How to move repeat customers to direct ordering
Updated October 20, 2026
To move repeat customers off Zomato and Swiggy, give your regulars an easy direct way to order — a 0%-commission ordering link on your Instagram bio, WhatsApp and Google profile, plus a QR code on every bill and takeaway bag — and reward them for using it. You keep the marketplaces for discovery and take the repeat orders at 0% commission. Here's the playbook.
Menuthere is not affiliated with Zomato or Swiggy. Stay within each marketplace's current terms when you add direct-ordering touchpoints to packaging and receipts.
In short
- Regulars don't need discovery — they already love you. They just need your direct link.
- Put your link everywhere customers already are: Instagram bio, WhatsApp, Google Business Profile, bill footer, and a QR on the bag.
- Make direct the better deal: a small direct-only perk (free delivery over a value, a loyalty point, a combo) beats the commission every time.
- Keep the customer data so you can bring them back with WhatsApp.
- 0% commission on every order that moves across.
start shifting regulars today.
Why this is the highest-impact move
Marketplaces charge you on every order, including the hundredth order from the same regular. But that regular found you long ago — you're paying discovery commission on a customer you already own. Take a ₹400 order at 25%: that's ₹100 commission + ₹18 GST = ₹118 gone, every time. Move 60 repeat orders a day direct and you keep roughly ₹7,000 a day. (See the full maths in reduce Zomato & Swiggy commission.)
The channels to use
| Touchpoint | What to do | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| QR on the bill & bag | Print "Order direct next time — scan here" with your QR code menu | Reaches the customer at peak satisfaction, right after a good meal |
| Instagram & Facebook bio | Put your ordering link as the bio link | Your social audience is mostly existing fans |
| Reply to enquiries with your ordering link; broadcast offers | Highest open rates; WhatsApp ordering on your own number | |
| Google Business Profile | Add your direct ordering link to your profile | Captures "name + order" searches you'd otherwise lose to aggregators |
| In-store signage & table QR | Dine-in QR that doubles as "order takeaway from us direct" | Converts walk-ins into direct online regulars |
The playbook, step by step
- Set up your direct link. Create a free ordering page with Razorpay, Cashfree and UPI into your own account. It takes minutes.
- Add it everywhere. Instagram/Facebook bio, Google profile, WhatsApp, website — anywhere a regular might look for you.
- Print the QR. Put a direct-ordering QR on bills, takeaway bags, menus and a table tent. Add a one-line nudge: "Reorder direct — no app needed."
- Give direct a reason. Offer a direct-only perk: free delivery above a value, a loyalty point, or a small combo that marketplaces don't have. Make direct the smarter choice, not just the loyal one.
- Capture the customer. Because the order is on your channel, you keep the name, number and order history — use WhatsApp to bring them back.
- Keep marketplaces for discovery. Stay listed to find new customers; move the repeat ones direct. (Note: Swiggy Smart Links still charge commission, so use your own link for regulars.)
A simple 30-day target
- Week 1: direct link live and added to bio, Google and WhatsApp.
- Week 2: QR on every bill and bag; staff briefed to mention it.
- Week 3: launch one direct-only perk.
- Week 4: send your first WhatsApp broadcast to customers who ordered direct.
Track the share of orders coming direct each week — the goal is to grow it steadily while keeping your marketplace discovery intact.
FAQs
Is it allowed to tell marketplace customers to order direct?
You own your packaging, receipts, social media and Google profile, and can promote your own ordering link there. Avoid actions that breach a specific marketplace term (for example, do not insert flyers into marketplace-fulfilled orders if your agreement forbids it). Check your current contract.
What's the fastest way to start moving customers direct?
Set up a free direct ordering link, put it in your Instagram bio, WhatsApp and Google profile, and print a QR on your bills and bags with a short "order direct next time" line. Those four touchpoints reach most of your regulars.
How do I make customers choose my direct link over the app?
Make direct the better deal with a direct-only perk — free delivery over a value, a loyalty point, or an exclusive combo — and make it effortless (a QR and a saved WhatsApp link). Regulars switch when direct is easier and a little cheaper.
Do I lose my ratings or discovery if I do this?
No. You keep your marketplace listings for discovery of new customers. You're simply giving existing regulars a 0%-commission way to reorder, which doesn't touch your marketplace ratings.
How much can I save by moving repeat orders direct?
It depends on volume, but every repeat order you take direct saves the full commission plus 18% GST. At a 25% rate, a ₹400 order saves about ₹118; sixty such orders a day is roughly ₹7,000 saved daily.
Sources (1)
- Commission context (15%–30% + 18% GST) — Menuthere live Zomato/Swiggy commission pages: https://menuthere.com/en/delivery-app-commission/zomato-india and https://menuthere.com/en/delivery-app-commission/swiggy-india (accessed 2026-10-21)