📋 Table of contents
To capture direct orders without paying 30% commission, give customers your own ordering page and make it the easiest way to order: QR codes on tables and delivery bags, a link on Google and Instagram, ordering inside WhatsApp, and a small reward that only direct orders get. Keep delivery apps for discovery, but move your regulars direct. FoodChow charges 0% commission on direct orders and has a Free Forever plan to start.
Here's a number most owners don't like to calculate: how much commission you paid last year. For a restaurant doing 600 app orders a month at ₹400, a 25% commission is about ₹7.2 lakh a year, before GST on that commission.
You can't (and shouldn't) quit delivery apps overnight. But you can move your regulars to direct ordering, and every order you move is money back in your pocket. Here's how.
Special offerTake direct orders at 0% commission
- Your own ordering page
- QR & digital menu
- 0% commission on direct orders
- No card required
1What commission really costs you
| Platform | Typical commission | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swiggy / Zomato (India) | Commonly reported around 18–28% | Varies by city, category and plan. GST is charged on the commission too |
| DoorDash (USA) | 15% / 25% / 30% on delivery | Official plan pricing, 6% on pickup |
| Your own FoodChow ordering | 0% commission | Standard payment gateway fees apply on online payments |
🧮 Commission calculator
Move the sliders. See what delivery-app commission costs you, and what you keep by moving some orders direct.
Estimate only. Excludes GST on commission, payment gateway fees and delivery costs.
Start Taking Direct Orders Free →Running a restaurant in the US? See our guide to a free online ordering system for US restaurants, with the DoorDash numbers in dollars.
29 ways to capture direct orders
1. Get your own ordering page
Everything starts here: a branded menu where customers order and pay you directly. FoodChow's Free Forever plan gives you a QR and digital menu with direct ordering at 0% commission. Upgrade when you want online payments, takeaway and delivery modes.
2. Put a QR code on every table
Dine-in guests already like you. A table QR that opens your menu turns them into direct online customers for next time.
3. Put a "next time, order direct" card in every delivery bag
This is the most powerful trick on this list. The app brought you the customer once. A small card with your QR code and a direct-only offer brings them back without the app.
Bag-card script: "Loved it? Order directly next time and get a free dessert. Scan here 👇" Keep it to one line and one QR.
4. Take orders inside WhatsApp
Indian customers already message restaurants on WhatsApp. With FoodChow WhatsApp ordering, they see the full menu, pay with a link and get live updates in the chat. See our WhatsApp marketing guide.
Your customers. Your orders. Your margin.
Start on FoodChow’s Free Forever plan: QR menu and direct ordering, no card needed.
5. Add your ordering link to Google
Many diners search on Google before opening any app. Add your direct ordering link and WhatsApp number to your Google Business Profile, so the first click goes to you.
6. Make Instagram your order button
Every Reel should end with "order from the link in bio", and that link should open your menu, not a homepage.
7. Give direct orders a reason
Don't punish app customers, reward direct ones: a free add-on, loyalty points or a small discount only on direct orders. You can afford it, because you're not paying commission.
8. Run your own delivery for nearby orders
For orders within a few kilometres, use your own rider or an on-demand service like Porter. FoodChow's delivery-ready plans support your own drivers.
9. Bring regulars back automatically
Every direct order saves the customer. Send a festival menu, a win-back offer or a loyalty reward, and they order direct again. Not sure whether loyalty or a subscription fits you? Read restaurant loyalty vs subscription: which one wins.
3The smart hybrid: apps for discovery, direct for repeat
🛵 Delivery apps
- New customers who've never heard of you
- Big app audience
- You pay commission every order
- The customer data stays with the app
🏠 Direct ordering
- Regulars and repeat orders
- 0% commission on FoodChow
- You own the customer
- You run your own offers
Use the apps to meet customers and direct ordering to keep them.
Delivery apps aren’t the only way to meet new customers. Here are 15 free ways to get restaurant customers.
4Restaurants already doing it
5Your 30-day direct-order plan
- Week 1: set up your FoodChow ordering page and QR menu. Test an order.
- Week 1: add the link to Google Business Profile, Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Week 2: print table QR codes and bag cards with a direct-only offer.
- Week 3: start WhatsApp ordering and message your regulars.
- Week 4: count direct orders vs app orders, and double down on what worked.
Need billing too? Start with free restaurant POS software with a thermal printer, and later bring everything together with a unified POS, ordering and reservation system.
6Mistakes to avoid
- Higher prices on your own page than on the apps. It kills trust.
- A hard-to-find link. If it takes three taps, they'll go back to the app.
- Quitting the apps overnight. You'll lose discovery before direct orders grow.
- Not saving customer details. A direct order without a saved customer is a wasted chance.
?Frequently asked questions
QHow can restaurants get direct orders without paying commission?
QHow much commission do Swiggy and Zomato charge?
QShould I leave delivery apps completely?
QIs FoodChow online ordering free?
QWhat is the best way to move app customers to direct ordering?
Final word
Commission is the biggest hidden cost in most restaurants. You don't have to quit the apps. Just stop paying commission on customers who already love you. Set up direct ordering, put your QR everywhere, and reward people for ordering direct.
🚀 Start direct ordering free
Free Forever plan: QR menu and direct orders at 0% commission.
Get Started Free →📊 See the full growth setup
Online ordering, POS, WhatsApp and loyalty: book a free demo.
Book a Free Demo →
Stop paying commission on your regulars
Start direct ordering free with FoodChow: QR menu and direct orders at 0% commission.
Article by
Jigar Doriwala
Founder & CEO, FoodChow
Founder of FoodChow, a commission-free restaurant technology platform live in 15+ countries. With 14+ years in SaaS and digital strategy, Jigar has bootstrapped FoodChow for 8+ years and helps restaurant owners grow direct orders, billing and marketing. Instagram