Restaurant Delivery Software: Which Options Actually Cut Commission Costs?

Restaurants searching for "delivery software that cuts commission" usually have the same problem: orders are coming in, but a large share of every order goes to the platform that sent it. The fix isn't always new software. It is moving to a model where you stop paying a percentage of each order. This guide compares your options with simple per-order maths.

Where your delivery money actually goes

On a typical marketplace order, the restaurant pays a commission of roughly 15–30%, plus card fees, and sometimes extra for promotions or better placement. The delivery itself is part of what that commission pays for, but so is the marketplace's marketing, app and margin.

The question to ask of any software is simple: does it charge per order as a percentage, or a flat fee? That one detail decides whether it cuts your costs as you grow.

The four models compared

Model	How orders arrive	Who delivers	Typical cost
Marketplace (full service)	Marketplace app	Marketplace couriers	Highest: percentage commission per order
Marketplace, own delivery	Marketplace app	Your drivers	Lower commission, but still a percentage
Own ordering + on-demand courier	Your app / website	Courier booked per order	Flat software fee + a fixed fee per delivery
Own ordering + own drivers	Your app / website	Your drivers	Flat software fee + driver costs

The per-order maths

Take a restaurant with an average order of £25 and 1,000 delivery orders a month (£25,000 in sales):

	Marketplace at 25%	Own ordering + courier
Commission	£6,250	£0
Software	Included	Flat monthly fee
Delivery	Included	Courier fee per order (often partly charged to the customer as a delivery fee)

Even after delivery costs, moving a meaningful share of orders to your own channel usually leaves far more in the business, and the saving grows with every extra order. Figures are illustrative; plug in your own numbers.

What good delivery operations software should do

• Direct ordering: your own branded app and web ordering page, so customers order from you, not a marketplace.
• Delivery zones and fees: set areas, minimum orders, fees and estimated times per branch.
• A live order queue with sound alerts, so the kitchen never misses an order.
• Order tracking and notifications: customers see when the order is accepted, being prepared and out for delivery.
• Manual orders for phone and walk-in customers, in the same queue.
• Multi-branch support: separate hours, zones and staff access per location, with combined reporting.
• Flexible payment: card online, plus cash on delivery or pickup where it suits your customers.

Keep marketplaces, but stop depending on them

You don't have to leave marketplaces overnight. The most effective approach is usually:

1. Keep marketplaces for discovery: new customers who don't know you yet.
2. Give every marketplace customer a reason to order direct next time: a flyer in the bag with a QR code and a first-order offer.
3. Make your own channel the best deal: small loyalty rewards or slightly lower prices, since you pay no commission.
4. Watch the share of direct orders grow month by month.

An example: LetMenu

We built LetMenu for exactly this. Each restaurant gets its own branded app, web ordering and dashboard, with delivery zones and fees per branch, a live order queue, order tracking and zero per-order commission, and it can go live in about 48 hours. For the bigger picture, read our guide to commission-free restaurant ordering.

Need something custom?

If you run a restaurant group or a delivery business with special requirements (your own driver app, integrations with your POS, or unusual pricing rules), we can build it. Tell us how you deliver today and we'll suggest the most cost-effective setup.