Run delivery on your operating model.
Coordinate a driver fleet, delivery zones and customer tracking from the same ordering operation. Add third-party delivery based on the coverage and terms that fit your market.
Delivery planning connects order intake, driver work, handoff rules and customer updates.
Three ways to deliver
Choose delivery coverage for the operation you run.
Each model trades cost, control and coverage differently. Many operations combine them, and the mix can change store by store.
In-house drivers
Use a driver workflow for the people who deliver for your business, with the zones and operating rules you define.
What you gain
- No per-order courier fee on the deliveries your drivers make
- Control over timing, handoff and service at the door
- The delivery carries your brand from store to customer
What you take on
- Fixed costs: drivers, vehicles and insurance
- Hiring, scheduling and delivery liability stay with you
Hybrid
Create a rule for when your team handles an order and when a connected delivery service should be considered.
What you gain
- Your drivers take the orders they serve best
- Courier capacity at peaks or outside your zones
- One order record, whichever path delivers it
- Adjust the mix per store as volume grows
What you take on
- Handoff rules to define and maintain
- Two cost structures to track
Third-party couriers
Use a third-party delivery service where its coverage, commercial terms and customer experience fit your launch plan.
What you gain
- Fast to start, with little upfront fleet cost
- Coverage wherever a connected partner operates
- No fleet to hire or manage
What you take on
- A per-delivery fee set by each partner
- Less control over the courier and the handoff
- Coverage and terms vary by market
Head to head
In-house drivers vs third-party couriers, compared.
The trade-offs that decide delivery margin and the experience your customers get.
| Criterion | In-house drivers | Hybrid | Third-party couriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per delivery | Your fleet's running cost, with no per-order courier fee | Fleet cost on the orders your drivers take, partner fee on the rest | A per-delivery fee set by each partner |
| Upfront cost and logistics | Higher: drivers, vehicles, insurance and scheduling | Sized to your core demand rather than your peak | Low: the partner supplies the couriers |
| Control over quality | Full: your people and your standards | Full on in-house orders, rule-based on handoffs | Limited: the partner manages its couriers |
| Customer relationship | Stays with your ordering channel | Stays with your ordering channel | Stays with your ordering channel when the order comes direct; the courier receives the delivery details |
| Speed to launch | Slower: you build the team first | Start with partners and add drivers as volume grows | Faster where a partner already operates |
| Coverage and peaks | Limited by fleet size and your zones | Your fleet first, partner capacity for overflow and out-of-zone orders | The partner's network in the markets it serves |
| How Ordering.co supports it | Driver App, delivery dashboard, zones and automatic assignment | Both, on the same order record | Connected partners with per-store selection and fallback rules |
In-house leads on control and on cost per order once volume is steady; couriers lead on speed to start and reach. You do not have to choose one model forever: the choice is made per store and can change.
How to choose
Which model fits your operation?
It comes down to delivery volume, margin, capital and how much control the experience at the door needs.
Marketplaces can still bring discovery, while direct orders keep the margin and the customer data for your regulars. Owning the ordering layer is what keeps the delivery choice yours.
How plans are structured- Steady, high delivery volume
- In-house driversEnough orders to spread the fixed cost of drivers, vehicles and insurance can make your own fleet the lower-cost option per delivery.
- New or low delivery volume
- Third-party couriersTest demand without upfront fleet spend, then revisit the model as volume grows.
- Premium service or delicate orders
- In-house driversSmaller, higher-end operations often choose their own drivers to control timing, presentation and the handoff.
- Uneven demand or wide coverage
- HybridKeep a core fleet for the orders you serve best and send peaks or out-of-zone deliveries to connected partners.
How dispatch works
One delivery process from order to handoff.
Plan how delivery orders enter the operation, how coverage is selected and what customers see once an order leaves the store.
- 01Capture delivery detailsCollect the delivery address and the order information your operation needs to decide whether it can be served.
- 02Match delivery coverageUse your zones and delivery rules to determine whether an order is handled by your fleet or a connected delivery service.
- 03Guide driver workGive drivers the order context and status steps they need as work moves from pickup to delivery.
- 04Keep customers informedUse order status and tracking information to make the delivery journey visible to the customer.
Dispatch at volume
Match every order to the right driver.
