RTC SCORE
7.9
#3 of 21 with enough data
ChowNow
A direct ordering platform with an SEO website, branded app, loyalty and automated email on every plan, and 20+ POS integrations. Launch costs $249 a month month to month, with no commission on orders from your website, app and ChowNow's marketplace, 2.95% + 29¢ card processing per order and a $499 setup fee per its agreement. Orders from its Discovery Network (Google, Apple Maps, Yelp and others) carry a 15.5% marketing fee, unless you turn on Profit Protector, which raises your menu prices on those channels.
RTC SCORE
7.2
#4 of 21 with enough data
Owner.com
A direct ordering platform that builds your restaurant's website, branded app, loyalty program and email and text marketing, month to month at $499 a month (Flat Rate) or $249 plus 5% of each order (Flexible), with a mandatory 5% fee charged to your customers on every order and a card processing rate it doesn't publish.
Key differences
| Data point | ChowNow | Owner.com |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $249/mo | $499/mo |
| Setup fee | $499 one-time | $0 one-time |
| Delivery cost per order | $7.98 per delivery | $6.45 per delivery |
| Notice to avoid renewal | 30 days | 0 days |
| Notice to cancel | 30 days | 0 days |
| Direct POS integrations | Toast, Square, Clover, Shift4 POS, Lightspeed, Others | Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed, Others |
| Support channels | Phone, Chat, Text message, Email or form | Phone, Chat, Email or form |
Side by side
| Feature | ChowNowRTC Score: 7.9 out of 10 | Owner.comRTC Score: 7.2 out of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Type of platform | ||
| Type of product | Direct ordering platformSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | Direct ordering platformSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| Requires the vendor's own POS | NoSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | NoSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Works with your current POS. Owner also sells a POS of its own, which isn't required. |
| Product status | ActiveSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Private company in Culver City, California, selling its current plans. It bought Cuboh (now its Hub product) in 2024; no end of life or sale of ChowNow announced. | ActiveSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Private company (named ProfitBoss until 2021) that raised a $240 million Series D in 2026. No end of life or sale of the company announced. |
| What the restaurant pays | ||
| Monthly fee | $249/mo(Best value)Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Launch billed monthly. On an annual plan it's $229 a month; Grow is $349 ($319) and Elevate $449 ($409). | $499/moSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Flat Rate plan, the cheaper one for the reference restaurant ($12,000 a month in online sales): $499 a month with no restaurant fee. The Flexible plan is $249 a month plus 5% of each order and comes out cheaper below about $5,000 a month in online sales (Owner suggests Flat Rate from that point). Owner offers special rates for multi-location groups. |
| Published pricing | PublishedSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Plans, card processing and add-ons are published. The Service Terms of each plan aren't. | Partly publishedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Plans, the restaurant fee and the fee to your customers are published; the card processing rate isn't. |
| Commission on app delivery orders | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Commission on app pickup orders | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Commission when your own drivers deliver app orders | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Commission on your own online orders | 0%Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)0% on orders from your website, your app and ChowNow's marketplace. Its Discovery Network (Google, Apple Maps, Yelp and 6+ more sites), included in every plan, runs on the Order Better Network: those orders carry the agreement's 15.5% marketing fee, unless you turn on Profit Protector, which raises your menu prices on those channels so your customers cover it. ChowNow says you can opt out channel by channel by email. | 0%Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Flat Rate plan ($499 a month), the one for the reference restaurant. The Flexible plan ($249 a month) charges a 5% restaurant fee on each order. |
| Fixed fee per order | $0 per orderSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)No fixed fee per order to the restaurant besides card processing. The $0.99 service charge on website and app orders is paid by your customer: the agreement charges it unless you opt out in writing, while the help center describes it as a setting you turn on. | $0 per orderSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)No fixed fee per order; the only per-order charge to the restaurant is the 5% of the Flexible plan (card processing aside). |
| Card processing on online orders (%) | 2.95%Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)2.9% + 30¢ instead when the payment goes through a third-party POS integration (such as Square or Toast). | Not publishedSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)Online payments go through Owner (Owner Payments, or Stripe accounts linked to Owner). Owner has a processing rate but doesn't publish it. |
| Card processing per order (¢) | 29¢Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | Not publishedSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)Not published. |
| Card processing included in the commission | NoSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | NoSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)Processing has its own rate, apart from the plan and the restaurant fee. |
| Setup fee | $499 one-timeSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)The agreement sets $499 for every current plan. The pricing page shows "$119 – $499" without saying which plan pays less; your order form sets the final amount. | $0 one-time(Best value)Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Setup and migration are listed among the features included on both plans. The agreement lets Owner charge a setup fee shown on the pricing page, and the page shows none. |
| Tablet or hardware | Rented from the vendorSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)The tablet is leased at a price ChowNow doesn't publish; a printer costs $250 to $420. Orders can go into your POS instead. Leased equipment must be returned within 30 days of leaving or ChowNow charges its full cost. | Included in the planSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Orders can go into your POS instead. A loaned tablet or printer must be returned within five business days after you leave, or Owner can charge its replacement cost. |
