Why We Don't Charge Per Booking (And Never Will)

When we started Nine Tables, we had a choice to make about pricing. The industry standard was clear: charge per booking. Every guest that walks through your door, you pay a cut.

We went a different way. Here's why.

The Backwards Incentive

Per-booking fees create a strange situation: the better your restaurant does, the more you pay.

Have a great month with 3,000 covers? Your software bill triples. Build a loyal following that books constantly? Each loyal customer costs you more than the last.

This model works for the software company. It doesn't work for restaurants.

What Restaurants Told Us

Before building Nine Tables, we talked to dozens of restaurant owners. The frustration with per-booking fees was universal:

"It feels like a tax on success. My regulars book through the system every week, and I'm paying for each visit even though they would come anyway."

"I did the math at the end of the year. I could have hired another part-time host for what I paid in booking fees."

"They say they're sending me customers, but my guests are finding me on Google, on Instagram, through word of mouth. The platform is just taking a cut of my existing business."

The Platform Trap

Per-booking models also create unhealthy dependency. The longer you use the platform, the more your guest data lives there. Switching feels risky. You're not just a customer; you're trapped.

We've heard from restaurants who stayed with expensive platforms for years past when they wanted to leave, simply because their guest history and contact information was locked in.

That's not a partnership. That's a hostage situation.

Our Approach: Flat-Rate, Forever

Nine Tables charges a simple monthly fee. That's it.

• Book 100 guests? Same price.
• Book 10,000 guests? Same price.
• Your data? Always yours, exportable anytime.

We make money by providing value, not by taxing your success. If you're happy, you stay. If you're not, you leave. That keeps us honest.

Why This Makes Us Better

When our revenue isn't tied to your volume, our incentives align with yours. We're motivated to:

• Reduce no-shows — because that helps you, not because it generates more fees
• Improve the booking experience — because happy guests mean you stay subscribed
• Keep things simple — because you don't want to pay for features you don't use

We succeed when you succeed. That's how it should be.

The Promise

We've written this into our company values: Nine Tables will never charge per booking.

Not next year. Not when we're bigger. Not when investors push us to increase revenue. The answer is no.

Restaurants operate on thin margins. The last thing you need is a software company taking a slice of every cover. Your success should mean lower unit costs, not higher bills.

Try It Yourself

We offer a free trial because we're confident in the value. Set up your restaurant, run it for a month, see what you think. No credit card, no commitment, no per-booking fees sneaking up on you.

If you're tired of paying more every time your restaurant fills up, we built Nine Tables for you.