📋 Table of contents
Yes, US restaurants can take online orders for free. FoodChow's Free Forever plan gives you a marketplace listing, a QR and digital menu, and direct ordering with 0% commission, with no monthly fee and no card required. Online card payments, delivery and takeaway modes, and WhatsApp order notifications are paid upgrades, so you only pay when you need them.
Most US restaurant owners I talk to don't have an ordering problem. They have a margin problem. The orders come in through delivery apps, but 15% to 30% of every ticket leaves before the food is even cooked.
This guide shows you how to set up a free online ordering system for your restaurant, what you really get for free, what costs money, and how to move your regulars from the apps to your own ordering page.
Special offerTake direct orders, commission-free
- Free marketplace listing
- QR & digital menu
- Direct orders, 0% commission
- No card required
1Why US restaurants are moving to direct ordering
Third-party marketplaces are great for discovery, but they charge for every order. DoorDash's published US merchant pricing looks like this:
| DoorDash plan | Delivery commission | Pickup commission |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 15% | 6% |
| Plus | 25% | 6% |
| Premier | 30% | 6% |
| Your own FoodChow ordering page | 0% commission | 0% commission |
There's a second cost too: the customer belongs to the app. You can't easily bring that diner back with your own offer. With direct ordering, every order is your customer, not the platform's.
If you want the full playbook with a commission calculator, read how to capture direct orders without paying 30% commission.
2What's free in FoodChow (and what's paid)
Here's exactly how FoodChow's online ordering plans work. No fine print.
Free
- Free marketplace listing
- QR & digital menu
- Direct ordering (cash on pickup/delivery)
- Basic restaurant profile
- 0% commission, no card needed
Pay-per-sale
- Everything in Free
- Online card payments
- Takeaway & delivery modes
- WhatsApp order notifications
- Customer data ownership
Premium
- A fixed subscription instead of per-sale fees
- Priced for your country
- Best once your order volume grows
Pay-per-sale charges a platform fee only on completed online orders. Premium is country-priced: ask our team for the current US price on a free demo. Standard card processing fees apply on every platform, including FoodChow.
Founder's note: The Free plan is built for getting started: your menu online, a QR code on every table, and direct orders paid in cash. The day you want card payments and delivery, move to Pay-per-sale. You still pay no monthly fee.
3What your restaurant gets
Beyond the free plan, FoodChow gives US restaurants a full direct-ordering setup as they grow:
QR & digital menu
Guests scan at the table or counter and browse your menu.
FreeDirect ordering
Orders come straight to your kitchen, with 0% commission.
FreeMarketplace listing
Get found by diners browsing FoodChow.
FreeOnline card payments
Accept prepaid orders online.
UpgradeTakeaway & delivery
Run pickup and delivery with your own drivers.
UpgradeBranded website & app
Your own ordering site and app, with your brand.
UpgradeKitchen display & POS
Every order on one kitchen screen.
UpgradeCoupons & combos
Fixed or percentage coupons and combo deals.
UpgradeAs you grow, it helps to keep ordering, billing and bookings in one place. Here’s how to unify POS, online ordering and reservations.
4Free direct ordering vs delivery apps
| Delivery marketplaces | FoodChow direct ordering | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission per order | 15–30% on delivery (DoorDash plans) | 0% |
| Monthly fee | Varies by plan | $0 on Free Forever |
| Customer data | Mostly stays with the app | Yours to export (CSV/Excel) on paid plans |
| Your brand | One listing among many | Your own menu page and QR code |
| Discovery | Strong, huge app audience | You drive it: QR, Google, social, regulars |
The honest answer: use both. Keep the apps for new customers, and move your regulars to direct ordering, where you keep the full ticket.
Direct ordering works even better when regulars have a reason to come back. I compared the two most common options in restaurant loyalty vs subscription.
5Real example: Bella Casa Vegana, Connecticut
Bella Casa Vegana, a vegan restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, went live with FoodChow online ordering and POS on October 1, 2026.
That's about five direct orders a day in the first two weeks, with no marketplace commission on any of them. See more results on the FoodChow case studies page.
70 orders in 14 days, commission-free
See how Bella Casa Vegana launched direct ordering and POS with FoodChow.
6Set up free online ordering in 24 hours
- Sign up free on FoodChow's free online ordering system. No card required.
- Share your menu: items, prices and photos. Our team helps upload it.
- Get your ordering page and QR code, and print the QR for tables, the counter and takeout bags.
- Add your ordering link to your website, Instagram bio and Google Business Profile.
- Test an order from your own phone and check it reaches the kitchen.
- Go live, then upgrade to Pay-per-sale when you want card payments and delivery.
7How to move diners from apps to direct orders
- Bag stuffers: put a card with your QR code in every delivery-app order, telling them to order direct next time.
- Table and counter QR: dine-in guests are your easiest direct-order customers.
- Google first: most diners search on Google before they open an app. Put your ordering link on your Business Profile.
- Reward direct orders: on paid plans, run a coupon only for your own ordering page.
- Collect reviews: more good Google reviews means more people find you directly.
For more free tactics, read how to get customers for your restaurant for free.
More and more diners now ask Google, Siri or ChatGPT where to eat. Make sure your menu is readable with this guide on optimising your menu for AI voice search, then follow the restaurant SEO playbook for Google Maps and AI search.
8Comparing other ordering platforms?
If you're evaluating other US ordering tools, we've written side-by-side comparisons: ChowNow alternative, GloriaFood alternative, Toast alternative, Grubhub alternative, UpMenu alternative and MenuDrive alternative.
Why US restaurants choose FoodChow
- ✓ Free Forever plan, no expiry
- ✓ 0% commission on direct orders
- ✓ No card required to start
- ✓ Live in about 24 hours
- ✓ Upgrade only when you need card payments
- ✓ Used by restaurants in 15+ countries
9Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the apps overnight. Keep them for discovery while you build direct orders.
- Hiding your ordering link. If it isn't on Google, Instagram and your receipts, nobody will use it.
- Assuming "free" covers card payments. On FoodChow, the Free plan is cash-only. Online payments are an upgrade.
- Charging higher prices for direct orders. Give diners a reason to order direct, not a penalty.
See it on your menu
- Free Forever plan
- 0% commission direct orders
- Live in about 24 hours
?Frequently asked questions
QIs there a free online ordering system for restaurants in the US?
QDoes FoodChow charge commission on orders?
QCan I accept card payments on the free plan?
QHow much do DoorDash commissions cost restaurants?
QHow fast can a US restaurant go live with FoodChow?
Final word
A free online ordering system won't replace delivery apps on day one, and it doesn't have to. Start free, put your QR code everywhere, and every order you move to your own page is money you keep.
🆓 Start free today
Free Forever plan: listing, QR menu and direct orders, 0% commission.
Get Started Free →📅 Want card payments & delivery?
See Pay-per-sale and Premium for your restaurant on a free demo.
Book a Free Demo →
Start taking direct orders, free
Free Forever plan: listing, QR menu and direct orders at 0% commission. No card required.
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