Online ordering for restaurants: channels, costs and how to set it up
Updated October 20, 2026
Online ordering for restaurants means customers order, and usually pay, from their phone or computer for pickup, delivery or their table, and the order lands in your kitchen without a phone call. You can take those orders through five channels: your own ordering website, the Order online button on Google, delivery-app marketplaces, a branded app, and QR codes at the table. The big difference is cost: at 400 orders a month of $32, a marketplace delivery plan at 25% takes $3,200, while most direct ordering setups cost $500 to $900 a month including card fees.
In short
- Five channels: your own ordering page, Google's Order online button, marketplaces (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub), a branded app, QR table ordering.
- Marketplace commission (US): DoorDash 15/25/30% (6% on pickup), Uber Eats 20/25/30%, Grubhub 5/15/20% marketing commission plus delivery from 10%.
- Direct ordering costs: a monthly fee (from $0) plus card processing, about 2.9% + 30¢ an order with Stripe or Square's paid plans.
- Delivery is the hard part: couriers such as DoorDash Drive ($6.99–$10.99) and Uber Direct (from $7.99) charge per trip; your own drivers pay off only with short, frequent deliveries.
- Set up in a day: menu, ordering page, payments, pickup and delivery rules, then the link on Google, your site, socials and a QR code.
What is online ordering for restaurants?
| Channel | How customers find it | Who owns the customer | How you pay for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own ordering page (website or link) | Your website, Google, Instagram, a QR code, word of mouth | You | Monthly fee (from $0) + card processing |
| Google's Order online button | Google Search and Maps | Whoever's link Google shows | Google charges nothing; the site behind the link might |
| Delivery-app marketplaces | The app's own customers | The app | A commission on every order, plus fees |
| Branded app | App Store and Google Play | You | A monthly fee, often higher than a website |
| QR table ordering | A code on the table | You | Usually part of your ordering system |
Most US restaurants use two or three channels. The marketplaces bring new customers; your own page, Google and QR codes keep repeat customers off commission. Restaurants that serve communities who use WhatsApp can also take orders there; in the US, WhatsApp sends order updates (utility messages, about US$0.0034 each), not promotions, because Meta doesn't deliver marketing templates to +1 numbers, so use email for offers (WhatsApp ordering in the USA).
How much does online ordering cost a restaurant?
Published US prices, from each company's own pricing page on the date shown. Card processing is shown where the company publishes it.
| Setup | Monthly fee | Per-order cost | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash Marketplace | $0 | 15%, 25% or 30% on delivery (Basic, Plus, Premier); 6% on pickup | Wave 1, 20 Oct 2026 |
| Uber Eats | $0 | 20%, 25% or 30% | Wave 1, 20 Oct 2026 |
| Grubhub | $0 | 5%, 15% or 20% marketing commission, plus delivery from 10% | Wave 1, 20 Oct 2026 |
| Square Online Free | $0 | 3.3% + 30¢ card processing | 26 Sep 2026 |
| Square Online Plus | $49 per location | 2.9% + 30¢ | 26 Sep 2026 |
| UpMenu Web Ordering | $49 (75 orders), $89 (210 orders) or $169 (unlimited) | UpMenu Payments 2.79% + 19¢ (US Visa/Mastercard) | 19 Oct 2026 |
| ChowNow Launch | $229 on an annual term, $249 monthly, plus a $119–$499 setup fee | 2.95% + 29¢ | 26 Sep 2026 |
| Owner.com Flexible | $249 | 5% restaurant fee + card processing (rate not published); guests pay a 5% order support fee | 26 Sep 2026 |
| Toast Online Ordering | Add-on to a Toast POS plan; price not published | Card processing (rates not published) | 26 Sep 2026 |
| Menuthere Free | $0 | 50 orders a month; no online payments | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Menuthere Lite | $17 | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ on your own account; 0% commission | 20 Oct 2026 |
Worked example: 400 orders a month at $32
A restaurant takes 400 online orders a month with an average of $32, or $12,800 in sales. Here is what each setup costs in a month, before delivery.
