MenuDrive pricing: the $149 plan, the 3% + 20¢ fee and the terms behind them
Updated October 20, 2026
MenuDrive costs $149 a month, plus a $149 one-time setup fee and a "3% + 20¢ flat-rate transaction fee" on orders (MenuDrive pricing page, read October 20, 2026). Its feature pages also advertise a special offer of one year for $891, about $74 a month. MenuDrive has been owned by Lavu since 2019, and its terms, an agreement with Lavu, Inc., say subscriptions renew automatically, you "may not cancel" before the end of your current term, and fees are nonrefundable. Below: what the per-order fee really costs, what each term choice adds up to, and what to ask before you sign.
In short
- One plan: the Restaurant Plan at $149.00 a month with "Unlimited online orders" and "Unlimited delivery".
- Two extras: a $149 one-time setup fee and 3% + 20¢ per transaction.
- Yearly offer: $891 for one year, which saves $897 against 12 months at $149.
- Per-order fee by ticket size: 3% + 20¢ is $1.10 on a $30 order, slightly less than Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ ($1.17), and the two are equal at $100.
- Terms: automatic renewal "at our then current price", no cancellation mid-term, no prorated refund, and 30 days after termination to extract your data.
What does MenuDrive cost in 2026?
MenuDrive shows one plan. Prices from menudrive.com, read October 20, 2026.
| Item | Price | Billing | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Plan | $149.00 a month | Monthly subscription term | Unlimited online orders and delivery, location and menu management, "Daily business-day transfers", reports, branding, site hosting, Lavu POS integration, mobile and group ordering, email and text order notifications, SMS order notifications, delivery-zone geo-fencing, QR code menu, advance orders, tip suggestions, design templates, email automation, loyalty rewards, coupons, announcements, targeted Facebook ads, 24/7/365 support |
| One-year offer | $891 a year ("about $74 per month") | One-year term | Same services; shown as a "special offer" on the features and how-it-works pages, not on the pricing page |
| Setup | $149 one time | At signup | "A member of our team will upload all of the delicious details" of your menu (how-it-works steps) |
| Transaction fee | 3% + 20¢ | Per transaction | Described as "flat-rate"; no separate card rate is listed |
| Free trial | 60 days, 90 days or 3 months | Varies | The site menu says "Start 60-day Free Trial", the home page "90-day free trial", and the sign-up link opens a Lavu page offering a free 3-month trial |
The Lavu sign-up page adds "Free forever with Lavu POS", with the note "Promotion only valid with Lavu Pay in the US".
What fees come on top of the plan?
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Per-order / card fee | 3% + 20¢ per transaction | The pricing page doesn't say whether this includes card processing. The plan lists "Daily business-day transfers", which suggests MenuDrive collects the payments; the terms say Lavu products "simply facilitate" card payments through third-party gateway and processing partners. Ask which it is |
| Setup | $149 once | Not refundable: "all Fees are nonrefundable" |
| Commission | No percentage commission beyond the 3% + 20¢ | — |
| Delivery | No delivery fee from MenuDrive | You set delivery zones and charges for your own staff; no driver app or courier integration found |
| POS | Not included | The listed integration is Lavu POS |
| Price changes | At renewal | The terms reserve the right to change fees for the next period "upon notice"; if you don't accept, you must cancel |
| Cancellation | Only at the end of the term | Call Customer Care at 866-725-2158 before the renewal date; no prorated refund |
| After you leave | 30 days to export | Then your content and data are deleted |
What does 3% + 20¢ cost per order?
Because the fee has a percentage and a fixed part, it hits small and large orders differently. Here it is next to Stripe's US list rate of 2.9% + 30¢, which Menuthere restaurants pay on their own Stripe account.
| Order value | MenuDrive 3% + 20¢ | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | Difference per order |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15 | $0.65 | $0.74 (rounded) | MenuDrive about 9¢ less |
| $30 | $1.10 | $1.17 | MenuDrive 7¢ less |
| $60 | $2.00 | $2.04 | MenuDrive 4¢ less |
| $100 | $3.20 | $3.20 | Equal |
| $200 | $6.20 | $6.10 | Stripe 10¢ less |
The break-even is $100: below it MenuDrive's fee is a little lower, above it Stripe's is. At 600 orders of $30 the gap is 600 × 7¢ = $42 a month. So the per-order fee is not where MenuDrive costs more; the $149 subscription is.
