Are Food Delivery Platforms Eating Your Profits?
Most restaurant and cloud kitchen owners don't know their real margins. Hidden commissions, platform fees, forced discounts, and taxes quietly drain your revenue — every single day. The Aggregator Financial Modeler shows you exactly what you're losing, in plain numbers.
Platform's Cut
On the All-In visibility plan
Kept by Platform
Every single month
Lost Per Order
On every ₹600 delivery order
Everything You're About to See Is Based on One Scenario
About the Data
All figures reflect the All-In (Max Visibility) profile — the highest-cost scenario. Most operators fall somewhere between this and the Bare Minimum. Use the Aggregator Financial Modeler to run your own numbers.
About App Pricing
To recover platform costs, restaurants charge 20% more on the app than in-store. Your customer pays ₹600 for a ₹500 meal. Even with that markup, the restaurant still loses ₹280 per order. Both sides pay the price.
Here's What Aggregators Actually Take From You
This is a real example — a restaurant doing 100 orders a day, with a 25% commission rate and full visibility spend. Here's what the numbers look like.
₹18,00,000
Monthly Revenue
Total paid by your customers via the platform
₹5,34,050
Your Net Payout
What actually lands in your bank after every deduction
₹7 in every ₹10
Platform's Effective Cut
70.33% of your revenue never reaches you
₹280 per order
Lost on Every Delivery
Fees, taxes, discounts and penalties on every ₹600 order
What Is the Aggregator Financial Modeler?
It's a free calculator that shows you the true cost of selling on food delivery platforms. Most restaurant owners only see the headline commission rate — 18% to 28%. But that's just the beginning. The modeler adds up every layer of cost the platforms don't advertise.
Platform Commission
The headline rate: 18%–28% of every order, deducted before anything else.
Payment Gateway Fee
An extra 1.5%–2.5% taken per transaction, on top of the commission.
GST on Fees
18% tax applied on the commission and gateway fee — not on your food price.
Marketing & Subscriptions
Ad spend, visibility packs, and platform subscriptions that can cost ₹1.5L+ per month.
Enter your daily order numbers and the tool instantly calculates your Net Payout, your Gross Revenue, and your Effective Take Rate — the real percentage the platform keeps from every rupee you earn.
4 Simple Steps to See Your Real Margins
No accountant needed. Just enter your real numbers and the Aggregator Financial Modeler does the rest.
Choose Your Profile
Pick from Bare Minimum, Middle Ground, or All-In (Max Visibility) based on how you currently operate.
Enter Your Numbers
Add your daily order volume, in-store order value, packaging cost, and app price markup.
Add Your Platform Fees
Enter your commission rate, ad spend, subscriptions, and any other platform costs.
See Your Real Margins
Instantly see your Net Payout, Gross GMV, Effective Take Rate, and a full per-order cost breakdown.
Where Does Your ₹600 Order Actually Go?
Here is a full breakdown of every ₹600 app order under the All-In profile — before any money reaches the restaurant.
Commission (25%)
The platform's first cut — taken before anything else
Payment Gateway Fee (2%)
Charged on the full order value
GST on Fees (18%)
Tax on the commission and gateway fee
Promos & Marketing
Ads, discounts, and banner costs per order
Total Lost Per Order
Nearly half your app price — gone before you see it
The Costs Most Operators Never See Coming
Beyond commissions and fees, platforms charge additional penalties based on order incidents. These are calculated automatically in the Aggregator Financial Modeler — and most restaurant owners are shocked when they see the total.
| Risk Item | Chance It Happens | Monthly Incidents | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Member Levy (₹3/order) | 15% | 450 | ₹1,350 |
| Long Distance Penalty | 15% | 450 | ₹13,500 |
| Restaurant Cancellations | 3% | 90 | ₹13,500 |
| Forced Refunds (Spills/Damage) | 5% | 150 | ₹90,000 |
| Auto-Coupons Applied by Platform | 10% | 300 | ₹1,53,000 |
| TOTAL | — | — | ₹2,71,350/month |
For every ₹10 your customers spend on delivery — you keep less than ₹3.
