5 Ways to Increase Direct Orders and Stop Losing Money to Third-Party Apps

Every order that comes through a third-party app costs you 15–30% in commission. Shift just a portion of that volume to your own direct channel and the impact on your bottom line is immediate. Here are five strategies that actually work.

1. Make your ordering link impossible to miss

The number one reason customers order through apps is convenience - it is already on their phone. You need to make your direct link just as easy to find:

• Instagram bio & story links - replace the Linktree with your ordering URL. Every food photo you post should end with “Order direct at kllivoapp.com/your-store.”
• Google Business Profile - add your ordering link as the primary website and the “Order Online” button. Google serves this to everyone who searches your restaurant name.
• WhatsApp Business - pin your store link in your catalogue and auto-reply messages.
• Physical touchpoints - QR codes on tables, receipts, takeaway bags, counter displays and window stickers. Every dine-in customer is a future direct-order customer.

2. Offer a direct-order incentive

Give customers a reason to switch. Since you save 20–30% in commissions on every direct order, you can afford a small incentive and still come out ahead:

• 5–10% discount on the first direct order.
• Free add-on - a drink, side or dessert for orders over a certain amount.
• Free delivery for direct orders (while app orders keep the delivery fee).

Frame it clearly: “Order direct and save - no app markup, no platform fees.” Customers understand the value when you explain it simply.

3. Build a repeat-order machine with customer accounts

On third-party apps, the customer is the app’s customer. On your own platform, you own the relationship.

• Customer accounts let returning buyers reorder with a single tap - their address, payment method and favourite orders are saved.
• Order history makes reordering frictionless. “Order again” is the most powerful button in food tech.
• Email and SMS follow-ups - a simple “We miss you” message with a discount code can reactivate lapsed customers at near-zero cost.

Kllivo includes built-in customer accounts with saved addresses, order history and discount code support - features that turn one-time buyers into regulars.

4. Use your analytics to double down on what works

Delivery apps give you a revenue number and not much else. Your own platform gives you the full picture:

• Top-selling items - promote them harder, add upsell options.
• Peak order times - staff accordingly and run time-limited promotions.
• Average order value - test bundling strategies to increase it.
• Customer frequency - identify your most loyal buyers and reward them.

Data you own is data you can act on. Kllivo’s analytics dashboard tracks revenue, orders, customers and product performance in real time - no waiting for a monthly report from a platform that has no incentive to help you grow.

5. Tell customers why direct ordering matters

Most customers have no idea that apps take 30% of every order. When they find out, they want to support the restaurant directly. Be transparent:

• Add a one-liner to your social media: “When you order direct, 100% of your payment goes to us - not to an app.”
• Train staff to mention it at the register: “Next time, scan this QR code to order directly and skip the app fees.”
• Print it on your packaging: “Love our food? Order direct next time at kllivoapp.com/your-store and help us keep prices fair.”

Authenticity works. Customers who understand the economics become advocates for your direct channel.

The compounding effect

Each strategy reinforces the others. A QR code on a receipt leads to a direct order. That customer creates an account. Their reorder comes with zero commission. Your analytics show what they buy, so you promote the right items. The savings fund better ingredients, better marketing, better service - which drives more direct orders.

It is a flywheel, and it starts with one decision: set up your direct ordering channel.