How to plan discounts that grow orders without killing your margin

Discounts are the most powerful lever on the delivery apps and the most dangerous. Used well, they bring new customers who come back. Used badly, they train people to wait for a deal and quietly erase your profit.

Start with your real margin

Before choosing any offer, work out what an average order really earns you after food cost, packaging, platform commission and taxes. If that number is small, a flat discount can push every order into a loss.

Prefer offers with a condition

Minimum order offers, combo prices and "free dessert above a certain value" protect your margin because they raise the order value at the same time. A customer who adds a drink to unlock an offer is good business.

Use time windows

Run offers in the hours when your kitchen is idle, not during the dinner rush when you would get the orders anyway. Lunch on weekdays and late afternoons are often the best windows.

Treat new and returning customers differently

A first order offer is worth paying for, because it buys you a chance to earn a regular. Returning customers should be won with consistency, quality and the occasional thank you, not a permanent discount.

Measure every offer

Every offer should have a clear goal and an end date. Check what it did to orders, average order value and margin after two weeks, then keep it, change it or switch it off.