The guest platform fee is a small fee me&u charges your guests for using the platform, based on the size of their order. This article explains how the fee is calculated, what your guests see at checkout, and how to choose whether your guests pay the fee or you absorb it on their behalf. It's only for venues in Australia.
Topics:
- What is the guest platform fee?
- How much is the fee?
- Where to set it up
- How to choose who pays the fee
- How the fee shows in your reporting
- How the fee relates to your other charges
- Frequently asked questions
What is the guest platform fee?
The guest platform fee is a small fee me&u charges guests for using the platform, based on the size of their order (it scales in bands with the cart value). At checkout the guest sees it on their cart as "me&u platform fee".
Because it is me&u's fee (charged by me&u to the guest), it is not part of your venue gross revenue, net sales or payout figures — you'll see it on the guest's cart and on the order detail (Orders & Refunds → open an order → Line items), but not in your sales totals.
The fee is set by me&u and isn't a rate you configure or negotiate. What you choose is who pays it and you can change this at any time.
How much is the fee?
The fee is a small, fixed amount based on the size of the order, not a percentage and it's always capped. It's calculated on the order subtotal after any surcharges and discounts are applied. Tips are never included, so a generous tip won't change the fee.
| Cart value | me&u guest platform fee |
|---|---|
| $0.01 – $24.99 | $0.20 |
| $25 – $49.99 | $0.60 |
| $50 – $74.99 | $1.20 |
| $75 – $149.99 | $2.00 |
| $150+ | $2.90 cap |
ℹ️ The fee is based on the final order total, so it updates automatically as your guest adds to their cart, it always reflects the band the order falls into at checkout. For example, a guest ordering a pizza & beer that comes to $28 pays $0.60. However large the order, the fee never goes above $2.90.
Where to set it up
By default your venue is set to Guest pays the guest platform fee. If you'd prefer your guests not to see or pay the fee, you can absorb it on their behalf instead. It's self-serve, and you can change your selection at any time.
Only users with Owner level access can see and change this setting. If you don't have Owner access, ask an Owner at your venue to make the change for you.
- Go to Payouts & billing > Fees
- Check the checkout preview on the right to see how the fee appears to your guests
- Select Guest pays the guest platform fee or Absorb the guest platform fee
- Click Save.
ℹ️ If you change your selection, allow a few minutes for the change to take effect. Guests who are already partway through an order keep the setup they started with.
Your options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Guest pays the guest platform fee (default) | The fee is added to the guest's cart. It is not deducted from your payout. |
| Absorb the guest platform fee | You cover the fee on the guest's behalf — it is deducted from your payout. |
How the fee shows in your reporting
The fee is charged by me&u to your guest, so it never counts towards your revenue. It isn't included in your gross revenue, net sales, or your payout total.
You can always see what the fee came to on an individual order under Orders & Refunds > open an order > Line items.
However, once your card surcharge is switched off, your reported revenue will look slightly lower than it does today. That’s because any card surcharge your guest paid was included in your sales figures.
If you decide to absorb the fee, the fee is deducted from your payouts, and appears in your payout report (Guest platform fee) so you can export and reconcile seamlessly.
See Understanding your Daily Sales and Payouts reports and How payouts work in Australia and NZ.
How it relates to your other charges
- Venue surcharges (e.g. public holiday or weekend surcharges) are separate and unchanged. Set them up under Venue Details → Surcharge. They still appear in your gross revenue. See Creating and managing surcharges in me&u.
- Card surcharge is being retired. You don’t need to anything, we’ll switch it off for you. Once you’re on the guest platform fee, card fees no longer apply to new orders, so this column in Daily Sales will usually be empty. Negative values can still appear: when an order placed before this date is refunded, its original card fee is refunded too.
- Your me&u commission is unchanged.
FAQs
- What do my guests see at checkout?
The fee shows as a clear, separate line in your guest's cart labelled "me&u platform fee", with a short explanation. If you have a venue surcharge set up, it shows as its own separate line alongside the fee. Guests agree to the fee under me&u's terms of use — it isn't something they can remove from their order.
- What happens to the guest platform fee when an order is refunded?
If an order is refunded in full, the fee is refunded in full too. On a partial refund, only the refunded order amount goes back to the guest and the fee isn't apportioned.
Refunds must be processed in Manage, not through your POS, as the payment was taken by me&u. Orders in Manage show the full amount your guest paid, including the fee. In sales reports, refunds are reflected against the order date, not the refund date. If you're reconciling a refund, filter your daily sales report for the period the order was placed.
For more details see How to process a refund in me&u
- Where does the guest platform fee show in my reporting?
The fee never counts towards your revenue. If your guests pay the fee, it appears as a line item on each order and in your sales report exports. If you absorb it, it shows in your payout report, so you can always see and reconcile exactly what the fee comes to. See Understanding your Daily Sales and Payouts reports and How payouts work in Australia and NZ.
- Can I turn the fee off completely?
No. The fee is set by me&u and applies to orders placed through me&u. What you choose is who pays it: your guests pay it at checkout, or you absorb it on their behalf. You can change your selection at any time under Payouts & billing > Fees.
- Does the fee update automatically as my guest's order changes?
Yes. The fee reflects your guest's current subtotal, so as they add or remove items it updates automatically to whichever band their new subtotal falls into. The amount showing in their cart when they go to pay is the amount they're charged, and it never goes above $2.90.
- Are my me&u fees changing?
Your commission is unchanged. The 1.7% card processing fee has been removed, and me&u now covers the cost of card processing. The guest platform fee is charged by me&u to your guest, so by default it isn't a cost to your venue. It only becomes a cost to you if you choose to absorb it, in which case it's deducted from your payout. To see what you're paying on your own orders, check your daily breakdown under Payouts & billing > Payouts. For anything to do with your commercial arrangement, your me&u Account Manager is the best person to talk to.