On marketplace platforms, "commission" is a percentage that goes to the platform on every single order — typically somewhere between 20% and 30%. A commission-free ordering model removes that percentage entirely and replaces it with a fixed subscription fee. The difference might look small at first, but it turns into a very large gap as order volume grows.

The Difference Between a Percentage and a Fixed Fee

With a percentage-based commission, what you pay grows right along with your revenue — the bigger your business gets, the more you pay the platform. With a fixed subscription, what you pay has nothing to do with how many orders you take; whether you get 10 orders a day or 500, your subscription fee doesn't change.

How FoodDirekt Sustains This Model

FoodDirekt doesn't take a cut of your order revenue; our income comes only from the fixed monthly or annual subscription restaurants pay us. Because we never touch the payment flow — payments go directly to the Stripe, PayPal, or Nets account you connect yourself — we don't need to take a commission either.

Who This Model Benefits Most

  • High-volume restaurants: Savings grow as order count grows — the exact opposite of how a commission model works.
  • Businesses with low-margin products: For low-margin items like pizza or fast food, a 25% commission can wipe out nearly all your profit; a fixed fee removes that pressure.
  • Restaurants building their own brand: Since customer data and repeat-order relationships stay with the restaurant, loyalty stays yours in the long run too.

What It Doesn't Cover

The commission-free model doesn't cover your payment provider's own processing fees (e.g. Stripe's card processing charge) — those fees are part of your own agreement with the provider you connect directly, and they would exist under a marketplace model too. What FoodDirekt removes is the extra percentage the platform itself would add on top.

When You Start Coming Out Ahead

Exactly when you cross over the point where the subscription pays for itself depends on your monthly revenue and your current commission rate — for most mid-volume restaurants, that balance point arrives within a few weeks. Use the calculator on our pricing page to see the difference with your own numbers.