Start from what the branch can serve well
Do not copy another restaurant's radius. Measure peak travel time, preparation time, packaging performance and the number of couriers you can dispatch. A pizza, frozen dessert and plated meal do not have the same practical range.
Start conservatively, record complaints, late arrivals and trip cost outside the platform if needed, then adjust coverage and fees from your own evidence. Q-Orders configures the checkout rule; dispatch planning and driver management remain separate operational responsibilities.
Zone pricing versus per-kilometre pricing
Each method has its place, and the difference is clarity versus fairness:
- Zone pricing: you draw each zone's boundary and give it a fixed fee. Clear for the guest and easy to explain to the team; it suits known neighbourhoods and single-branch restaurants.
- Per-kilometre pricing: the measured distance from the branch is multiplied by the configured rate, and orders beyond the maximum distance are rejected.
- Choose one mode for the branch. Switching modes changes how checkout validates the address and calculates the fee, so repeat the complete test matrix afterward.
- Configure each branch independently because location, coverage and operating cost can differ.
Minimum order and free delivery
A minimum order prevents trips whose basket cannot support the fulfilment cost. Free delivery above a threshold can encourage a larger basket, but only when the extra margin covers the waived fee. Choose both numbers from your own average ticket, food cost and trip cost.
Q-Orders applies the configured free-delivery threshold during checkout. Test an order just below it, exactly at it and above it, and confirm how coupons and taxes affect the final total in your country and store settings.
The real cost of delivery per order
Before deciding what the guest pays, work out what the trip actually costs you: the driver's pay per hour or per order, fuel, bike maintenance, packaging, and the share of orders returned or compensated. Divide the month's total by the number of delivered orders and you get the cost per order, which is usually higher than you think. The fee you collect does not have to cover the full cost, but you must know the gap and cover it from the order's own margin deliberately.
Setting up delivery zones in Q-Orders
Setup is done from the dashboard per branch with no coding:
- Open delivery zones and draw each zone's boundary on the map around the branch, naming it after the neighbourhood the guest knows.
- For flat pricing, create the active regions and set each region's fee and minimum order. For distance pricing, set the per-kilometre rate and maximum distance.
- Set the free-delivery threshold in the checkout settings and decide whether the fee is taxed according to your country.
- Test checkout from an address inside a zone and one outside it, and confirm the fee shows in the basket before the order is confirmed.
- Review delivery results and operating cost regularly, then adjust regions, distance limits or fees from recorded evidence.
Handoff from a ready order to delivery
Pricing does not manage the courier. Define who watches delivery orders, who marks each status and how the branch hands a ready order to its own or third-party delivery operation. When WhatsApp automation is enabled, configured order-status templates can update the guest; do not promise driver details that your workflow does not capture.
Common delivery-fee mistakes
- One flat fee for the whole city, so you lose on far orders and put off nearby guests.
- Failing to test when and where the fee becomes visible during checkout.
- A wide zone with no maximum distance to please everyone who asks.
- Permanent free delivery for everyone instead of tying it to an amount that lifts the ticket.
- Not revisiting zones after a new branch opens that covers part of them.
The takeaway
The right delivery fee is neither the cheapest nor the dearest but the one that reflects your real cost, is shown clearly to the guest from the first step, and is used to raise the order value. Draw your zones from travel time, pick the pricing method that fits your branches, set the minimum order and free-delivery threshold, then watch the numbers. Read about the delivery zones and fees service on the services page, or start a free trial today.