| Order limit of the plan | No order limitSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | UnconfirmedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Owner's pricing page and agreement don't mention a monthly order limit. |
| Fee per order over the limit | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: plans have no order limit. | UnconfirmedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Owner doesn't mention an order limit or a fee for going over one. |
| Other fees | Apple developer account for your app: $99 a year. Printer: $250 to $420. ChowNow Flex delivery: $7.98 per order, split with your customer as you choose. Marketing fee of 15.5% on orders from the Discovery Network (Order Better Network) unless Profit Protector raises your menu prices on those channels. Your customers pay the $0.99 service charge on website and app orders (on unless you opt out, per the agreement; a setting you turn on, per the help center) and, on ChowNow marketplace orders, a 7.5% Support Local Fee.Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | Delivery by DoorDash or Uber drivers through Owner at a flat fee passed on at cost ($6.45 with Uber up to 8 miles, $7.00 with DoorDash up to 5 miles); you decide how much of it your customer pays. A customer chargeback costs a $15 fee, plus $15 to contest it (returned if you win).Source: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab) |
| What your customer pays | ||
| Fee charged to your customers | The platform may charge a variable feeSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)The agreement lets ChowNow charge your customers a variable "Support Local Fee" on every order through its platform. Today its help center applies 7.5% only on orders in the ChowNow app or eat.chownow.com. On your website and app there is a $0.99 service charge split 50/50 with you: the agreement charges it unless you opt out in writing, while the help center describes it as a setting you turn on. With Profit Protector on, your menu prices are higher on Discovery Network channels. | Mandatory fee set by the platformSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)A 5% "order support fee" charged to your customers on every order, in both plans. |
| What your customers pay | A 7.5% Support Local Fee on orders placed in the ChowNow app or eat.chownow.com. On your own website and app, a $0.99 service charge (half goes to you): on unless you opt out in writing per the agreement, a setting you turn on per the help center. Higher menu prices on Discovery Network channels if you turn on Profit Protector. The delivery fee, minus any part you cover.Source: ChowNow Restaurant Support (opens in a new tab) | A 5% order support fee on every order, in both plans, plus the delivery fee on delivery orders (the part you don't cover).Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| Who pays for delivery | The restaurant chooses: customer, restaurant or splitSource: ChowNow Restaurant Support (opens in a new tab) | The restaurant chooses: customer, restaurant or splitSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab) |
| Delivery cost per order | $7.98 per deliverySource: ChowNow Restaurant Support (opens in a new tab)ChowNow Flex, up to 8 miles. ChowNow suggests charging your customer $3.99 and covering the rest. | $6.45 per delivery(Best value)Source: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)$6.45 with Uber drivers (up to 8 miles) and $7.00 with DoorDash drivers (up to 5 miles), passed on with no markup per Owner. The agreement also allows the delivery fee to be a percentage of the order; the help center gives these flat fees. |
| Contract and exit | ||
| Contract term | Month to monthSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)On the monthly plan (the prices above), month to month. An annual plan lowers the monthly price and renews for another year. | Month to monthSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Month to month. |
| Automatic renewal | 1 monthSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Renews for the same term as the plan: a month on the monthly plan, a year on an annual one. | 1 monthSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| Notice to avoid renewal | 30 daysSource: ChowNow Restaurant Support (opens in a new tab) | 0 days(Best value)Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Your cancellation only has to reach Owner before the next monthly renewal date. |
| Notice to cancel | 30 daysSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)To cancel you fill out a form or have a call with your Restaurant Success Manager; you pay the last 30 days of service. | 0 days(Best value)Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)You cancel by email before the monthly renewal date and aren't billed for the next month. |
| Cancellation fee | No published cancellation fee on the monthly plan: you pay the last 30 days. On an annual plan billed monthly, the unpaid balance of the year is due at once; prepaid plans aren't refunded. The Service Terms of each plan may add a cancellation fee that ChowNow doesn't publish (§4.2).Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | No cancellation fee: you cancel by email before the monthly renewal. You return any loaned tablet or printer within five business days, or Owner can charge its replacement cost.Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| How the cancellation fee works | Other (see the clause)Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Monthly plan: 30 more days of charges. Annual plan billed monthly: the unpaid balance of the year is due at once. The Service Terms of each plan may add a cancellation fee that ChowNow doesn't publish (§4.2). | No cancellation feeSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Month to month, with no cancellation fee. Loaned tablets and printers must be returned. |
| Refund when you cancel | No refundsSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Prepaid annual plans aren't prorated either. Hardware returned in working condition within 30 days of shipment cancels the service with no fees. | The terms don't saySource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)The agreement makes setup fees non-refundable and doesn't address refunds of the monthly fee. |
| Right to raise prices | ChowNow may change any of its fees on written notice, including through your dashboard, effective 30 days later.Source: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | Owner may change the agreement or its prices on notice by email, effective 30 days later; if you object within those 30 days you can leave and keep the old terms for up to 90 days.Source: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| Trial period | UnconfirmedSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)ChowNow publishes no trial. Its refund policy cancels the service with no fees if the equipment it shipped comes back in working condition within 30 days, while its billing article charges the setup fee and first month at signup. | UnconfirmedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)The pricing page offers a demo, not a trial; the agreement mentions a guarantee policy for some customers without giving its terms. |
