moved.

Example, Ireland, pickup orders:

• €25 order. Marketplace commission at an example 30% = €7.50.
• Direct card fee = €0.625.
• Saving per order moved = €7.50 − €0.625 = €6.875.
• €99 monthly fee ÷ €6.875 = 14.4, so 15 orders a month moved from the app covers the fee.
• Including Eclyde’s €499 launch fee spread over 12 months (€41.58 a month): (€99 + €41.58) ÷ €6.875 = 20.4, so 21 orders a month in the first year.

Example, Ireland, delivered orders with your own driver:

• Same €25 order and €6.875 saving before delivery.
• Example delivery cost of €4.00 per drop in driver wages and fuel.
• Saving per order moved = €6.875 − €4.00 = €2.875.
• €99 ÷ €2.875 = 34.4, so 35 delivered orders a month.

Example, UK, pickup orders:

• £22 order. Example 30% commission = £6.60.
• Direct card fee = £0.53.
• Saving per order moved = £6.07.
• Example £99 monthly fee ÷ £6.07 = 16.3, so 17 orders a month.

Orders needed to cover €99 a month at a €25 order, by example marketplace commission rate (pickup orders):

Your actual rates are on your marketplace invoices. Use those, not the examples.

Switching from a commission-based ordering provider

If you already take direct orders through a provider that charges commission, the comparison is different. Card fees apply on both sides, so they cancel out if the rates are similar.

• Crossover sales = flat monthly fee ÷ commission rate.
• Example: €99 ÷ 8% = €1,237.50 of direct sales a month. At €25 an order, that is 49.5 orders. Above 50 orders a month, the €99 flat fee costs less than 8% commission.
• Example: €99 ÷ 5% = €1,980 a month, or 79.2 orders at €25. Above 80 orders, the flat fee costs less than 5%.

Exit costs

A cheaper system only pays off after you have covered the cost of leaving the old one.

Example: Flipdish’s published client terms, updated 19 September 2025, set termination compensation for leaving early at the monthly average of the previous six months’ fees, multiplied by the months remaining. Apply that type of clause to an example contract:

• Average monthly fees over six months: €600.
• Months remaining: 7.
• Exit cost: €600 × 7 = €4,200.
• Monthly saving from switching, using structures B and D at 600 orders: €1,575 − €474 = €1,101.
• Payback: €4,200 ÷ €1,101 = 3.8 months.

Compare that with giving notice on time and switching at the renewal date, which adds no exit cost. Put the notice deadline in your diary the day you sign.

Hidden costs in a commission free online ordering system

• Customer service fees. A fee added to your customer’s basket raises your effective price without appearing on your invoice.
• Guest fees on flat-rate plans. Owner.com lists a 5% order support fee paid by guests on its US plans.
• Card processing you cannot move. If the provider runs payments, your card rate is part of the contract. Ask whether you can use your own processor.
• Hardware after a trial. OrderYOYO’s GB terms provide hardware on loan for a three-month run-in period, after which the customer buys it (clauses 9.1 and 9.2).
• Chargeback admin fees. OrderYOYO’s GB terms add chargeback administrative fees to the chargeback amount (clause 5.10).
• Minimum terms and automatic renewal. OrderYOYO’s GB terms say neither side can end the contract in the first 12 months (clause 14.1). Flipdish’s client terms renew for 12-month periods unless you give three months’ written notice (section 5.1).
• Early exit compensation. Flipdish’s terms calculate it from average fees and the months remaining (section 5.4).
• Minimum marketing spend. OrderYOYO’s April 2025 update set the minimum weekly Google Ads spend at £12.50, which is £650 over a year.
• Paid add-ons on free plans. GloriaFood lists online payments at US$29 a month and its POS at US$49 a month per location with a two-year commitment.
• Per-site pricing. Flipdish prices plans per site. A second location doubles the subscription.
• Refunds. Stripe keeps its original processing fee when you refund.
• Currency conversion. Stripe adds 2% when a conversion is needed.
• Ownership of the ordering system and data. OrderYOYO’s GB terms say OrderYOYO keeps full ownership and control of the intellectual property in its services and ordering system (clause 10.1), and cover the destruction of customer data after termination unless otherwise required or agreed (clause 14.5.4). Export your customer list before you serve notice.
• Domain held by the provider. If the provider registered your domain, ask in writing for it to be transferred to you. The domain detail is on the restaurant website builder page.

Customer-facing fees and the law

Fees charged to customers sit under consumer law as well as your contract.

UK. The Competition and Markets Authority’s price transparency summary, published 7 January 2026, says:

• the total price must be given up front, including mandatory fees and charges;
• hiding fees that the customer must pay until later in the purchase is illegal;
• mandatory delivery charges belong in the total, while optional extras can be shown separately;
• fines can reach 10% of turnover or £300,000, whichever is greater.

A mandatory service fee on every direct order is a mandatory charge. Show it with the price, not on the last screen.

The UK also bans surcharges for paying with most consumer payment methods. The Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 ban came into force on 13 January 2018. You cannot add card fees to a customer’s order because they paid by card.

Ireland. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says a trader selling online must give the total price and any extra charges, or how the total price will be calculated, before the purchase. Check the CCPC’s guidance before adding any charge linked to how a customer pays.

Marketplace terms. Deliveroo’s Irish merchant terms, shown as last updated 11 November 2020, ask for platform menu prices to match your dine-in or in-store menu prices. Read the equivalent clauses in each of your app contracts before you set different prices on different channels.

Contract terms to check

Sources: OrderYOYO GB terms, Flipdish client terms, Owner.com pricing.

