Commission or subscription: how do you know which costs less?
The classic trap: paying commission on customers who already knew you, simply because the platform is the only way to book online with you. A direct booking link on your website and Google profile changes the maths.
The two models side by side
| Commission platform | Subscription software | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples (French pricing pages checked in October 2026) | TheFork Manager: commission as a percentage of the average bill on guests brought by TheFork and its partners, a stated €400 set-up fee; Treatwell: 25% on new marketplace clients, 0% on returning clients | Zenchef: €0 commission per cover, plans from €129 to €249 a month; Voxtya: Bookings €29 a month, €49 with the website, no commission |
| What you pay | Variable: rises with bookings brought in | Fixed: the same in January and December |
| New customers | Yes: the platform’s visibility | No: they come from your own visibility |
| Customers booking on your website or social media | Depends: TheFork states no commission on these bookings | No commission |
| Risk | A busy season that costs a lot | Paying for a quiet month |
Terms change: always check the pricing page and your contract before deciding.
Free tool, no sign-up
ROI calculator
Enter your covers or appointments and your current commission: see what you would save at a flat price.
The formula, step by step
- Commission per customer: take your platform invoice and divide the commission by the number of customers (or covers) billed.
- Customers brought per month: the 12-month average, to smooth out seasons.
- Monthly commission cost = 1 × 2.
- Compare with the monthly price of a commission-free subscription.
- Refine: remove the share of customers who would have found you anyway; commission is least justified on them.
Two worked examples (fictional)
A 30-cover restaurant
Fictional example: 30 covers, open 5 evening services a week. The platform brings an average of 120 covers a month at an average €3 commission per cover, so €360 a month. The owner estimates a third of these guests are regulars or found the restaurant on Google. By offering them a direct booking link, they save around €120 a month, for a €29 or €49 tool. They keep the platform for new guests, if they judge them worth the cost.
A hair salon
Fictional example: a salon gets 15 new clients a month via a marketplace at 25%, with an average service of €40, so €150 in commission. Its regular clients book with no commission. The calculation is therefore only about those new clients: do they come back (and become free), and could the salon attract them another way (Google profile, reviews, website)?
The ROI calculator runs these numbers with your figures.
By trade
| Trade | Common commission model | Useful page |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | Booking platforms (commission per cover or per guest brought) | restaurant booking software with no commission, TheFork alternative |
| Hair or beauty salon | Beauty marketplaces (commission on new clients) | hair salon booking software, Voxtya vs Treatwell |
| Hotel, B&B | Accommodation booking platforms | Booking.com or direct bookings |
| Coach, therapist | Directories with online appointments | personal trainer booking software |
Combining both without paying twice
- Put your direct booking link wherever you are already visible: website, Google profile, Instagram bio, emails.
- Keep the platform for what it truly brings: new customers.
- After a platform customer’s first visit, give them a reason to book direct next time (card, website, Google reviews).
- Review the numbers every six months with the formula above.
For step-by-step set-up, see the guide online booking with no commission.
This guide for your trade
Go further
Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 30, 2026.