The short answer
Delivery apps are good at finding you new customers. For your regulars, people who already know you and would happily pick up, every order through an app still costs you a commission. Moving even some of those orders to your own website keeps that money in the shop.
What the apps charge
As listed in October 2026 (plans change, so check your own agreement):
- Uber Eats: about 30% of each order when Uber's drivers deliver, around 16% when you deliver with your own staff, and a smaller fee on pickup orders. There's also a one-off activation fee.
- DoorDash: three plans at 15%, 25% or 30% on delivery orders, and 6% on pickup.
- Ads and promotions inside the apps cost extra.
What that adds up to
Take an average order of A$40 at a 30% commission. That's A$12 to the app on every order.
| App orders a week | Commission a week | Commission a year |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | A$120 | A$6,240 |
| 25 | A$300 | A$15,600 |
| 50 | A$600 | A$31,200 |
Now say five of those orders a week are regulars who live nearby and could just as easily order on your own site and pick up. That's A$60 a week, or about A$3,100 a year, that stays with you. On your own site you pay card fees instead, usually around 2% of the order.
What the apps do well (keep them)
- People who've never heard of you find you while scrolling.
- They handle delivery drivers, which most small shops can't.
- They bring in orders on quiet nights.
This isn't about quitting the apps. It's about not paying 30% on orders that would have come to you anyway.
What your own ordering site does
- Your full menu, your prices and your photos, on a site that loads fast on a phone.
- Pickup orders sent straight to you, with no commission.
- One link to put everywhere: your Google listing, your Instagram bio, your receipts.
- It's yours. No app can change the rules, bury your listing or raise the fee.
How to move regulars across
- Put the link where regulars already look: your Google Business Profile, Instagram bio and Facebook page.
- A card or sticker in every bag with a QR code: "Order direct next time."
- A sign at the counter with the same QR code.
- A small reason to switch, like a free drink or a few dollars off a first direct order. It still costs far less than the commission.
What it costs
Our menu site with pickup ordering is A$1,000, once, ready in 48 hours. Hosting is free, the domain is in your name, and menu changes later are A$40 each, or A$49 a month for one change every month. At A$12 a commission, it pays for itself after about 85 orders that skip the app.