Alternative to commission-based platforms for restaurant owners

The problem with per-cover commissions

The dominant business model for online booking platforms is built on a simple principle: you pay a commission every time a customer books through the platform. Whether it's a percentage of the bill or a fixed amount per cover, the result is the same — the more successful your restaurant, the more you pay.

This model was designed to be appealing at the start — "no fixed fees, you only pay when you get customers." But as your reservation volume grows, the bill skyrockets. Unlike rent or salaries, this cost scales with your activity, which directly penalizes restaurants that are doing well.

What commissions really cost you

The per-cover commission is just the tip of the iceberg. To understand the true cost, you need to look at the full monthly bill.

Variable and unpredictable costs. With a commission-based model, your monthly bill fluctuates with your activity. A good month means a higher bill. It's impossible to accurately budget your "online reservations" line item from one month to the next.

The volume effect. A small restaurant with 100 bookings/month might find the cost acceptable. But a restaurant with 500 bookings/month through the platform pays 5 times more — for exactly the same service. Your success becomes your penalty.

Paid add-ons. Beyond the base commission, platforms offer visibility "boosts," sponsored promotions, and premium features that further inflate the bill. To dive deeper into this topic, check out our guide on the real cost of booking platforms.

Comparison: commission vs flat rate

Let's take a restaurant with different monthly reservation volumes and compare the cost of a €2/cover commission against a flat subscription at €39/month:

The gap is striking: from just 100 covers/month, the commission model costs over 5 times the price of a flat subscription. And the more your business grows, the wider the gap. You can calculate your own savings with our savings calculator.

The alternatives available

If per-cover commissions no longer work for you, several alternative models exist on the market.

The flat subscription model

The principle: you pay a fixed monthly amount, regardless of the number of reservations. It's the most predictable model and the best value for restaurants with a healthy volume of bookings. You know exactly what you're paying each month, with no surprises.

The main drawback is that you pay the same during slow months. But compared to commissions, the flat rate is almost always more cost-effective once you exceed a few dozen reservations per month.

The hybrid model

Some solutions combine a reduced monthly subscription with a lower commission per booking. This model may seem appealing, but it stacks the disadvantages: a fixed cost plus a variable one. In the medium term, the total bill often exceeds that of a pure flat subscription.

Custom development

Building your own reservation system is an option for large restaurant groups. But the costs of development, maintenance, and hosting run into tens of thousands of euros. It only makes sense for organizations with multiple locations and a dedicated technology budget.

Why ReservFlow chose flat pricing

ReservFlow was built from day one as a commission-free reservation solution, with a simple and transparent pricing model: €39 excl. VAT/month, no commitment. Whether you receive 50 or 500 reservations per month, the price stays the same.

This philosophy is grounded in a simple observation: restaurant owners deserve to be able to budget their reservation tool like any other fixed expense, without their success turning into a financial penalty.

The subscription includes all essential features: unlimited reservations, booking widget, time slot management, customer profiles, automatic reminders, and mobile app. A la carte options are available for those who want to go further.

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