| Setup | Working | Monthly cost | Share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash Plus, delivery orders | 25% × $12,800 | $3,200.00 (delivery included) | 25.0% |
| DoorDash, pickup orders | 6% × $12,800 | $768.00 | 6.0% |
| Owner.com Flexible | $249 + 5% × $12,800 | $889.00 + card fees | 6.9%+ |
| ChowNow Launch (annual) | $229 + 2.95% × $12,800 + 400 × $0.29 | $722.60 + setup fee once | 5.6% |
| UpMenu unlimited + UpMenu Payments | $169 + 2.79% × $12,800 + 400 × $0.19 | $602.12 | 4.7% |
| Square Online Free | 3.3% × $12,800 + 400 × $0.30 | $542.40 | 4.2% |
| Square Online Plus | $49 + 2.9% × $12,800 + 400 × $0.30 | $540.20 | 4.2% |
| Menuthere Lite + Stripe | $17 + 2.9% × $12,800 + 400 × $0.30 | $508.20 | 4.0% |
Three things stand out:
- The marketplace number includes delivery; the others don't. Moving delivery orders off DoorDash saves the commission, but you then pay for a driver or a courier (next section).
- Among direct options, card processing is most of the bill. At 400 orders, 2.9% + 30¢ is $491.20; the monthly fees differ by up to $232.
- The per-order fee matters more than the monthly fee as you grow. Owner.com's 5% restaurant fee is $640 at this volume; its Flat Rate plan ($499, no restaurant fee) is suggested once online sales pass about $5,000 a month.
Menuthere is our product, and the comparison uses each company's own published prices. Try your own numbers in the delivery app loss calculator, or see every US delivery app commission.
How to set up online ordering for a restaurant
- Write the menu once: categories, dishes, sizes, add-ons, prices and photos. A clean menu is the job that takes longest.
- Choose your ordering page: an ordering system that gives you a link, a website or both, so you aren't building checkout yourself.
- Connect payments: a payment account in your own name, such as Stripe or Square, so money goes to your bank, not the platform.
- Set pickup and delivery rules: prep time, hours, the delivery area, the minimum order and the delivery fee.
- Test a real order: place one, pay, refund it, and check the ticket, the receipt and the payout.
- Put the link on Google: add it under Food ordering in your Google Business Profile and set it as preferred for pickup and delivery.
- Put it everywhere else: your website, Instagram and TikTok bios, the receipt, a QR code on the counter and on takeout bags.
- Watch the first month: orders by channel, average order value, refunds and the dishes people order online.
Step 6 is the one most restaurants miss: Google's Order online button often shows a delivery app first. Our Google Business Profile guide shows how to make your own link the preferred one.
Pickup, delivery or both?
| Option | Who drives | Cost to you | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup only | The customer | Card fees only on your own page | You're starting out, or most customers live close |
| Marketplace delivery | The app's drivers | The app's delivery commission (15–30%) | You want reach and no driver logistics |
| Courier on your own orders | DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct drivers | A fee per trip: DoorDash Drive $6.99–$10.99; Uber Direct from $7.99 | Delivery is occasional or the area is wide |
| Your own drivers | Your staff | Wages, payroll taxes, mileage, insurance | Deliveries are short and frequent, about 3 or more per driver-hour |
| Own drivers + courier overflow | Both | A mix | Busy nights exceed your drivers |
At a median $18.64 an hour, 7.65% payroll taxes and the IRS rate of 76¢ a mile, a 2.5-mile delivery at 2.5 deliveries per driver-hour costs about $11.83 in wages, taxes and mileage alone, which is more than either courier charges. Our in-house delivery guide shows when your own drivers pay off, and the own delivery cost calculator runs your numbers.
How do restaurants take payment online?
Most direct ordering systems connect a payment account in the restaurant's own name, so the platform never holds your money.
- Stripe in the US charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card payment; standard payouts are free (Stripe's US fees, what Stripe takes on a $30 order).
- Hosted checkout keeps card numbers off your site, which is what most small restaurants want (PCI and hosted checkout).
- Disputes and refunds are part of the job: read what a chargeback costs on Stripe before your first one.
Every online ordering question, answered
Short guides that answer one question each, by topic. The full list is in the online ordering guides hub.