Worked example: the first year in three scenarios
The same assumptions as every pricing page in this series: one US restaurant, 600 online orders a month, a $30 average order, all paid by card online. That's $18,000 a month. MenuDrive's fee is 3% × $18,000 + 600 × 20¢ = $540 + $120 = $660 a month. Stripe's is 2.9% × $18,000 + 600 × 30¢ = $522 + $180 = $702 a month.
| First year | Subscription | Setup | Per-order / card fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. MenuDrive, monthly term | 12 × $149 = $1,788 | $149 | 12 × $660 = $7,920 | $9,857 |
| B. MenuDrive, $891 one-year offer | $891 | $149 (if charged; the offer doesn't say) | $7,920 | $8,960 |
| C. MenuDrive monthly, if a gateway fee came on top | $1,788 | $149 | $7,920 + 12 × $702 benchmark = $16,344 | $18,281 |
| Menuthere Lite, monthly | 12 × $17 = $204 | $0 | 12 × $702 = $8,424 | $8,628 |
| Menuthere Lite, yearly | $170 | $0 | $8,424 | $8,594 |
| Menuthere Pro, yearly | $390 | $0 | $8,424 | $8,814 |
How to read it. Scenario A is the list price. Scenario B is the cheapest MenuDrive route, and it lands within $150 of Menuthere Pro billed yearly. Scenario C is a worst case, not a claim: it shows what happens if the 3% + 20¢ turned out to be a MenuDrive fee on top of a separate card processor's fee, using Stripe's rate as a benchmark. MenuDrive's page calls it "flat-rate", which suggests it isn't, but get it in writing.
What the term costs you if you change your mind. On scenario B you pay $891 upfront. If you leave after three months, the terms give no prorated refund, so those three months cost $891, not $223. On a monthly term, the most you're committed to is the current month.
When is MenuDrive worth the price?
- You run Lavu POS or plan to. MenuDrive is a Lavu product with a Lavu POS integration, and the Lavu sign-up page offers it "free forever" with Lavu POS on Lavu Pay. Menuthere has no Lavu integration.
- You want SMS and email automation included. MenuDrive lists SMS order notifications, email automation, announcements and targeted Facebook ads in one plan. Menuthere sends updates by WhatsApp and email and has no SMS or email marketing campaigns.
- Your orders are under $100. At those ticket sizes MenuDrive's 3% + 20¢ is a few cents cheaper per order than Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢.
- You'd rather someone else uploads your menu. The $149 setup includes a team member entering it for you.
When is it the wrong fit?
- You want to start without a fixed cost. There is no free plan, only a trial whose length differs by page.
- You may want to leave mid-year. You can't cancel before the end of the term, and paid fees aren't refunded.
- You run your own drivers and want an app for them. MenuDrive's delivery setup covers zones and charges, with no driver app or tracking described.
How does Menuthere's pricing compare?
Menuthere publishes every price and has no contract. Free is $0 for 50 orders a month, with an ordering website, QR codes and QR table ordering, and no card needed. Lite is $17 a month: unlimited orders, your own domain, online payments on your own Stripe account, discounts and coupons, pre-orders, table booking and menus in several languages. Pro is $39 a month and adds WhatsApp order updates from your own number, a loyalty card, reviews, several outlets, and your own riders with an iPhone and Android rider app and a live map for customers; you assign each order by hand, with no auto-dispatch or route optimisation. Branded App is $99 a month with your own Android and iOS customer app. Yearly billing is 10 months' price for 12, with a 7-day free trial on Lite and Pro (card needed). There's 0% commission and no per-order fee from Menuthere on every plan; Stripe's card fee goes on your own account. Menus import from a photo or PDF; there is no direct import from MenuDrive.
In the US, Meta does not deliver WhatsApp marketing messages to +1 numbers, so WhatsApp sends order updates (utility messages, about $0.0034 each, billed by Meta with no markup) but not promotions; use email for offers.
