How to Create a Free Delivery Promotion for Your Restaurant

Delivery fees are one of the biggest reasons customers abandon an online order. They add items to the cart, see the extra charge at checkout, and think twice. A Free Delivery promotion removes that hesitation. This guide shows you how to set one up in the Ressto dashboard and how to use it without hurting your margins.

Why Free Delivery works

Free delivery is easy to understand. There is no maths for the customer, just a clear message: "We'll bring it to you at no extra charge." It works well when you want to:

• Convert customers who browse but don't complete their order
• Compete with larger delivery platforms
• Encourage bigger baskets (when paired with a minimum order)
• Win back customers who haven't ordered in a while

Step 1: Set the discount

Delivery discount (%). This is set to 100 by default, which means the delivery fee is fully waived. The helper text under the field explains the rest: lower the number to waive only part of the fee. For example, 50% means customers pay half the usual delivery charge. A partial waiver is a good middle ground if delivery costs are significant for you, since you still recover some of the expense.

Minimum Order Value (₹). This is set to 0 by default, so any delivery order qualifies. The page's own tip suggests adding a minimum order because it protects your margins and usually raises the average order value. Consider setting it just above your typical order value. If your average order is ₹350, a ₹400 minimum encourages customers to add a drink or dessert to unlock free delivery. Without a minimum, you could end up paying for delivery on a single low-value item, which rarely makes financial sense.

When does it run? Choose how long the offer is live:

• Start now, no end keeps it running until you turn it off.
• Pick dates lets you set a start and end date. This suits weekends, festivals, rainy-day campaigns, or a launch week.

Step 2: Choose how customers get it

Ressto gives you three ways to deliver the offer:

1. Customer enters a code. The offer is listed in your offers, and customers type or tap the code at checkout. This is the default.
2. Applies automatically. No code is needed. Free delivery is applied in the cart once the conditions are met. This is often the best choice for free delivery, because customers see the benefit immediately and are encouraged to reach the minimum.
3. Secret code. The offer is hidden from your website, and only people you share the code with can use it. Useful for loyalty rewards, newsletter subscribers, or a "thank you" message to regulars.

If you choose a code-based option, fill in the Promo Code field using only letters, numbers, underscores, or hyphens. Short and memorable works best, such as FREESHIP, DELIVERYFREE, or WEEKEND_FREE. You can also click Generate random to create one automatically, which is a sensible choice for secret codes.

More options (optional)

The defaults work for most restaurants, but you can fine-tune the offer by expanding these panels:

• Usage Limits. Unlimited by default. Limit total uses or uses per customer to keep costs under control, especially for a no-minimum offer.
• Audience. Defaults to all customers, signed-in only. Narrow it to target a specific group.
• Mark promo as. Controls how this promo interacts with others. The default is Exclusive.
• Applicable Service Types. For this offer type, this is automatically set to Delivery, since free delivery doesn't apply to pickup orders.
• Schedule Availability. Every day, all day by default. Restrict it to certain days or hours, such as dinner time or slow weekday afternoons, to drive orders when you need them.
• Applicable Payment Methods. Limit the offer to specific payment methods if you want to encourage online payments over cash.
• Promo image. Uses a default banner. Upload your own to match your branding.\

Step 3: Create Promotions.

Updated on: 07/10/2026