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How to Get Bookings Without Paying Commission to TheFork or Other Apps

Samuel Martínez, 24 August 2026. 11 min read. Translated from the Spanish original.

TheFork and ElTenedor charge €1.50 to €4 per cover. Learn how to build your own AI booking system and keep 100% of your margin.

TheFork, ElTenedor and the other booking apps charge a commission for every confirmed cover. If a significant share of your covers come through an app, you pay a considerable amount each month in commission alone. That money comes straight out of your margin, month after month, with the app providing no marketing or customer loyalty: just the channel.

In 2026 you can build your own AI booking system and win back part of that margin. An AI phone agent answers calls 24/7, a WhatsApp chatbot replies instantly, and both check availability in real time and confirm bookings without human intervention. This article explains how it works, what you need and when it makes sense to take the leap.

This page is for information only and does not constitute binding advice. Each case is tailored after a diagnosis.

TL;DR

Why Booking Apps Charge Commission and How Much

TheFork, ElTenedor, OpenTable and similar services work as marketplaces: they attract diners, list you on their platform and charge when the booking is confirmed. The commission varies depending on the plan:

If your restaurant serves 40 covers a day and 60% come through an app (24 covers), you pay:

That money doesn’t include marketing, customer loyalty or data. You only pay for the channel. If the customer comes back, you pay commission again. And if they cancel or don’t turn up, the app refunds you nothing on most plans.

What Alternatives Exist for Receiving Bookings Without Commission

The commission-free channels you already have are:

  1. Phone: the traditional channel. It requires staff to be available during call hours (usually 12 to 4pm and 7 to 11pm). If you don’t answer, you lose the booking.
  2. WhatsApp Business: many diners in Spain prefer WhatsApp to calling. But if you’re slow to reply, many will look elsewhere.
  3. Google Maps and Google Business Profile: lets you switch on direct bookings. It requires integration with an availability system.
  4. Web form: conversion tends to be low because users want instant confirmation, not to wait for you to check your email.

The common problem is availability. If you depend on a person to answer the phone or check WhatsApp, you only serve customers within certain time slots. Outside those hours, the customer who can’t wait ends up on TheFork or with your competitor.

The solution is to automate reception and confirmation with AI. That allows you to cover all 4 channels 24/7 without increasing headcount.

How Your Own AI Booking System Works

An AI booking system has 4 components:

1. AI Voice Agent

It answers incoming calls, asks for the day, time, number of diners, name and phone number, checks availability in real time and confirms. If there’s no table free, it offers alternatives. If the customer asks about the menu or set menus, it can answer from your knowledge base. All in under 90 seconds.

The AI phone agent integrates with your existing number (there’s no need to change line) and can transfer to a person if it detects a query it can’t resolve.

2. WhatsApp Chatbot

It works just like the voice agent, but in text. It replies in under 2 seconds, checks availability, confirms and sends a reminder 24 hours beforehand. It can send the Google Maps link, the menu as a PDF or the cancellation terms.

The chatbot connects to the WhatsApp Business API, which lets you manage multiple conversations from a single dashboard without having to keep your mobile open all the time. More detail in WhatsApp chatbot.

3. Availability Engine

This is the brain of the system. It keeps track of the state of the tables in real time: what’s booked, what’s free, how long each sitting lasts, which tables can be pushed together. It can be a synchronised calendar, a database or an integration with your EPOS if it already has a booking module.

The important thing is that the voice agent and the chatbot consult the same source. That way you avoid double bookings.

4. Website and Google Widget

A booking form on your website that checks availability before confirming. It can be integrated with Google so that bookings from Maps arrive in the same system. The user sees instant confirmation, just like on TheFork, but without paying commission.

What You Need Technically to Set Up the System

The minimum set-up (MVP) includes:

The full set-up adds:

Most restaurants start with the MVP within 2 weeks and add functionality as they see what they need.

Cost Comparison: Commission-Based App vs Your Own System

Let’s assume a restaurant with 50 covers a day. 50% of bookings come through TheFork (25 covers a day, 750 a month). TheFork charges €2.50 per cover.

Annual cost with TheFork: 750 covers × €2.50 × 12 months = €22,500.

Estimated cost of your own AI system (indicative market range, not STAKKER prices):

In the example above, with a fee of €400 a month:

Depending on volume, the saving on commission can pay back the system over time; from then on, part of that saving is recovered margin.

