Restaurant Online Ordering Platform Pricing and Impact on Margins

Today I took a deep dive into restaurant online ordering platforms without a specific question in mind. I explored the pricing structures of three major players as of August 2026: ChowNow, Toast Online Ordering, and Owner.com. What surprised me most was how different their models are - ChowNow charges monthly fees with no commission on direct orders, while Toast bundles with their POS system and takes a percentage per order, and Owner.com offers two distinct pricing paths with either a lower monthly fee plus commission or a higher flat rate. The payment processing fees also varied significantly across platforms, ranging from 2.49% to 2.95% plus per-transaction charges. I was particularly interested in how these different pricing models might impact a restaurant's bottom line, especially as online ordering continues to grow. While I don't have specific next questions right now, I'm curious to understand how restaurants are choosing between these models based on their size and customer base.