Commission calculator for cafes
Cafes live on regulars: the same faces for the morning flat white and the weekend brunch. Every one of those regulars who orders through a delivery app costs you commission on an order they would happily have placed with you directly.
The example below uses numbers typical for a busy neighbourhood cafe. Replace them with yours from your last monthly statement.
Your result
Moving 360 orders a month to your own channel could save about RM977 a month, RM11,729 a year, after payment fees, EatsVenture commission, delivery and the cost of the system.
Paid to the apps each month
RM11,520
30% of app sales
Possible saving each month
RM977
RM11,729 a year, setup paid back in 2 months
Today on the apps
- App sales a month
- RM38,400
- Commission and app ads
- RM11,520
If you move 30% of orders (360 a month)
- Commission you stop paying
- RM3,456
- Payment fees
- -RM230
- EatsVenture commission (6%)
- -RM691
- Rider cost not covered by delivery fees
- -RM432
- Ordering system and marketing
- -RM1,125
- Saving each month
- RM977
Each moved order saves RM5.84 before fixed costs. Break-even: move about 16% of your app orders.
Estimates from the numbers you enter, for planning only. Food cost and packaging are the same on both channels, so they are left out. Not affiliated with GrabFood, foodpanda or ShopeeFood.
Worked example for a cafe
With 1,200 app orders a month at an average of RM32.00 and 30% commission, the apps take RM11,520 a month. Moving 30% of those orders (360 a month) to your own channel stops RM3,456 of commission. After RM230 of payment fees, RM691 of EatsVenture commission, RM432 of rider cost not covered by delivery fees and RM1,125 for the ordering system and marketing, the saving is about RM977 a month, or RM11,729 a year. Break-even is moving about 16% of app orders.
What changes the result for a cafe
Pickup is your best friend
A coffee and pastry picked up on the way to work has no rider cost at all. Every order you move to pickup keeps most of the commission saving: only the payment fee and the EatsVenture commission come off.
Regulars move first
People who already know you are the easiest to move. A loyalty stamp or point for ordering direct usually costs far less than the commission.
Keep the apps for discovery
New customers still find you on the apps. Use them for discovery and your own channel for repeat orders.
Commission calculator by type of business
Questions restaurant owners ask
What share of a cafe's delivery orders can move to direct ordering?
It depends on how many orders come from regulars and how actively you invite them. Start with a cautious figure such as 20 to 30 percent and check it against your own results after a few months.
Should a cafe stop using GrabFood altogether?
Rarely. The apps bring customers who would never find you otherwise. The aim is to stop paying commission on customers you already have.
How much commission do GrabFood and foodpanda charge restaurants in Malaysia?
It depends on your merchant agreement, the services you use (delivery by the platform or by you, pickup) and any promotions you join. Use the rate on your own monthly statement, including any tax charged on the commission.
Why does the calculator assume only part of my orders will move?
Because it is true. The apps bring customers who would not find you otherwise. Your own channel wins the customers who already know you. Assuming every order moves makes the saving look several times bigger than it will be.
Why are food cost and packaging not in the calculation?
They are the same whichever channel the order comes through, so they do not change the saving. Only the costs that differ between the apps and your own channel are compared.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, with no sign-up. The numbers you type stay in your browser.
Your own ordering channel, at up to 6% commission
EatsVenture gives you your own ordering site, table QR ordering, loyalty and WhatsApp marketing, so regulars order from you directly and you keep most of the commission you pay the apps today.
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