How to Get More Direct Orders (And Stop Paying 30% Commission)

The real cost of third-party delivery apps

Before we get into strategies, let us be precise about what UberEats, DoorDash, and Menulog actually cost your restaurant. The headline commission rates are 25-35%, but the total cost is higher once you factor in promoted listings, refund deductions, and tablet fees.

Here is what that looks like at different revenue levels:

Weekly UberEats revenue	Commission at 30%	Annual commission
$5,000	$1,500/week	$78,000/year
$10,000	$3,000/week	$156,000/year
$20,000	$6,000/week	$312,000/year

At $20,000 per week — which is realistic for a busy restaurant with strong delivery volume — you are paying $312,000 per year in commission. That is more than most restaurant managers earn. It is enough to hire three full-time staff, renovate your kitchen, or simply take home as profit.

The question is not whether these fees are too high. Everyone knows they are. The question is what you do about it. Here are four strategies that work.

Strategy 1: Set up your own ordering page

This is the foundation. Without your own ordering channel, you have nowhere to send customers. You need a branded page where people can browse your menu, order, and pay — without downloading an app and without going through a third-party platform.

Windsor Digital gives you a branded ordering page at your-restaurant.windsordigital.com.au. Setup takes about 10 minutes. You photograph your existing menu, the AI reads it, you review and publish. No web developer, no design agency, no monthly fee.

The cost difference is stark. On a $50 order:

• UberEats: $15 commission (30%)
• Windsor Digital: $1 platform fee (2%) + approximately $1.15 Stripe processing fee

That is $12.85 more in your pocket on every single order. Multiply that by 100 orders a week and you are looking at $1,285 per week, or $66,820 per year in savings.

The setup itself is straightforward. The complete guide to online ordering covers every step, but the short version is: create an account, import your menu, connect Stripe for payments, print QR codes. Most owners do it in a single sitting.

Strategy 2: QR codes on every table and takeaway bag

Having your own ordering page means nothing if customers do not know about it. QR codes are the bridge between your physical restaurant and your digital ordering channel.

On every table. A laminated table tent with your QR code and "Scan to order" is all you need. Customers who are sitting in your restaurant should never be ordering through UberEats — yet it happens more often than you think. Some customers open the UberEats app out of habit, even when they are physically in your venue. A QR code on the table gives them a faster alternative.

On every takeaway bag and container. This is the move most restaurants miss. When a customer receives a delivery order through UberEats, include a small card or sticker that says: "Next time, order direct and skip the wait. Scan here." with your QR code. You are reaching a customer who already likes your food and giving them a cheaper, faster way to order next time.

At the counter. For customers who walk in for takeaway, a QR code at the counter lets them order from their phone while they wait, or order ahead next time. "Scan to order ahead — skip the queue" works well.

On your shopfront window. Foot traffic sees your restaurant every day. A QR code on the window with "Order pickup from your phone" captures customers who might otherwise walk past and order from an app later.

The cost of printing QR codes is negligible — a few dollars for laminated table tents. The return is every order that shifts from a 30% commission channel to a 2% channel.

Strategy 3: Train staff to redirect customers

Your front-of-house staff are your most powerful marketing channel, and most restaurants underutilise them completely.

Train every staff member to mention direct ordering naturally. Not as a sales pitch — as a genuine recommendation. Here are scripts that work:

When seating dine-in customers: "You can order from the QR code on the table whenever you are ready. It is the fastest way to get your order in."

When handing over a takeaway order: "Next time you can order ahead on our website and skip the wait. There is a QR code on the bag."

When a customer mentions they found you on UberEats: "Glad you found us! If you order through our website next time, it is faster and we can offer better prices since we are not paying the delivery app fees."

The last script is important. Customers understand that delivery app fees get passed on to them through higher prices. Most are happy to order direct if it saves them money or time. You are not badmouthing UberEats — you are offering a better deal.

Staff buy-in matters. Explain to your team why direct orders are important for the business. When they understand that every direct order saves the restaurant $10-$15 in commission, they are more motivated to mention it. Some restaurants incentivise staff based on direct order growth — even a small bonus creates alignment.

Strategy 4: Social media and Google My Business linking

Every touchpoint where a customer interacts with your restaurant online should link to your direct ordering page, not to UberEats.

Instagram bio. Replace your UberEats link with your direct ordering link. Your Instagram bio is prime real estate — do not give it to a platform that charges you 30%. Use a link like "Order online: your-restaurant.windsordigital.com.au".

Facebook page. Update your "Order Food" button to link to your direct ordering page. Facebook makes this easy in page settings. Every Facebook user who clicks "Order Food" should land on your page, not on UberEats.

Google My Business. Add your direct ordering URL to your Google Business profile under "Order ahead" or "Website." When someone Googles your restaurant and sees the ordering link, it should go to your page. This is free traffic that you are currently sending to UberEats.

Stories and posts. When you post about a new dish, a special, or just a great photo of your food, include a link to order. "Try our new lamb shoulder — order for pickup" with a swipe-up link to your menu. Every social media post is an opportunity to drive direct orders.

Email and SMS. If you collect customer contact details (with their permission), send occasional updates with a direct link to order. A simple "This week's special: [dish]. Order for pickup" email costs nothing to send and drives orders at 2% instead of 30%.

What to do with UberEats (do not delete it)

Here is the nuanced part. UberEats is expensive, but it serves a purpose. Deleting your UberEats listing entirely would be a mistake for most restaurants. Here is why:

UberEats is a discovery channel. New customers find your restaurant through the UberEats app. They try your food for the first time because it appeared in their feed. That discovery has value — even at 30% commission, acquiring a new customer is worth the cost if you can convert them to direct ordering for all future orders.

Delivery logistics are hard. If you offer delivery, UberEats handles the driver, the routing, the customer tracking, and the delivery guarantee. Unless you want to manage your own delivery drivers, keeping UberEats for delivery orders makes sense.

The strategy is not to eliminate UberEats. It is to use UberEats as a funnel:

1. New customer discovers you on UberEats and places a delivery order (you pay 30%).
2. You include a card in the delivery bag: "Order direct next time — faster and cheaper."
3. Customer visits your restaurant or orders pickup through your direct page (you pay 2%).
4. Customer becomes a regular who orders direct every time.

The first order costs you 30%. Every order after that costs 2%. Over the lifetime of a repeat customer, the savings are enormous.

For a deeper look at reducing your UberEats commission costs, we have a dedicated post covering more tactics.

Putting it all together

None of these strategies work in isolation. The full picture looks like this:

1. Set up your direct ordering page — this is the foundation. Without it, you have nowhere to send customers. Windsor Digital costs 2% per transaction with no monthly fee.
2. Put QR codes everywhere — tables, counter, takeaway bags, shopfront window. Every physical touchpoint should have a path to your ordering page.
3. Train your staff — they talk to every customer. A natural mention of direct ordering from a trusted server is more effective than any advertisement.
4. Update your online presence — Instagram, Facebook, Google My Business. Every digital touchpoint should link to your page, not to UberEats.
5. Keep UberEats for discovery and delivery — but funnel repeat customers to your direct channel.

The restaurants that execute all five steps consistently see a 40-60% shift from delivery app orders to direct orders within three months. On $10,000 per week in orders, shifting 50% from UberEats (30%) to direct (2%) saves $1,400 per week. That is $72,800 per year.

The maths speaks for itself. The only question is whether you start this week or next.