Orders route through Toast POS
Digital orders flow straight into the same Toast system that runs the floor, with real-time menu and 86ing sync. For a kitchen already on Toast, there is no second screen to manage.
Toast online ordering - updated 2026-06-19
Toast online ordering: pricing, how it works, and alternatives
Toast online ordering is strong if you run Toast as your full POS. The catch is exactly that: it is tied to Toast POS. Here is how it works, which fees to check, and when a direct-ordering layer on your existing POS is the better move.
One-minute answer
- Toast Online Ordering is built into Toast POS, with real-time menu and order flow inside the Toast restaurant system.
- Toast's online ordering page, updated May 26, 2026, positions direct orders as commission-free and highlights Order with Google, POS integration, guest data, and Online Ordering Pro.
- Commission-free does not mean cost-free: price the Toast package, payment terms, approved hardware, implementation, and Toast Delivery Services fees together.
- The real constraint is the POS requirement. Using Toast online ordering means running Toast as your point of sale.
- If your Square or Clover POS already works, Orderitto adds branded commission-free ordering on top without a full POS migration.
Why direct ordering matters
The numbers behind the decision
Toast online ordering, like Orderitto, exists to pull orders off commission-heavy marketplaces and onto a channel the restaurant controls. Each figure below is cited to its public source.
Quote-based
Toast lists Online Ordering inside its Digital Storefront suite and positions direct online ordering as commission-free with flat delivery fees, but package pricing should be confirmed with Toast.
Source: Toast Online Ordering · 202615-30%
DoorDash's marketplace delivery commission ranges from 15% on Basic to 30% on Premier; pickup is listed separately at 6%.
Source: DoorDash Merchant Pricing (public site) · 202615-30%
Uber Eats charges restaurants 15-30% commission per delivery order depending on plan tier (Basic, Plus, Premium).
Source: Uber Eats Merchant Pricing · 20263-5%
The average independent restaurant runs on a 3-5% net profit margin. Giving 25-30% of online order revenue to a third-party app erases the margin entirely on those orders.
Source: National Restaurant Association Operations Report · 202460%
60% of consumers say they order delivery or takeout at least once a week, and digital channels now account for the majority of off-premise restaurant transactions.
Source: National Restaurant Association State of the Restaurant Industry Report · 20252.9% + $0.30
Stripe's standard online card processing fee is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction — the platform-agnostic baseline cost of accepting card payments online.
Source: Stripe Pricing · 2026How it works
Toast online ordering is part of the POS
Unlike a standalone ordering layer, Toast Online Ordering is wired into Toast POS. That tight integration is the strength and the constraint at the same time.
Order with Google adds reach
Toast promotes Google ordering paths, so diners can start from high-intent search moments. That is useful reach when the restaurant already runs Toast.
Commission-free, not cost-free
Toast describes direct online ordering as commission-free, but the restaurant still pays for the Toast package, payment processing, hardware, implementation, delivery services, and any Pro features in the quote.
It requires Toast POS
Because online ordering is part of the platform, you must run Toast as your point of sale to use it. For a restaurant on Square or Clover, that is a full POS migration, not just an ordering upgrade.
Fees to check
Delivery and Pro features can change the comparison
A restaurant should not compare Toast online ordering against another platform until delivery, custom-domain, marketing, and checkout costs are visible.
Online Ordering Pro
Toast describes Pro features such as custom domains, templates, pixels, upsells, and ordering rules. These can matter for conversion, but owners should verify whether they are included in the quoted package.
Toast Delivery Services
The checked Toast support page listed distance-based fees for Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive. Delivery should be modeled separately from software and processing.
Market-specific delivery fees
Toast's support page listed additional regulatory fees in certain areas, including California, New York City, and Seattle. Restaurants in those markets should check the current local fee before setting customer-facing delivery prices.
Customer data and pixels
If guest data, tracking pixels, and remarketing matter, verify what Toast exposes, what can be exported, and what continues to work if the restaurant later leaves Toast.
Honest comparison
Toast online ordering vs a direct-ordering layer
Where Toast wins: deep POS integration and built-in discovery. Where a layer like Orderitto wins: no POS migration, flat fees, and a branded app you own. “Partial” means supported with limits.
| Feature | Orderitto | Toast Online Ordering |
|---|---|---|
Requires replacing your POS Toast online ordering runs on Toast POS; Orderitto sits on top of your existing POS | ||
Works with existing Square / Clover POS | ||
Per-order platform commission (direct) | 0% | 0% (commission-free) |
Typical monthly software cost Toast publishes pricing starts at $0/mo, but online ordering package, hardware, and implementation should be confirmed by quote | $149-$249/mo flat | Quote-based package + Toast POS |
Online payment processing | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) | Toast quote / payment terms |
Branded native iOS + Android app Toast offers branded mobile app on higher Digital Storefront tiers; Orderitto ships it under your name | Partial | |
Google ordering path Toast promotes Order with Google as part of its online ordering product | Partial | |
Deep POS-to-kitchen integration | Partial | |
Setup timeline | 10-14 days | Full POS implementation if not already on Toast |
Customer data ownership | Partial |
When each one wins
Match the tool to your real situation
Choose Toast online ordering when
You want or already run Toast as your full POS, you value deep kitchen integration and table management, you are high-volume or multi-location, and you want the Toast ordering stack tied directly to the POS.
