A seasonal restaurant should compare ordering contracts over a full year, not just by their advertised monthly prices. A subscription that continues through a closure can cost more than a higher active-month rate with a pause option. Minimum fees can also make quiet months surprisingly expensive.
Build a month-by-month estimate using your expected order volume, closure dates and each provider’s written terms. Include processing and any fees that continue while you are closed. Then check whether the contract actually lets you pause when you need to.
Map your restaurant’s season over twelve months
Start with the months you expect to accept online orders, not just the months your dining room is open. A restaurant that closes its dining room in winter but offers weekend pickup still has ordering activity. A complete closure means no orders in the worksheet, but it does not automatically mean no software bill.
For the hypothetical example below, a restaurant closes completely in January and February. It accepts direct online orders during the other ten months. Demand rises through summer, then falls in autumn. The restaurant expects 1,280 orders for the year, with an average order value of $30. That produces $38,400 in projected order sales, a separate measure from software and payment fees.
These volumes are assumptions, not observed demand. Replace them with your own estimate. If you have previous online-order records, use them as a starting point and adjust for known changes, such as a shorter operating season or fewer service days. A new restaurant can start with a conservative estimate and run a second version for a stronger season.
Be specific about dates. A provider may charge by calendar month, billing anniversary or another period. A closure from mid-December to mid-February could touch three billing periods even though it lasts about two months. Ask how a partial month is billed and whether notice must arrive before the next renewal date.
Also identify which channels need to stay available. You may want your restaurant website to show reopening dates while ordering is unavailable. Ask whether pausing ordering affects the website, menu access or other services in the same package. Do not assume that every part of a bundle pauses independently.
Separate the charges in each quote
Ask each provider for a written quote covering the same location, services and twelve-month period. A useful quote identifies what you pay in an open month, a quiet month and a closed month. It should also state when the contract starts, renews and can be changed.
Use these categories to keep the comparison consistent:
- Subscription: The recurring charge, including any location or package fees.
- Order fees: Charges tied to order count or order value. Ask whether canceled and refunded orders count.
- Minimums: The least you owe for a period. Confirm whether the subscription and order fees count toward that minimum or sit on top of it.
- Payment processing: Charges for accepting payments. Confirm the rate, any per-transaction amount and who bills it.
- Closure and restart charges: Fees during a pause, notice requirements and any reactivation or setup charge.
- Other operating costs: Delivery or dispatch, hardware, add-ons and applicable taxes where relevant to the quote.
A minimum is especially important when order volume is low. If a quote says a restaurant owes at least $100 per active month, find out exactly which charges count toward that amount. A $60 subscription plus $30 in order fees could result in a $100 bill if both count toward the minimum. If the $100 minimum applies separately, the result could be quite different.
Keep sales, fees and deposits apart. Order sales are money paid for food and other items; they are not the cost of processing those payments. If a provider asks for a deposit, ask when it is paid, whether it is refundable and whether it is credited against later invoices. Show a refundable deposit separately from recurring charges so it does not disappear from the cash needed at the start.
For a broader explanation of the charges that can remain alongside a commission-free offer, see the related buying guide.
Calculate annual cost under each quote
The following worksheet compares two hypothetical quotes. Neither represents a vendor offer. Both cover the same projected orders and use an assumed processing cost of 3% of order sales, or $0.90 per $30 order. Processing is included in each monthly total. There are no processing charges in the closure months because there are no orders.
- Quote A: $120 per month all year, plus $0.50 per order.
- Quote B: $60 per active month plus $1 per order, with a $100 monthly minimum that includes those two charges. The two closed months cost $15 each.
For Quote A, calculate $120 plus $1.40 per order: $0.50 in order fees and $0.90 in processing. For Quote B, calculate the greater of $100 or $60 plus $1 per order, then add $0.90 per order for processing. The table shows each month’s total, including processing.
| Month | Orders | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|---|
| January, closed | 0 | $120 | $15 |
| February, closed | 0 | $120 | $15 |
| March | 40 | $176 | $136 |
| April | 80 | $232 | $212 |
| May | 120 | $288 | $288 |
| June | 200 | $400 | $440 |
| July | 260 | $484 | $554 |
| August | 240 | $456 | $516 |
| September | 160 | $344 | $364 |
| October | 100 | $260 | $250 |
| November | 50 | $190 | $155 |
| December | 30 | $162 | $127 |
| Year total | 1,280 | $3,232 | $3,072 |
December shows why the minimum matters. Under Quote B, the $60 subscription and $30 in order fees add to $90, so the minimum raises that portion to $100. Processing adds another $27, for a $127 total. In March, the subscription and order fees reach the $100 minimum exactly; $36 in processing brings the total to $136.
Across the year, Quote A includes $1,440 in subscription charges, $640 in order fees and $1,152 in processing. Quote B includes $600 in active-month subscriptions, $30 in closure charges, $1,280 in order fees, a $10 minimum adjustment and $1,152 in processing. On these assumptions, Quote B costs $160 less for the year, even though it costs more in several busy months.
The totals exclude delivery or dispatch, hardware, add-ons, taxes, deposits and any setup or reactivation charges. They also assume no refunds or changes to rates. Add every applicable quoted cost before making a decision. If a guest pays a delivery charge, record that amount separately from the restaurant’s dispatch expense; it affects the guest’s cost and may offset expense, but it does not make dispatch free.
As a separate actual price reference, Fleksa’s plans page, checked in November 2026, lists Fix at $199 per month per location with 0% Fleksa commission on direct online orders. Processing, delivery or dispatch, hardware or add-ons, and applicable sales tax are extra. Ask for the terms that would apply during your closure before putting that plan into your own worksheet.
Check the commitment before choosing
The lower annual estimate only helps if you can use the contract as modeled. Before signing, ask the provider to put the answers to these questions in the quote or agreement:
- Pause rights: Can you pause for your expected closure dates? Is there a maximum pause length, a notice deadline or a charge while paused?
- Reactivation: How much notice is needed to reopen ordering? Are there restart fees, setup work or minimum active periods?
- Commitment and renewal: When does the initial term end? Does a pause extend it? What date must you give notice to prevent renewal?
- Changes in demand: Can you change plans or order-volume tiers during the year? When does a change take effect, and are there charges?
- Access and export: During a pause and after cancellation, can you view and export menus, order records and customer information you are entitled to access? In what format, and for how long?
- Billing details: How are partial months, minimums, refunds and failed payments handled? Which charges can change during the term?
Put the important dates on a calendar: notice deadline, last active day, expected restart date and renewal date. Then compare the annual totals against the cash you need in individual months. A contract can have a reasonable yearly total but still create a bill during a period when the restaurant has little income.
Run the worksheet again with fewer orders and, if useful, with a shorter closure. If the preferred quote changes, focus on the terms driving that change rather than treating one estimate as a forecast. For contract interpretation or tax treatment, ask a qualified adviser where needed.
Take your completed month-by-month estimate to a provider conversation. Review Fleksa’s restaurant online ordering page and ask for a demonstration if it fits your restaurant. Bring your proposed closure dates and request a written quote that addresses pause and restart terms.
Frequently asked questions
Should I cancel ordering software during a seasonal closure?
Compare the closure charges with any cancellation, restart and setup costs. Also check whether cancellation affects your website, records or contract term before deciding.
How do minimum fees affect quiet months?
A minimum can keep your bill above the amount calculated from actual orders. Ask which charges count toward it and whether payment processing is additional.
What if my order volume is hard to predict?
Use a cautious monthly estimate, then calculate a second scenario with different volumes. Compare both annual totals and check which contract terms limit your ability to change plans.