Commission-free ordering next to the marketplaces

Commission pays for more than software. On a marketplace it also buys a place in an app that hungry people already open, and on many orders a rider. A commission-free system gives you neither. A direct ordering site only takes orders from people who know it exists.

That is why the numbers above talk about orders moved, not orders created. The usual pattern:

1. A customer finds you on Just Eat, Deliveroo or Uber Eats.
2. They like the food.
3. Next time, they order from your own website, because you gave them a reason and a way to find it that your marketplace contract allows.

Keep the apps for discovery. Track how many of your regulars now order direct. The step-by-step playbook, with marketplace rule limits, is in how to get more direct orders.

Marketing cost of direct orders

Marketplace commission includes the cost of finding the customer. On your own site, you pay for that separately, in ad spend, loyalty rewards or printed material. Count it in the comparison.

Example: paid search.

• €150 a month on Google Ads brings 30 first-time direct customers.
• Cost per new customer: €150 ÷ 30 = €5.00.
• Each customer orders 4 times a year at €25, all pickup.
• Saving versus an example 30% marketplace commission: 4 × €6.875 = €27.50 a year per customer.
• Net saving after acquisition: €27.50 − €5.00 = €22.50 per customer in year one.

Example: loyalty reward on direct orders.

• A reward worth 5% of order value costs €1.25 on a €25 order.
• Saving per order moved from an example 30% marketplace: €6.875 − €1.25 = €5.625.
• €99 monthly fee ÷ €5.625 = 17.6, so 18 orders a month.

Reward design and the economics of points, stamps and referrals are covered in the restaurant loyalty programme guide. Channel costs for email, SMS and ads are in restaurant marketing software. Ways to raise basket size on direct orders are in how to increase average order value.

Switching steps

1. Collect three months of invoices. Every marketplace statement and every invoice from your current ordering provider, plus your card processing statements.
2. Work out cost per order by channel. Total fees ÷ number of orders, for each channel, each month.
3. Find the contract clauses. Minimum term, renewal date, notice period, early-exit compensation, hardware ownership, data and domain.
4. Put the notice deadline in your diary. Then set a reminder four weeks before it.
5. Export your customer list. Names, contact details, order history and marketing consent records, before you serve notice. Consent rules for Ireland and the UK are in the restaurant CRM guide.
6. Secure the domain. Confirm the domain is registered to your business. If not, request a transfer in writing.
7. Set up the new system. Menu, prices, allergens, delivery rules and printers. Connect your Stripe account early: Stripe’s payout documentation says the first payout is typically 7 to 14 days after your first live payment.
8. Run test orders. Card, wallet, refund, delivery and pickup, with the kitchen ticket checked each time.
9. Change every link on the same day. Website order button, Google Business Profile ordering link, Instagram, Facebook and printed menus.
10. Tell your own customers. Email or text the customers who gave you marketing consent.
11. Serve notice in writing. Keep proof of delivery and a copy of the clause.
12. Measure every month. Direct orders, direct share of all orders, cost per order by channel and repeat customers.

Questions to ask before you sign

• What is my total monthly cost at 200, 600 and 1,200 orders, including card fees and any fees charged to customers?
• Is there any percentage fee on orders, under any name?
• Is there a fixed fee per order, and who pays it?
• Do you process cards? If so, what are the rates for standard, premium, cross-border and international cards, and for disputes?
• Can I use my own Stripe account instead?
• What is included in the set-up fee, and what work is left to me?
• What hardware do I need? Can I use my own tablets and printers? Who owns the hardware at the end?
• What is the minimum term, the renewal term and the notice period?
• What does it cost to leave early?
• Who owns the domain and the website?
• Can I export my customer list with order history and consent at any time, and in what format?
• What happens to my customer data when I leave?
• Are marketing add-ons optional, and do any carry a minimum spend?
• Is pricing per site? What does a second location cost?
• How much notice do you give before a price increase?
• Is there a refund period if it does not work for my restaurant?

Eclyde pricing

Eclyde’s pricing is built around a flat monthly fee and no Eclyde commission on direct orders.

• €499 to launch. Covers menu build, website and ordering set-up, POS and printer configuration, customer import, staff onboarding, testing and go-live support.
• Refund. The €499 is refunded in full within 30 days if Eclyde is not right for your restaurant.
• €99 a month. The whole platform: branded ordering website on your own domain, POS, kitchen display, delivery and driver management, staff management, customer management, loyalty, SEO, automated marketing, analytics and mobile management.
• No Eclyde commission on direct orders. No limits on orders or customers.
• Card payments. Eclyde does not process cards. Online payments go through your own Stripe account, connected during set-up. Stripe’s fees are a separate cost you pay to Stripe.
• Customer data. You own it: who your customers are, what they order, how often and their favourite items.
• Hardware. The POS app runs on existing Android tablets and SUNMI Android POS devices, with 50+ compatible receipt and kitchen printers. Hardware can also be bought, financed or rented.

On the example numbers in this page, the €99 fee is covered by 15 pickup orders a month moved from a marketplace at 30% commission, or 21 a month in the first year including the launch fee. Below about 80 direct orders a month at €25, a 5% commission structure costs less than €99 a month. Full details are on the pricing page.

Your commission numbers

The break-even maths only works with your own figures. The free Eclyde restaurant audit looks at your Google profile and website and estimates what you pay in marketplace commission each year, in euro. Take that number, divide it by 12, and compare it with the monthly cost tables above to see how many orders would need to move to a commission free online ordering system before it pays for itself.