What Does an Ordering System Cost? Complete Cost Overview for Restaurants
Ordering system costs for restaurants: From setup to monthly fees and hidden costs. An honest cost comparison for restaurant owners.
“What does an ordering system cost?” is one of the most common questions restaurant owners ask before taking the step away from Lieferando and similar platforms. The answer depends on the chosen provider and feature set. In this article, we break down all cost types transparently — from setup fees to ongoing costs to hidden expenses that many providers don’t mention.
Cost Types for Ordering Systems
1. Setup Fees (One-Time)
Some providers charge a one-time setup fee. This can range from EUR 0 to several thousand euros. GastroSystem charges EUR 0 in setup fees.
2. Monthly Base Fee
The two fundamentally different models:
Commission model (e.g., Lieferando): No fixed fee, 13-30% commission per order. Costs rise with revenue.
Flat-rate model (e.g., GastroSystem): Fixed monthly fee of EUR 299 net, 0% commission. Costs stay the same regardless of revenue.
3. Transaction Fees
Online payment provider fees apply to any system: PayPal ~2.49% + EUR 0.35 per transaction, credit card ~1.4% + EUR 0.25 per transaction. Cash payments have no transaction fees.
4. Hardware Costs
- Tablet: from EUR 200
- Receipt printer: from EUR 250
- Cash drawer: from EUR 80
- Card reader: from EUR 300
- Total: EUR 450-800 one-time
5. Hidden Costs at Other Providers
Watch out for providers advertising low base fees: Premium features may cost extra, app publishing fees, paid support tiers, long contract lock-ins. With GastroSystem, all features are included in the EUR 299/month price.
Cost Comparison: Lieferando vs. Own System
| Cost Type | Lieferando (30%) | GastroSystem |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | EUR 3,000/month | EUR 0/month |
| Base fee | EUR 0 | EUR 299/month |
| Payment fees | ~EUR 250/month | ~EUR 250/month |
| Total/month | ~EUR 3,250 | ~EUR 549 |
| Total/year | ~EUR 39,000 | ~EUR 6,588 |
| Annual savings | — | ~EUR 32,412 |
Calculate your individual savings with the ROI calculator.
From What Revenue Does It Pay Off?
The break-even threshold with GastroSystem is at approximately EUR 1,000 monthly delivery revenue (at 30% commission). Above this, your own system is cheaper than Lieferando.
Conclusion
The monthly cost of EUR 299 for a full ordering system like GastroSystem is significantly cheaper for most restaurants than ongoing platform commissions. The one-time hardware costs of EUR 450-800 pay for themselves within weeks.
Calculate your personal cost savings with the commission calculator or the ROI calculator.
