Reservation System Costs: A Clear Overview

Reservation systems are billed in very different ways. Before you compare offers, it helps to understand the basic models, because they affect your ongoing costs in completely different ways.

• Commission per guest or cover: typical for reservation portals that send guests through their platform.
• Monthly base fee: common with software solutions you run yourself.
• Free basic offerings: let you start without a fixed fee, often with expandable scope.
• Hybrid models: combine, for example, a base fee with extra charges for individual features.

Which model is cheapest depends on your guest volume and your requirements. There is no one-size-fits-all answer – but there are clear criteria you can check.

With many reservation portals you pay an amount for every guest who books through the platform. That sounds risk-free at first because there is no fixed fee – but it can add up noticeably as your occupancy grows.

When commission models can make sense

• You have few reservations and want to start without fixed costs.
• You use a portal's reach deliberately to win new guests.
• Your occupancy fluctuates strongly and predictable fixed costs do not fit.
• You want to test several channels in parallel.

The busier your venue becomes, the more per-guest fees add up – especially for regulars who would come to you anyway, you then pay for a referral you no longer need.

Software with a monthly base fee makes your costs predictable: you pay a fixed amount regardless of the number of reservations. Here is how to evaluate such an offer sensibly.

1. 1Check which features are included in the base fee.
2. 2Clarify whether reservations through your own website run without per-guest commission.
3. 3Compare the base fee with your expected reservation volume.
4. 4Pay attention to the contract term and notice periods.
5. 5Account for possible extra costs for advanced modules.

A predictable base fee is especially attractive when your venue is well occupied and many reservations accumulate that would become expensive under commission models.

The advertised price is rarely the full price. So watch out for items that sit in the fine print or only appear later.

• Long contract lock-ins with limited cancellation options.
• Surcharges for extra features such as reminders, table assignment or deposits.
• Onboarding or setup fees at the start.
• Costs for additional locations or user accounts.
• Charges for integrations or data export.

Ask specifically about these points before signing. That way you avoid a seemingly cheap offer turning expensive over time.

A key lever on costs is the channel: if your guests book directly through your own website, the per-guest commission that is common with portals disappears.

What gastronomx offers here

With gastronomx you take reservations through your own website – with no portal commission per guest. Automatic confirmations and reminders, table assignment and optional deposits are part of the system, as are further modules from the digital menu to reviews.

You can start for free and without a credit card, so you can try whether the system fits your business at no financial risk – available in six languages.