For the side-by-side list of options, see MenuDrive alternatives. For other US systems with published prices, compare Menufy pricing, ChowNow pricing and, if you're leaving a free system, GloriaFood pricing. Menuthere's plans are on the pricing page.
No setup fee, no per-order fee, no term to sit out. then try Lite or Pro free for 7 days (card needed). Questions?
Frequently asked questions
How much does MenuDrive cost a month?
MenuDrive's pricing page lists one Restaurant Plan at $149 a month, plus a $149 one-time setup fee and a 3% + 20¢ flat-rate transaction fee. Its feature pages also advertise one year for $891, about $74 a month, as a special offer.
What is MenuDrive's 3% + 20¢ fee?
It is the flat-rate transaction fee on MenuDrive's pricing page. On a $30 order it comes to $1.10. The page doesn't say whether it includes card processing, so ask MenuDrive before you sign whether any processor fee is charged on top.
Is MenuDrive's $891 offer cheaper than paying monthly?
Yes, by $897 in the first year: $891 against 12 × $149 = $1,788. The offer doesn't say whether the $149 setup fee also applies, and because fees are nonrefundable you pay for the whole year even if you leave early.
How long is MenuDrive's free trial?
It depends on the page. MenuDrive's menu says 60 days, its home page says 90 days, and the sign-up link opens a Lavu page offering a free 3-month trial. Confirm the trial length and the date billing starts in writing.
Can I cancel MenuDrive before my term ends?
No. MenuDrive's terms say you may not cancel before the end of your current subscription term and that there is no prorated refund. To stop the automatic renewal, call Customer Care at 866-725-2158 before the renewal date.
What happens to my data if I leave MenuDrive?
MenuDrive's terms give you 30 days after termination to extract your content and data, after which it is deleted. Export your customer list and order history before your term ends.
Sources (10)
- MenuDrive pricing: https://www.menudrive.com/pricing/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026, curl): "Restaurant Plan $ 149 .00 per month"; "$149 one-time setup fee"; "3% + 20¢ flat-rate transaction fee"; "UNLIMITED ORDERS", "NO HIDDEN COSTS"; full feature list incl. "Daily business-day transfers" and "Lavu POS integration".
- MenuDrive features: https://www.menudrive.com/features/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026): "Our normal pricing for these services is $149 per month … Get a one-year subscription for only $891 (about $74 per month)"; "Sign Up for a 90-Day Free Trial".
- MenuDrive how it works: https://www.menudrive.com/how-it-works/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026, via facts.md): same $891 offer.
- MenuDrive home page: https://www.menudrive.com/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026): "Start 60-day Free Trial" (menu); "Sign up today for a 90-day free trial"; "A member of our team will upload all of the delicious details".
- Lavu sign-up page: https://go.lavu.com/menudrive-online-marketing-and-delivery-platform-for-restaurants (accessed 20 Oct 2026, via facts.md): "GET FREE 3 MONTH TRIAL OR FREE FOREVER WITH LAVU POS"; "Promotion only valid with Lavu Pay in the US".
- MenuDrive terms of service (Lavu, Inc.): https://www.menudrive.com/terms/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026): automatic renewal "at our then current price"; cancel before the Renewal Commencement Date via Customer Care at 866-725-2158; "You may not cancel your subscription prior to the end of your then current subscription term"; no prorated refund; "all Fees are nonrefundable"; fee changes "upon notice"; card payments through "third-party Credit Card Gateway and Processing partners"; "thirty (30) days to allow you to extract your User Content and User Data".
- MenuDrive about: https://www.menudrive.com/about-us/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026): "Lavu Inc. acquired MenuDrive in 2019".
- Lavu help, delivery with own staff: https://support.lavu.com/en/knowledge/how-do-i-set-up-delivery (accessed 20 Oct 2026, via facts.md): radius or geofenced zones with charges; no driver app described.
- Stripe US pricing, archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261007160914/https://stripe.com/pricing (archived 7 Oct 2026; "2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards"). The live stripe.com geo-redirects to the India page from our office (checked 20 Oct 2026).
- Meta, marketing message limits: https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/marketing-templates/per-user-limits (accessed 20 Oct 2026). US utility rate about US$0.0034 from Meta's rate card effective 1 Oct 2026.