Costs explained · verified September 2026
How much does ezCater charge restaurants?
ezCater charges caterers a 15% commission on orders they accept through its marketplace, plus a 2.99% payment transaction fee. Per ezCater's help center, the commission does not apply to voluntary tips or taxes, and the payment fee does not apply to tips. There is no monthly fee, and caterers are paid weekly by check or direct deposit. On a $500 order that is about $90 before the food is cooked.
The 15% and 2.99% figures are from ezCater's help center article "What does it cost to join the ezCater Marketplace?" as indexed in September 2026. Third-party guides report negotiated rates vary by agreement; your contract is the authority.
What ezCater charges, and what it does not
Two lines, both percentages, both on accepted orders: a 15% commission and a 2.99% payment transaction fee. ezCater's help center is specific about the exclusions: the commission is not charged on voluntary tips or on taxes, and the payment fee is not charged on tips. There is no listing fee, no monthly subscription and no charge on orders you decline.
Third-party guides report that negotiated agreements range from about 10% to 20%, occasionally higher for featured placement, and describe an ezOrdering option for orders placed on the caterer's own website at roughly 7% plus processing. Those figures are not on ezCater's published help page, so treat them as reported rather than verified.
| Line | Rate | Applied to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace commission | 15% | accepted orders; not tips or taxes | ezCater help center |
| Payment transaction fee | 2.99% | accepted orders; not tips | ezCater help center |
| Monthly or listing fee | none | — | ezCater help center |
| ezOrdering (own-website orders) | about 7% + processing | reported, not published | third-party guides |
What a $500 catering order costs
Catering tickets are large, so the percentage dominates and the arithmetic is simple: 15% of $500 is $75, and 2.99% of $500 is about $15, for roughly $90 taken on a $500 order, leaving about $410. Because neither fee touches tips, a $50 tip on that order reaches the caterer whole.
| On a $500 catering order | Rate | Cost | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| ezCater marketplace | 15% + 2.99% | about $90 | about $410 |
| ezOrdering, own website (reported) | about 7% + processing | about $35 + processing | about $450 after processing |
| Your own ordering site (Ginger Direct) | processing as low as 2% + 5¢; $1 fee paid by the guest | about $10 | about $490 |
The Ginger row is card processing only, interchange-plus and dependent on card mix. It provides no marketplace discovery, which is the service ezCater's 15% buys.
Frequently asked questions
What is ezCater's commission for restaurants?
15% on orders accepted through the ezCater Marketplace, per ezCater's help center, not applied to voluntary tips or taxes. A separate 2.99% payment transaction fee applies, not charged on tips. There is no monthly fee. Verified as indexed September 2026.
Does ezCater charge a monthly fee?
No. ezCater's help center describes a commission and a payment fee on accepted orders only, with no listing or subscription charge, and pays caterers weekly by check or direct deposit.
Is ezCater's commission charged on tips and tax?
No. Per ezCater's help center, the 15% commission does not apply to voluntary tips or taxes, and the 2.99% payment fee does not apply to voluntary tips. A tip on a catering order reaches the caterer in full.
How much does ezCater take on a $500 order?
About $90: $75 as the 15% commission and roughly $15 as the 2.99% payment fee, leaving about $410 before food cost. Tips on the order are excluded from both fees.
What is ezOrdering and how does its rate differ?
ezOrdering is ezCater's option for catering orders placed on the caterer's own website rather than the marketplace. Third-party guides report it at roughly 7% plus processing; that rate is not on ezCater's published help page, so confirm it in your agreement. It is the number to compare against a fully owned ordering channel, where the cost is card processing alone.
Once you know the cost
Most restaurants keep the marketplace for discovery and move repeat guests to a channel they own. Ginger Direct is that channel: your own ordering site, $0 a month, orders printing to the printers you already have, and a $1 per-order fee the guest pays.