Aggregator Commission vs Own Delivery: What Pays Off
Aggregators take 15-35% commission. We calculate what that costs a restaurant per month and when an own delivery channel starts to pay off, with examples.
Aggregators (Yandex Eats, Uzum Tezkor, Wolt and others) take 15–35% commission on every order. Since a restaurant's margin is usually around 20–30%, at high commission an aggregator order leaves almost no profit. Your own channel has no commission, but you bring in the customers yourself.
In this article we turn commission into UZS and show with an example when your own delivery channel pays off. We don't recommend dropping aggregators completely. The point is a mixed model.
Key points:
- A 15–35% commission takes a large part of the margin, so count it in UZS.
- Your own channel has no commission: you pay a monthly subscription and keep the customer base.
- An aggregator is good for new customers, your own channel for repeat orders.
How much is commission per month?
Commission is simple: multiply aggregator order volume by the commission rate. For example, if 50 million UZS of orders per month come through an aggregator at 25% commission, 12.5 million UZS is not yours. Most people never calculate this number.
The table below is an approximate calculation (numbers taken as an example):
| Aggregator orders (per month) | Commission 15% | Commission 25% | Commission 35% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 million UZS | 3 million | 5 million | 7 million |
| 50 million UZS | 7.5 million | 12.5 million | 17.5 million |
| 100 million UZS | 15 million | 25 million | 35 million |
Take your commission rate from your aggregator contract and plug in the turnover from your report.
Why is commission hard on a restaurant?
Because commission is charged on turnover, not on profit. After dish cost, salaries, rent and packaging, a restaurant often keeps a 20–30% margin. If commission takes a large part of it, the order breaks even or loses money.
The second problem is the customer. The phone number and history of a customer who came through an aggregator stay with the aggregator. You can't send them a promo or try to win them back. The customer belongs to the platform, not to you.
What does your own delivery channel give you?
In your own channel (website, mobile app, Telegram bot) there is no commission per order. You pay the platform a monthly subscription, while the customer's contact and order history stay in your base. You use that base to send SMS, push messages or promo codes and encourage repeat orders.
At Delever the Start plan is 1.3 million UZS per month (up to 1,000 orders). Each order above the limit costs 1,950 UZS (1,000 UZS on the Enterprise plan). So the price depends on order volume, not on a percentage.
Example: a restaurant with 1,000 orders
Suppose the average check is 100,000 UZS, there are 1,000 orders per month, all through an aggregator, and commission is 25%. Commission = 1,000 × 100,000 × 25% = 25 million UZS. If 60 percent of orders move to your own channel, you don't pay commission on 600 orders: 15 million UZS is saved.
Read this calculation carefully:
- From the 15 million UZS saved, subtract the plan price (from 1.3 million UZS per month for Start) and the cost of promoting your own channel.
- 60 percent is a goal, not a guarantee. Moving customers takes time.
- When aggregator volume drops, the flow of new customers may drop a little too.
Still, the calculation shows the direction: the larger the volume, the more your own channel pays off.
Should you abandon aggregators?
No. An aggregator is a good tool for new customers. The goal is to reduce dependence on aggregators, not to eliminate them. The path Delever recommends: take new customers from the aggregator and keep repeat customers in your own channel.
At Delever, aggregator orders also land on one screen, and tablets don't stand next to the register. Which channel brings how much profit is visible in analytics. We covered one screen instead of tablets separately.
How do you move customers to your own channel?
The methods that work best: put a flyer with a QR code to your bot in every aggregator order, give cashback and bonuses only in your own channel, and make delivery cheaper in your own channel. Steps: moving customers from an aggregator to your own channel.
Conclusion
- Calculate last month's aggregator turnover and commission in UZS.
- Compare it with your own channel subscription and marketing cost.
- Don't drop aggregators at once: start with a mixed model.
We can do the calculation together using your turnover and commission. Free demo: delever.io or @delever_bot on Telegram.
Frequently asked questions
How much is aggregator commission?
Aggregators usually take from 15% to 35% of each order. The exact rate depends on the contract, the plan and the services included, so check your own contract.
Is own delivery commission-free?
Yes, an order that comes through your own website, app or Telegram bot has no aggregator commission. You pay the platform subscription. Orders above the plan limit have a separate price.
From how many orders does an own channel pay off?
It depends on the average check, the commission and the share of customers who move to your own channel. As a rule of thumb: if aggregator orders reach a few hundred per month, commission quickly exceeds the subscription price. Do the exact calculation with your own numbers.
How do I bring customers to my own channel?
A flyer with a QR code in the aggregator order, cashback only for your own channel, a QR code in the dining room and an announcement on social media. A small bonus on the first order also works well.
Want to see Delever on your own venue? Book a free 30-minute demo at delever.io or message @delever_bot on Telegram.