Choose a direct-ordering layer when
Your current Square or Clover POS works, you only need to upgrade the ordering channel, you want a branded native app under your own name, and you want flat-fee economics without a migration.
The migration cost is the deciding factor
Switching POS to get online ordering means rebuilding menus, retraining staff, replacing hardware, and re-testing kitchen routing. If the POS is not the problem, do not move it just to fix ordering.
Get the real number in writing
Toast pricing varies by package, hardware, implementation, processing, delivery, and Pro features. Before comparing, request the complete monthly software cost, approved hardware list, implementation cost, delivery fees, and payment terms from Toast.
Keep comparing before you choose
Toast vs Square vs Orderitto
The full 3-way cost breakdown with real pricing math at $20K/$50K/$100K monthly online revenue.
Toast Pricing Explained
The quote questions to ask before signing any Toast package.
Restaurant Online Ordering System
The buyer checklist for choosing a direct ordering platform.
Restaurant Fee Calculator
Run the actual fee math before comparing a Toast quote against direct ordering.
DoorDash Restaurant Fees
Compare delivery marketplace fees against direct-ordering and delivery-service costs.
Orderitto Pricing
See flat direct-ordering plans with no Orderitto per-order platform commission.
Frequently asked questions
How does Toast online ordering work?
Toast Online Ordering is built into Toast POS. It receives digital orders, syncs menus, and routes orders into the Toast restaurant workflow. Diners can order from a Toast ordering page and through Google ordering paths. Because it is part of the Toast platform, it requires Toast POS to run.
How much does Toast online ordering cost?
Toast positions direct online ordering as commission-free, but the exact package cost should be confirmed in a Toast quote. Restaurants should price the POS subscription, online ordering package or Pro features, approved hardware, implementation, payment processing, delivery services, and any market-specific fees together.
Is Toast online ordering commission-free?
Toast describes direct online ordering as commission-free. That means it is not a marketplace-style percentage commission on direct orders, not that the ordering setup is free. POS software, processing, hardware, implementation, delivery service fees, and Pro features can still affect total cost.
Does Toast online ordering require Toast POS?
Yes. Toast Online Ordering is built into the Toast platform and uses Toast POS for real-time menus and order routing. To use it you have to run Toast as your point of sale, which means a full POS migration if you currently use Square, Clover, or another system.
What is the best alternative to Toast online ordering?
If you do not want to replace your POS, a dedicated direct-ordering layer is the cleaner path. Orderitto adds branded web, iOS, and Android ordering with zero per-order platform commission and integrates with your existing Square or Clover POS - so you get commission-free direct ordering without migrating the whole restaurant onto a new system.
What delivery fees can apply to Toast online ordering?
Toast Delivery Services can add distance-based delivery fees. The checked Toast support page listed Uber Direct starting at $6.99 under six miles and DoorDash Drive at $7.49 within five miles plus $0.50 per mile above five, with additional local fees in certain markets. Confirm the current delivery setup before publishing customer delivery prices.
Toast online ordering vs Orderitto: which should I choose?
Choose Toast online ordering if you also want or already run Toast as your full POS and value deep POS-to-kitchen integration. Choose Orderitto if your current POS works and you only need to upgrade the ordering channel: you get a branded native app, flat-fee pricing, customer-data ownership, and no POS migration risk.
Is Toast online ordering good for small restaurants?
Toast is strongest for high-volume, full-service, and multi-location restaurants that need deep POS, table management, and kitchen integration. Smaller single-location restaurants that mainly need a branded ordering channel can often get there faster and cheaper with a direct-ordering layer on top of their existing POS, without committing to a full Toast migration.
Want commission-free ordering without switching POS?
See how branded direct ordering on top of your existing Square or Clover setup compares to migrating onto Toast.
Sources checked
- Toast Online OrderingChecked for May 26, 2026 update date, POS integration, commission-free language, Order with Google, guest data, and Online Ordering Pro.
- Toast PricingChecked for pricing start, hardware, implementation, approved-device language, and support terms.
- Toast Delivery ServicesChecked for Toast Delivery Services distance tiers, regulatory fees, and driver-model limits.
- Orderitto PricingChecked for flat-fee plans, Square/Clover integration, and branded app positioning.