| Your customers and marketing | ||
| Your customers' data | Export, plus a built-in CRMSource: ChowNow Restaurant Support (opens in a new tab)Names, emails and spending, in the dashboard's Customer Spending report; email marketing is built in. | Export, plus a built-in CRMSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)The CSV has name, email, phone, last order, marketing opt-ins and loyalty points; the dashboard runs the email, text and loyalty programs. |
| Who owns the customer data (per the terms) | Shared with the platformSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Order data is jointly owned. ChowNow owns the data collected through its platform outside your orders, and the order data of third-party partners. | The terms don't saySource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)The agreement doesn't say who owns your customers' data, and it limits your use of the data Owner gives you to your use of Owner's service. |
| Website with your own domain | IncludedSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | IncludedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| App with your brand | IncludedSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Publishing it needs an Apple developer account ($99 a year). | IncludedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| Loyalty and email or text marketing | IncludedSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Launch includes loyalty and automated email (500 contacts). Text marketing and one-off campaigns start at Grow ($349 a month). | IncludedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Loyalty, and automated email and text marketing, are included in both plans. |
| Brings you new customers | Its own discovery networkSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)ChowNow's own marketplace app plus ordering on Google, Apple Maps, Yelp and other sites. Discovery Network orders carry a 15.5% marketing fee unless Profit Protector raises your menu prices there. | Search and marketing toolsSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) |
| Operations and integrations | ||
| Direct POS integrations | Toast, Square, Clover, Shift4 POS, Lightspeed, OthersSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)ChowNow lists 20+ POS integrations, among them Toast, Square, Clover, Shift4 POS and Lightspeed (K-Series). | Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed, OthersSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Included at no extra fee. Toast menus sync through Otter, per Owner's help center. |
| Delivery app orders in the same place | Paid add-onSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub orders in one place come with the Grow plan ($349 a month) and up. | IncludedSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub orders come into Owner, with the menu synced from Owner. Both plans include every feature. |
| Delivery for your direct orders | DoorDash Drive, Uber DirectSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)ChowNow Flex sends your delivery orders to DoorDash or Uber drivers at $7.98 each. | DoorDash Drive, Uber DirectSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Owner sends your delivery orders to DoorDash or Uber drivers at a flat fee per delivery; you can also use your own drivers. |
| Handles fraud and chargebacks | YesSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Except chargebacks from fraud by the restaurant or by its own employees or owners. | YesSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)The pricing page lists chargeback protection on both plans, but the agreement makes the restaurant responsible for chargebacks and the help center describes $15 dispute fees charged to the restaurant. Ask Owner what the protection covers. |
| Reach of the delivery apps | ||
| Share of US delivery spending | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Subscription for your customers | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Minimum orders guarantee | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Publishes its fee caps by city | N/ASource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. | N/ASource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: it isn't a delivery app. |
| Support | ||
| 24/7 support for restaurants | YesSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | YesSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab) |
| Support channels | Phone, Chat, Text message, Email or formSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)Call or text 888-707-2469; chat; and email. | Phone, Chat, Email or formSource: Owner.com Help Center (opens in a new tab)Phone 1-844-24-OWNER, chat in the help center and email. |
Contracts compared
| Product | Initial term | Auto-renewal | Early termination fee | Exclusive processing commitment | Price increases during the term | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChowNowSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab) | Month to month | Renews for 1 month30 days' notice to cancel renewal | No published cancellation fee on the monthly plan: you pay the last 30 days. On an annual plan billed monthly, the unpaid balance of the year is due at once; prepaid plans aren't refunded. The Service Terms of each plan may add a cancellation fee that ChowNow doesn't publish (§4.2). | Yes, for the whole term | ChowNow may change any of its fees on written notice, including through your dashboard, effective 30 days later. | UnconfirmedSource: ChowNow (opens in a new tab)ChowNow publishes no trial. Its refund policy cancels the service with no fees if the equipment it shipped comes back in working condition within 30 days, while its billing article charges the setup fee and first month at signup.Charges start before you go live |
| Owner.comSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab) | Month to month | Renews for 1 month0 days' notice to cancel renewal | No cancellation fee: you cancel by email before the monthly renewal. You return any loaned tablet or printer within five business days, or Owner can charge its replacement cost. | Yes, for the whole term | Owner may change the agreement or its prices on notice by email, effective 30 days later; if you object within those 30 days you can leave and keep the old terms for up to 90 days. | UnconfirmedSource: Owner.com (opens in a new tab)The pricing page offers a demo, not a trial; the agreement mentions a guarantee policy for some customers without giving its terms.Charges start before you go live |
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.