- Admin
- October 1, 2026
- Growth
What Delivery Apps Really Cost You (and How to Keep More of Every Order)
Delivery marketplaces are great at one thing: putting your business in front of hungry people. But that exposure has a price, and for many small restaurants, cafés and shops it quietly eats most of the margin on every order.
The commission math
Marketplace apps commonly charge between 15% and 30% of the order value, depending on the plan you choose and whether they handle delivery. Card processing and promotional fees often come on top.
Take a simple example: a neighbourhood restaurant doing 100 orders a month with an average basket of $30.
- Monthly order value: $3,000
- At 25% commission: $750 a month paid to the app
- Over a year: $9,000
Now compare that with a flat subscription. On OrderPoint, the Standard plan is $49 a month and includes up to 500 online orders a month; the Business plan is $99 a month with no order limit. In both cases we take no commission on your orders. You still pay your payment provider's normal card fees, but the 25% is yours to keep.
You don't have to leave the apps overnight
Most owners shouldn't delete their marketplace listings on day one. A more realistic plan:
- Keep the apps for discovery. New customers still find you there.
- Move your regulars to your own site. Put your ordering link on your bags, receipts, flyers, Google listing and social profiles.
- Give them a reason to switch. A small coupon for ordering direct ("10% off on our website") still costs far less than a 25% commission.
- Offer pick-up. Pick-up orders on your own site carry no delivery cost at all.
Run the numbers for your business
Take last month's marketplace statement, add up commissions and fees, and compare it with a flat monthly plan. If the difference is more than a few hundred dollars, a direct ordering website is likely one of the fastest returns you can get.
See our plans. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.