In-house drivers vs third-party couriers.
In-house drivers keep your margin and your customer; third-party couriers bring speed and reach but take a cut. Most restaurants land on a hybrid. Here's the honest trade-off on cost, control, data and scale — and how Ordering.co lets you run your own fleet, third-party couriers, or both.
Domino's
Burger King
Starbucks
KFC
In-house delivery means your own drivers — you keep 100% of the order and control quality and customer data, but carry the cost and logistics. Third-party couriers like Uber Eats and DoorDash are fast to start and add reach, but take 15–30% and own the customer. For most restaurants the best answer is hybrid, and Ordering.co lets you run your own fleet, third-party couriers, or both — from one platform.
In-house, third-party, or hybrid
Each model trades cost, control and reach differently. Here's the honest shape of each.
Your own drivers
You hire, train and dispatch your own delivery team.
- + Keep 100% of the order — no commission
- + Full control of quality & branding
- + Own customer data & loyalty
- − Upfront cost: drivers, vehicles, insurance
- − You carry the logistics & liability
Couriers (Uber Eats, DoorDash)
A platform's gig drivers handle pickup and delivery.
- + Fast to start, little upfront cost
- + Instant reach & discovery
- + No fleet to manage
- − 15–30% commission per order
- − Less control; they own the customer
Both — on your platform
Your own fleet for direct orders, couriers as backup.
- + Commission-free on your direct orders
- + Third-party capacity at peak or out of zone
- + One dashboard, your brand & data
- + Flex the mix as you grow
- + No "all or nothing" lock-in
Want to run both from one place — your fleet plus courier backup? See it live.
Book a demo →In-house vs third-party, compared
The trade-offs that actually decide your delivery margin and experience.
| In-house drivers | Third-party couriers | Ordering.co | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission per order | 0% | 15–30% | 0% on direct |
| Control over quality | Full | Low | Full |
| Own customer data | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reach & discovery | Limited | High | Your channels + apps |
| Upfront cost & logistics | High | Low | Flexible |
| Speed to launch | Slower | Fast | Fast |
| Scales at peak | Fleet limits | Their network | Both — flex |
Keep your margin on direct orders, add courier capacity when you need it.
See it live →Which is right for your restaurant?
It comes down to volume, margin and capital. High-volume operations can justify the fixed cost of an in-house fleet and keep more per order. Newer or lower-volume restaurants often start with third-party couriers to test demand without big upfront spend. Smaller, higher-end places frequently prefer in-house for the control over quality and the customer relationship.
In practice, most restaurants end up hybrid: use marketplaces for discovery, but push regulars to order directly — where you keep the margin and the data — and lean on third-party couriers only when your own drivers are full or a drop is out of zone. The key is owning the ordering layer so the choice is always yours.
Ready to own delivery on your terms? Let's map your fleet-plus-courier mix.
Get a demo →Common questions about delivery models
What's the difference between in-house and third-party delivery?
Is in-house delivery cheaper than third-party?
Which is better for my restaurant?
What is hybrid (white-label) delivery?
Do I lose customer data with third-party couriers?
Can Ordering.co do both in-house and third-party?
Run in-house, couriers, or both
Tell us how you deliver today. We'll show the Delivery Suite live — your own driver app and dispatch plus third-party courier integrations — and map the mix that protects your margin.
- Commission-free on direct orders
- Own driver app + third-party backup
- Your brand & customer data, always
Get a demo
Commission-free. Pricing is a conversation, not a paywall.