Distance-Based Delivery Pricing for Online Restaurant Orders

Online restaurants often struggle with fixed delivery fees that do not reflect the actual delivery distance. This results in either under-charging (loss of profit) or over-charging (poor customer experience). Manual calculation or flat-rate delivery pricing was inefficient and inaccurate, especially for UK-based food delivery zones.

Recommendation

I proposed a distance-based delivery charge system that would:

• Calculate delivery fees dynamically using map distance

• Automatically apply charges before checkout

• Work seamlessly within existing restaurant ordering flows

• Support future expansion to Shopify stores

Solution

I developed a custom plugin that integrates map-based distance calculation into the ordering process. When a customer enters their delivery address, the plugin calculates the distance from the restaurant location and dynamically adds the delivery fee to the order total before payment confirmation.

The solution was implemented for WordPress / WooCommerce, with a modular architecture that allows the same functionality to be developed as a Shopify-specific plugin without re-engineering the business logic.

Results

• Accurate, fair delivery pricing based on real distance

• Improved checkout transparency and customer trust

• Eliminated manual delivery charge handling

• Increased operational efficiency for restaurant owners

• Scalable solution suitable for multi-location restaurants

My Role

• Plugin architecture and development

• Map & distance-based pricing logic

• WooCommerce order total customization

• Checkout flow integration

• Performance optimization and scalability planning

Skills & Technologies

• WordPress Plugin Development

• WooCommerce Customization

• Custom PHP

• Map & Distance APIs

• Checkout & Pricing Logic

• Scalable Plugin Architecture