topic Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee in Guest Experience

Online Ordering Processing Fee

LHoefler — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 17:12:20 GMT

New online ordering processing fee of $.99 assigned to customers needs to be optional and not forced. The customers should not be charged for this.. they can just call in the order to not get charged the fee which ties up our phone lies. The whole reason we turned on online ordering was to not lie up our phone lines. We do not have a problem with chargebacks as we have cameras and check ID for those we do not know. Please make it optional and not mandatory or we will start shopping different restaurant POS systems.

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

teriyakisteve — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 21:42:54 GMT

I agree with LHeofler. As a restaurant, we now get to train 18- to-20-year-old front counter people how to answer the question "what is the $.99 fee?" And, we, as the restaurant, didn't even have a choice on the matter. Now our orders cost more for our customers to buy -- without us raising the price! On our average ticket of $20, a $.99 is a 2.5% increase in the sale price.

Additionally, Toast has now inserted itself in a restaurant’s gross sales figure. You can argue the technically of what gross sales are, but the customer must pay the total presented or not receive the food. While I like Toast products, dealing with a company that has demonstrated its willingness to come between my restaurant and my customers, is very distributing.

Paying a fair price for products is fine, getting between my restaurant and my customers is not fine. Additionally, stay away from any fees related to gross sales. Where does it end? Next Toast could very well think they are worth 5% of the sale. Once a company demonstrates their willingness to go after gross sales, why would we, as restaurant owners, ever believe differently?

In my opinion, this is a bad idea by Toast.

https://central.toasttab.com/s/article/Order-Processing-Fee

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

ZK — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:52:01 GMT

Not to rub salt in the wound, but a $0.99 fee on a $20 ticket is a 4.95% price increase to your customers.

My ticket average is lower so it's even worse for me. I've been fortunate that this has not been rolled out to my restaurants, yet. However, this gross overreach by Toast has me & every other Toast customer in my community looking for a new platform. Toast has no place charging my customers a fee. I am Toast's customer, they can charge me (more).

Discussions with other restaurants in our community have included trying to understand why Toast would make such an obviously unpopular move. Greed is always an option and can't be dismissed. However, there's speculation that Toast needs to raise revenue to stay in business & this was they only solution they could come up with. That makes us want to find another platform before Toast implodes.

It's really a shame, I like the platform & am willing to pay the higher credit card fees as a trade off for the convenience the platform provides. Extorting $30k a year from my customers and leaving restaurants to take the heat from patrons is unacceptable.

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

NancyM — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 14:58:14 GMT

I agree with what you have stated. Our customers are quite upset about this charge and we have to figure out a way to refund them the .99 cents. I don't understand how Toast made such a decision regarding the order processing fee....we would have preferred the charge be on our monthly invoice and not directly charged to the customer. I do not think Toast has the right to directly charge our customers this fee.

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

escoop — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 14:59:35 GMT

@LHoefler please read my post and let me know your thoughts https://community.toasttab.com/t5/guest-experience/online-ordering-processing-fee-alternatives-email/m-p/3984

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

escoop — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 15:00:03 GMT

@teriyakisteve please read my reply and let me know your thoughts https://community.toasttab.com/t5/guest-experience/online-ordering-processing-fee-alternatives-email/m-p/3984

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

escoop — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 15:00:29 GMT

@ZK can you please read my comments and give me your thoughts? https://community.toasttab.com/t5/guest-experience/online-ordering-processing-fee-alternatives-email/m-p/3984

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

escoop — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 15:00:55 GMT

@NancyM can you please read my reply and give me your input? https://community.toasttab.com/t5/guest-experience/online-ordering-processing-fee-alternatives-email/m-p/3984

Re: Online Ordering Processing Fee

escoop — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:26:19 GMT

@NancyM @LHoefler Please join with your fellow restaurants to discuss alternatives in light of Toast's imposed fees upon our customers. Email RestaurantsWorkingTogether@gmail.com for the login details. We need to stick together!