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Delivery App vs Direct Order Calculator

Compare delivery app commissions with direct ordering fees to see which channel keeps more profit.

Decision support

Interpretation

Delivery apps cost about $3,532.5/month in fees at 450 orders. Direct orders at the same volume could save roughly $2,604.6/month after processing fees and ordering system costs.

Recommendation

Direct orders may meaningfully improve profit if you can bring customers to your own ordering channel through signage, receipts, and loyalty offers.

Assumptions

Delivery apps may provide discovery and customer traffic that direct ordering does not. This compares fee and system costs only, not marketing value or delivery logistics.

Detailed results

Delivery app fee cost ($/month)
3,532.5
Direct order fee cost ($/month)
618.6
Monthly savings from direct orders ($)
2,604.6
Break-even direct orders
20.73
Profit difference ($/month)
2,604.6

Should you rely on delivery apps or push customers to order directly? Delivery apps bring orders but take a large commission. This calculator compares monthly fees so you can decide when direct ordering pays off.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter average order value and monthly delivery app orders.
  2. Enter delivery app commission and direct processing fee.
  3. Add packaging cost and monthly direct ordering system cost.
  4. Enter expected direct orders per month.
  5. Review monthly savings and break-even direct order volume.

Formula

App cost = Orders × (Order value × Commission + Packaging). Direct cost = Direct orders × (Order value × Processing fee + Packaging) + System cost. Savings compares app fees to direct fees at the same order volume.

Example

At $28 average orders with 450 app orders/month and 25% commission, app fees run about $3,352/month. Direct ordering at 300 orders/month may save money if enough volume shifts off the apps.

Frequently asked questions

Are delivery apps always bad for profit?
No. Apps can bring discovery and new customers. The goal is to understand fees and build direct repeat orders over time.
What counts as direct ordering system cost?
Include website ordering fees, POS add-ons, SMS tools, or monthly platform subscriptions used for direct orders.

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