Own Ordering App vs Foodpanda: The Commission Math
RestroAI by Taiz · · 7 min read
Aggregator commission is the cost most restaurants feel and few write down. This post puts numbers on it. The commission rates below are assumed: rates vary by contract, city and restaurant, and we do not know yours. Use the tables as a template and put your own rate in. We compare with RestroAI by Taiz, which charges a flat PKR 15,000 per branch per month with no commission on orders. This is not an argument to leave Foodpanda. It is an argument to stop paying commission on customers you already won.
The assumption, stated plainly
ASSUMED RATES. The commission percentages in this post (20%, 25% and 30%) are illustrations, not Foodpanda's published rates. Real commission depends on your contract, and may include other charges. Check your own agreement and replace the percentage in the math.
The formula is simple: monthly commission = aggregator sales x commission rate. We use 25% as the main example, with 20% and 30% shown too, on three illustrative monthly sales levels: PKR 500,000, PKR 1,000,000 and PKR 2,000,000. These volumes are examples, not benchmarks.
What commission costs each month
| Monthly aggregator sales | At 20% | At 25% (main example) | At 30% |
|---|---|---|---|
| PKR 500,000 | PKR 100,000 | PKR 125,000 | PKR 150,000 |
| PKR 1,000,000 | PKR 200,000 | PKR 250,000 | PKR 300,000 |
| PKR 2,000,000 | PKR 400,000 | PKR 500,000 | PKR 600,000 |
Set against that, RestroAI costs PKR 15,000 per branch per month, whatever the order volume. At the 25% example, commission on PKR 500,000 of sales is PKR 125,000, which is more than eight months of RestroAI for a single month of commission.
| Monthly sales | Assumed 25% commission | RestroAI flat price | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| PKR 500,000 | PKR 125,000 | PKR 15,000 | PKR 110,000 |
| PKR 1,000,000 | PKR 250,000 | PKR 15,000 | PKR 235,000 |
| PKR 2,000,000 | PKR 500,000 | PKR 15,000 | PKR 485,000 |
This table is the ceiling, not the forecast. No restaurant moves every order to its own website overnight, and the next section is why.
What an aggregator gives you
Commission is not a pure cost. Aggregators bring discovery. A customer who has never heard of your restaurant can find it in the app, see your photos and ratings, and order without trusting you first. They also run the delivery network in many areas and carry their own marketing. A new restaurant with no following can get its first orders there faster than anywhere else.
So the honest question is not "aggregator or own channel". It is: which orders need the aggregator, and which do not? A first-time customer who found you on Foodpanda probably needed it. The same customer ordering for the fifth time did not.
The recommended strategy: use both
- Keep Foodpanda for discovery. It is your shop window for people who do not know you yet.
- Receive Foodpanda orders in the same order list as the rest. In RestroAI, they land beside POS, website and WhatsApp orders, with menu and order-status sync, so the kitchen sees one queue.
- Move repeat customers to your own channels: your ordering website, the Android customer app and WhatsApp ordering with the AI agent.
- Give them a reason. Print your website address or a QR code on receipts, add a card in the bag, and offer a coupon on the first direct order.
- Measure the split each month: aggregator sales against own-channel sales.
Here is an illustration with the same assumed 25% rate. Suppose a restaurant sells PKR 1,000,000 a month through an aggregator and moves 20% of that to its own channels. That is PKR 200,000 of sales no longer paying commission, so PKR 50,000 a month saved against a PKR 15,000 price. At 30% moved, it is PKR 300,000 of sales and PKR 75,000 a month. These are illustrations, not promised outcomes. Your rate and your repeat-customer share decide the result.
Card payments taken on your own channels go through Stripe and carry Stripe's processing fees, which are separate from RestroAI. Cash on delivery has no processing fee. Include both in your own sums.
What your own ordering channels cost to run
The flat price covers the ordering website on your own domain, the Android customer app (iOS is not available yet), rider management, the kitchen display, coupons and the WhatsApp AI ordering channel. There is no setup fee and no commission. Hardware is billed separately, and extra capacity is priced openly.
| Per branch | Included in PKR 15,000 | Extra capacity |
|---|---|---|
| All features, website, mobile app | Every feature, no feature locks | Nothing extra |
| POS terminals | 1 | PKR 2,000/month each |
| Kitchen display (KDS) screens | 1 | PKR 1,000/month each |
| Riders | 3 | PKR 500/month each |
| Order takers | 5 | PKR 500/month each |
| Central ordering users | 1 | PKR 1,000/month each |
| Users in every other role (manager, kitchen, cashier, etc.) | 1 per role | PKR 500/month each |
You also need riders for direct delivery orders, or customers who collect. RestroAI includes 3 riders per branch and manages assignment and status; their pay is your cost either way. See the Foodpanda integration page for how aggregator orders sit in the same list.
Before you decide
- Find your real commission rate and any other charges in your aggregator agreement.
- Pull the last three months of aggregator sales and repeat-customer share if your reports show it.
- Pick a modest target, such as moving a share of repeat orders, rather than an all-or-nothing switch.
- Compare vendors on total cost, not headline price: see hidden costs in restaurant software.
Start free at restroai.io. One branch. One price. Every feature.
Frequently asked questions
How much commission does Foodpanda charge in Pakistan?
It varies by contract, so we do not state a rate. This post uses 20%, 25% and 30% as clearly labelled assumptions. Check your own agreement for your actual rate and any other charges.
Is having my own ordering app cheaper than Foodpanda?
Usually per order, yes, because an own channel with RestroAI has no commission, only a flat PKR 15,000 per branch per month. At an assumed 25% commission, PKR 500,000 of aggregator sales costs PKR 125,000. But aggregators bring new customers, so most restaurants do best using both.
Should I leave Foodpanda?
Not necessarily. Foodpanda is useful for discovery. A better approach is to keep it for new customers and move repeat customers to your own website, app and WhatsApp ordering so you stop paying commission on them.
Can I get Foodpanda orders in RestroAI?
Yes. RestroAI receives Foodpanda orders into the same order list as POS, website and WhatsApp orders, with menu and order-status sync. RestroAI by Taiz charges no commission on any of them.
Does RestroAI charge commission on my own online orders?
No. RestroAI charges a flat PKR 15,000 per branch per month with no commission on orders. Card payments through Stripe carry Stripe processing fees, which are separate.
How do I get customers to order directly?
Put your website address or a QR code on receipts and packaging, offer a coupon on the first direct order, and promote WhatsApp ordering to repeat customers. RestroAI includes coupons, a branded website and the Android customer app.