This is the reality for restaurants on the All-In visibility plan. This is the worst-case scenario and maximum cost scenario — the ceiling, not the average. All-In is the most expensive profile, and most operators fall somewhere between this and the Bare Minimum.
To recover platform costs, restaurants typically charge more on the app than in-store. On this profile, that's a 20% markup — meaning your customer pays ₹600 for what costs ₹500 in your restaurant. Even then, the restaurant still loses ₹280 per order to fees and deductions. The real cost is borne by both the restaurant in margins and the consumer in higher prices.
The Platform Keeps ₹12,65,950 of Your Revenue Every Month
On the All-In profile — 100 orders a day, ₹18 Lakhs in monthly revenue — here is the final score.
Your Monthly Revenue
What customers paid in total
Kept by the Platform
Commissions, fees, marketing, penalties, and fixed costs
What You Take Home
The amount that reaches your bank account
How the ₹12.65 Lakhs Breaks Down
- Per-order costs: ₹280 × 3,000 orders = ₹8,40,000
- Monthly fixed costs (POS, subscriptions, marketing, penalties): ₹4,40,350
- Total retained by platform: ₹12,65,950/month
Annualised — The Full Picture
- ₹1.52 Crore surrendered to platforms per year
- ₹32.7 Lakhs in annual penalties and surcharges
- ₹1.72 Lakhs in one-time setup costs
- Over ₹2 Crore in total platform cost per year — on just 100 orders/day
What Changes When You Own Your Orders
Same restaurant. Same 100 orders a day. Same ₹18 Lakhs in monthly revenue. Here's how the numbers change when you move to a commission-free, first-party ordering platform.
Same 100 orders/day. Same ₹18L revenue. Completely different outcome.
| Metric | Via Aggregator | Your Own Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Commission | ₹4,50,000/mo (25%) | ₹0 |
| Penalties & Forced Discounts | ₹2,71,350/mo | ₹0 |
| Monthly Marketing Spend | ₹1,54,500/mo | ₹30,000/mo |
| Net Monthly Payout | ₹5,34,050 | ₹13,00,000+ |
| Effective Take Rate | 70.33% | ~28% |
What You Trade Off
- Initial drop in discovery traffic
- Platform-managed delivery (you'll need your own logistics)
- Aggregator loyalty program visibility
What You Gain
- Zero commission on every order
- No forced discounts or auto-coupons
- Full ownership of customer data
- Your own loyalty and repeat-order system
- Negotiated delivery rates
- Your brand front and centre
4 Ways This Tool Helps You Make Better Decisions
The Aggregator Financial Modeler isn't just a calculator — it's a decision-making tool. Here's what it helps you figure out.
See If Your Ad Spend Is Actually Worth It
Many cloud kitchens spend heavily on platform visibility — without knowing if it's generating real profit or just more orders at a loss. The Aggregator Financial Modeler shows you the true return on every rupee of ad spend.
Find the Right Price for Your App Menu
Worried about charging more on the app than in-store? Enter your markup percentage and instantly see how it affects your final payout — so you can price confidently without guessing.
No More Surprise Deductions
GST on commissions, forced refunds, long-distance penalties — these show up in your settlement report and catch you off guard. The Aggregator Financial Modeler calculates them all upfront so you always know what to expect.
Know When It's Time to Go Direct
When the numbers show you're surrendering up to 70% of your revenue to platforms, the case for building your own ordering channel becomes undeniable. The Aggregator Financial Modeler gives you the data to make that call with confidence.
Own Your Orders. Own Your Margins.
The Aggregator Financial Modeler doesn't just show you the problem — it points to the solution. Once you see your real effective take rate, the next step becomes obvious: a commission-free ordering platform built around your brand.
What a First-Party Platform Gives You
Zero Commission
Keep 100% of every order.
Your Customers, Your Data
Own every contact, order, and loyalty point.
Promotions on Your Terms
Discount when you choose — not when the platform decides.
Your Own Delivery
Negotiate your own rates with B2B delivery partners.
Ready to See Your Numbers?
Join restaurant and cloud kitchen operators who've used the Aggregator Financial Modeler to understand their true cost of delivery — and made the switch to first-party ordering.
The Aggregator Financial Modeler is free. No sign-up needed. Enter your numbers and see your real margins in under 2 minutes.