Manual dispatch works at low volume. As orders grow, automatic assignment keeps deliveries moving and drivers productive, and a manager can still step in on any order.
What automatic assignment can weigh
- Distance to the pickup
- Orders the driver already carries
- Shift and availability
- Driver group and delivery zone
Automatic or manual assignment
Assign drivers with delivery automation rules, or assign an order in one click from the delivery dashboard.Order batching
Group nearby orders into one driver trip, with the stops presented in sequence in the Driver App.Navigation and live map
Drivers navigate with Google Maps or Waze while the delivery dashboard shows orders and drivers on a live map.Status and proof at the door
Status updates as the driver reaches the store and the customer, and the driver records a photo, video, signature or PIN at drop-off.Control
Configure the delivery rules your operation needs.
Zone coverage
Define the areas where each store offers delivery and the operating conditions that apply there.Customer fees
Decide how delivery fees and order conditions are presented before checkout.Hours and preparation
Align delivery availability with store hours and the preparation time your operation can support.Driver coverage
Plan which drivers or teams cover each store and delivery area.Delivery handoff
Document when an order stays with your fleet and when it is passed to an external delivery service.Operational review
Review the delivery information that matters to your team as you refine coverage and service decisions.When your fleet is full
Use external delivery when the route calls for it.
Ordering.co lists third-party delivery integrations including Uber Direct, DoorDash Drive and Lalamove. Set a preferred partner per store and a fallback for when one cannot take the order. Confirm regional coverage, commercial terms and the customer experience before launch.
Explore delivery integrations- Uber Direct
- Evaluate availability and commercial scope for the markets where you operate.
- DoorDash Drive
- Confirm regional coverage and the delivery workflow that applies to your stores.
- Lalamove
- Review the countries and delivery categories relevant to your launch plan.
- Local couriers
- Bring local delivery requirements to the integration conversation before you depend on them.
Common questions about delivery models.
What is the difference between in-house and third-party delivery?
In-house delivery uses drivers who work for your business: you control the experience and carry the logistics. Third-party couriers supply the drivers and the reach, and charge a fee for each delivery they make.
Is in-house delivery cheaper than third-party couriers?
Per order it can be, because you avoid the courier's per-delivery fee. In-house delivery has fixed costs, though: drivers, vehicles, insurance and dispatch. It tends to pay off once steady volume spreads those costs across enough orders.
Which delivery model is right for my business?
It depends on volume, margin and capital. Steady, high volume favors your own fleet; new or low volume favors couriers while you test demand; and many operations settle on a hybrid. Owning your ordering channel lets you make that choice per store.
What is hybrid delivery?
Hybrid means your own drivers deliver the orders they can serve, and connected courier partners such as DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct take the rest, for example at peak times or outside your zones. The order stays in your channel and under your brand.
Do I lose customer data with third-party couriers?
Not when the order comes through your own channel: the courier receives the delivery details it needs, and the customer record stays with you. Marketplace apps are different, because the customer orders inside the marketplace.
Can Ordering.co run my own drivers and third-party couriers together?
Yes. Your drivers work in the Driver App and your team follows them in the delivery dashboard, while connected partners handle deliveries through per-store selection and fallback rules. Partner availability depends on the market, so confirm coverage for your stores.
How does delivery dispatch work?
Dispatch decides who delivers each order and when. Once an order is placed, the delivery zone and store rules are resolved, a driver is assigned or the order is handed to a partner, and the customer follows its status until it is delivered.
What is automatic assignment?
Automatic assignment gives each delivery to a suitable driver using rules you set, such as distance, current load and availability, instead of someone assigning every order by hand. Managers can still reassign an order manually.
What is order batching?
Batching gives one driver several nearby orders to deliver in a single trip. When the pickups and drop-offs line up, it can raise deliveries per driver hour without making customers wait longer.
How do drivers find their route?
The Driver App shows the delivery sequence and the next stop, and drivers navigate with Google Maps or Waze. Order status updates as the driver reaches the store and the customer, so the customer can follow the delivery.
Do I need dispatch software, or can I dispatch manually?
Manual dispatch works at low volume. As orders grow, automatic assignment keeps deliveries fast and drivers productive, while manual assignment remains available for exceptions.
Choose delivery coverage you can operate.
Discuss zones, driver workflows and the role of third-party delivery before you commit to a launch model.