Choosing a system
Setting up
Payments
Delivery
Refunds and disputes
Getting orders
Which Menuthere page is for what?
| Page | What it's for |
|---|---|
| This page | Learning how online ordering works and what it costs |
| Online ordering system for restaurants in the USA | Menuthere's product page for US restaurants |
| Online ordering system | What Menuthere's ordering system does, feature by feature |
| Free online ordering system | What the Free plan includes |
| Commission-free online ordering | How 0% commission works |
| Restaurant QR menus | QR codes at the table |
For selling more once orders are flowing, see how to increase restaurant sales; for the website around your ordering page, how to build a restaurant website; and for an app of your own, how much a restaurant app costs.
How Menuthere helps
Menuthere gives a restaurant its own ordering page, QR menu and table ordering at 0% commission on every plan.
- Free: your ordering page with unlimited menu items and 50 orders a month; customers pay at pickup or on delivery.
- Lite, $17 a month: unlimited orders, your own domain, online card payments through Stripe on your own account, scheduled pre-orders, coupons and all menu designs; the "Ordering by Menuthere" badge removed.
- Pro, $39 a month: your own drivers with an iOS and Android driver app and live tracking for customers (you assign each order with one tap), loyalty, several outlets and a WhatsApp ordering bot.
- Uber Direct outside India connects on your own Uber account for courier overflow; Menuthere adds nothing to Uber's fee.
The 7-day free trial on Lite and Pro needs a card; Free needs none.
Start taking orders on your own page today, with 0% commission.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best online ordering system for a small restaurant?
The one whose total monthly cost at your order volume is lowest and that does what you need: pickup, delivery, card payments and a link you can put on Google. At 400 orders of $32 a month, published US options range from about $508 to $889 including card fees, against $3,200 for marketplace delivery at 25%.
How much does online ordering cost a restaurant?
On delivery apps, a commission on every order: DoorDash 15, 25 or 30 percent on delivery and 6 percent on pickup, Uber Eats 20 to 30 percent, Grubhub 5 to 20 percent plus delivery. Direct ordering costs a monthly fee from $0 plus card processing, typically 2.9 percent plus 30 cents an order.
How do I set up online ordering for my restaurant?
Write your menu, choose an ordering system that gives you a link, connect a payment account in your own name, set pickup and delivery rules, and test a real order. Then put the link on your Google Business Profile as the preferred ordering option, on your website and socials, and on a QR code.
Can I have online ordering without delivery apps?
Yes. Your own ordering page takes pickup orders at no commission, and you can deliver with your own drivers or a courier such as DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct, paid per trip. Many restaurants keep a marketplace for new customers and send regulars to their own link.
Is commission-free online ordering really free?
Commission-free means no percentage of each order goes to the platform. You still pay card processing, and some platforms charge a monthly fee or a flat fee per order. Check the monthly fee, the per-order fee and the card rate together before you choose.
Should a restaurant do its own delivery?
Only if deliveries are short and frequent. At typical US wages and the IRS mileage rate, a 2.5-mile delivery costs about $11.83 in wages, taxes and mileage at 2.5 deliveries per driver-hour, more than DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct charge. Own drivers pay off at about 3 or more deliveries per hour on a tight radius.
Does Google charge for the Order online button?
No. Listing your ordering link on your Google Business Profile is free, and Google does not take a commission. What you pay depends on the site behind the link: a delivery app may charge its commission, while your own ordering page costs only its own fees.
Sources (3)
- Stripe US 2.9% + 30¢, standard payouts free: Stripe support/pricing pages (stripe.com geo-redirects to India from this machine; figures as settled in Wave 1 and in the live guide
how-much-does-stripe-charge-in-the-us, Stripe read 30 Sep 2026). - Delivery costs (DoorDash Drive $6.99–$10.99, Uber Direct from $7.99; BLS $18.64/h; 7.65% payroll; IRS 76¢/mile; $11.83 per 2.5-mile delivery at 2.5/h): Wave 1 draft
wave1/pages/en-in-house-delivery-for-restaurants.md(checked 20 Oct 2026, sources there). - WhatsApp US line: WAVE2-BRIEF settled facts.