How Lagos Restaurants Can Take Online Orders With No Commission

If you run a restaurant, buka, shawarma stand or bakery in Lagos, you've probably looked at food apps and done the maths. A commission on every order comes straight out of a margin that's already thin once you've paid for ingredients, gas, staff and rent.

Many owners end up raising their prices on the app to cover the commission. Customers notice, and some stop ordering.

There is another way to take orders online: let customers order ahead and collect.

Why pickup orders cost you less

Most of what a delivery app charges for is delivery: riders, routing and support when a rider is late. With pickup, none of that exists. The customer comes to you.

That's why Needplug can be free for food businesses. There's no commission and no monthly fee. The customer pays a small service fee on top of the order, and you keep your full menu price.

The transfer alert problem

Ask any food seller what slows down the lunch rush and you'll hear the same thing: waiting for transfer alerts. A customer says they've paid, the alert hasn't come, and the queue behind them grows.

With paid orders, the money is confirmed before the customer walks in. They give you a 6-digit code, you enter it, and they leave with their food. No checking your phone for alerts.

What you get

• Paid orders before the customer arrives, so no unpaid or abandoned orders.
• A shorter queue at your counter, because order-ahead customers collect and go.
• Daily payouts to your bank account every evening.
• Your own page and a QR code for your counter, so regulars can order ahead next time.
• Control over your menu, prices, opening hours and how long orders take.

What you need

• A phone.
• Your menu and prices.
• Your NIN, for a quick identity check.
• A bank account in your name or your business's name.

You don't need a POS, a tablet or riders.

How to start

1. Sign up at needplug.com/join. It takes a few minutes.
2. Add your menu and prices.
3. Complete the identity check and add your bank account.
4. Once approved, put your QR code on the counter and tell your regulars.

Tips for getting your first orders

• Tell your regular customers first. They already trust your food.
• Put the QR code where people queue, so they see it while they wait.
• Keep your ready times honest. A customer who arrives to hot food comes back.
• Mark items as sold out when they finish, so nobody orders what you can't make.

Ready to take paid orders? Join Needplug free.