When It Makes Sense to Build Your Own System

It makes sense if you meet at least 2 of these conditions:

  1. You receive more than 30 bookings a day through apps and pay more than €1,500 a month in commission.
  2. You want full control of customer data so you can do direct marketing (email, WhatsApp, prize draws, loyalty schemes).
  3. Your team can’t answer the phone during all opening hours and you lose bookings out of service.
  4. You want to offer personalised upselling (special menu, wine, celebration) at the moment of booking.
  5. You operate several venues and need to centralise booking management in a single dashboard.

It doesn’t make sense if:

How to Get Started: Diagnosis and Step-by-Step Set-Up

The typical process has 5 phases:

Phase 1: Diagnosis (1 week)

We analyse:

The diagnosis may be free or paid depending on the provider. STAKKER offers a diagnosis at no cost and with no obligation; you can request it via contacto.

Phase 2: Setting Up the Availability Engine (3-5 days)

We build the system that manages the state of the tables. It can be a synchronised calendar, a database or a direct integration with your EPOS if it has an open API.

Phase 3: Training the Voice Agent and Chatbot (5-7 days)

The AI agent is trained on your menu, opening hours, cancellation policies, frequently asked questions and booking flow. Internal tests are run to fine-tune the tone and responses.

Phase 4: Parallel Testing (1 week)

The system starts in pilot mode. Bookings arrive in the new system and the old one at the same time. Results are compared and errors are corrected.

Phase 5: Full Go-Live

The previous system is switched off (or kept as a backup) and the new system goes into production. From here, metrics are monitored and adjustments are made based on actual use.

The total time from diagnosis to the first automated booking ranges from 2 to 4 weeks.

Real Use Cases in the Hospitality Sector

These examples are generic to the market, not STAKKER cases:

Common Mistakes When Setting Up Your Own Booking System

  1. Not integrating with your current system: if the voice agent uses one calendar and the manager uses another, you’ll get double bookings. Integration is essential.
  2. Training the chatbot only on the menu: customers ask about opening hours, how to get there, whether dogs are allowed, whether there’s parking. If the chatbot doesn’t know, it hands over to a human and you lose the advantage.
  3. Not testing with real calls: internal tests don’t pick up accents, background noise or colloquial phrases. Make at least 20 test calls with people who don’t know the system.
  4. Not measuring: if you don’t know how many bookings came through each channel before the change, you won’t be able to compare. Measure everything from day 1.
  5. Switching off TheFork all at once: it’s better to keep it running in parallel for 2 weeks. If something goes wrong with the new system, you don’t lose bookings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does TheFork charge for each booking?

TheFork charges an amount per confirmed cover that depends on the plan you’ve signed up to. A restaurant with 40 covers a day can pay between €1,800 and €4,800 a month in commission alone.

Can I stop using TheFork without losing bookings?

It can help reduce that risk if you set up your own system covering the same channels: phone, WhatsApp, web and Google. The key is to automate reception and confirmation with AI so that you don’t have to rely on increasing headcount.

What are the advantages of your own booking system over the apps?

Zero commission per cover, full control of customer data, the ability to upsell directly, and a personalised experience. In the medium term, the saving on commission can offset the cost of the system.

Do I need to hire someone to handle WhatsApp and the phone?

No. An AI voice agent answers calls 24/7 and a WhatsApp chatbot replies instantly. Both check availability in real time and confirm the booking without human intervention.

How much does it cost to set up an AI booking system?

It depends on the configuration and volume. On the market there are solutions from €200/month. STAKKER works with a free diagnosis and a tailored proposal; every restaurant has different needs.

How long does it take to get your own booking system up and running?

Between 2 and 4 weeks from diagnosis to the first automated booking. This includes integration with the availability engine, training of the voice agent and chatbot, and parallel testing alongside your current system.

Next Step

If you pay more than €1,500 a month in commission to TheFork or any other booking app, you may have room to set up your own system and win back some of that money.

STAKKER builds bespoke booking systems: AI phone agent, WhatsApp chatbot, availability engine and integrations with your current stack. Every project starts with a free diagnosis in which we identify which channels you prioritise, which integrations you need and what the expected ROI is.

You can request the no-obligation diagnosis via contacto. We reply within 24 hours.

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