Question 1

How does Dineration make money?

Accepted Answer

From businesses that do not qualify for the free plan — chains and businesses outside Canada pay $99 CAD/month/location for the Standard Plan — and from optional add-ons such as No-show protection at $9.99/month. We do not take a commission on reservations or charge per-diner fees on any plan.

Question 2

Is Dineration really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Dineration's core reservation service is free for eligible Canadian independent local businesses: $0/month and $0 per reservation. There is no commission on reservations.

Question 3

Who qualifies for the free plan?

Accepted Answer

The Canadian Independent Plan is available to eligible independent local businesses physically located in Canada. A qualifying brand may operate no more than 3 locations. Franchises and businesses operating under another company's brand or licensing system do not qualify.

Question 4

What counts as an independent local business?

Accepted Answer

For Dineration's Free plan, an independent local business is a food, beverage, hospitality, or other eligible business physically located in Canada and operating under a brand with no more than 3 locations. Eligibility is assessed by individual brand. A business group may operate multiple independent brands, and each brand may qualify separately if it meets the eligibility requirements and signs up separately. Franchises and businesses operating under another company's brand or licensing system do not qualify for the Free plan. Ownership does not need to be Canadian, and there is no revenue or employee-size requirement. If a qualifying business later grows beyond 3 locations or otherwise becomes ineligible, its locations may move to the Standard Plan at $99 CAD/month/location after notice. Dineration may verify eligibility and determine whether a business meets the Free plan requirements.

Question 5

What does Dineration cost for other businesses?

Accepted Answer

Businesses that do not qualify for the Canadian Independent Plan use the Standard Plan at $99 CAD/month/location. This includes Canadian chains and businesses outside Canada. There is no per-reservation fee.

Question 6

What if my Canadian business also has a location outside Canada?

Accepted Answer

Eligible Canadian locations can remain on the Free plan. Locations outside Canada use the Standard Plan at $99 CAD/month/location.

Question 7

What is included in the free plan?

Accepted Answer

Everything the product does today: unlimited reservations on your own booking page, your colours and logo, email and text-message confirmations with a link for guests to change or cancel, a visual floor plan with joinable tables, a waitlist, opening hours and special days, booking alerts, guest records, insights on visits to your page, and team invitations with role permissions. No-show protection — holding a card at booking — is an optional $9.99/month add-on. Features still being built, such as your own domain, multi-location and point-of-sale integration, are marked as such in the pricing section.

Question 8

Can I approve bookings myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you want to. Online bookings are confirmed automatically by default. Switch that off to approve every online booking, or only those on the days, at the times and for the party sizes you choose. Guests are told their request is not confirmed yet and are emailed when you approve or decline it. Turn it back on and every booking is confirmed automatically again.

Question 9

Can I close for a holiday, or take bookings by phone only on some days?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A special date can be closed all day, open with custom hours, or open with online booking turned off so guests call you instead. Each can carry a short message guests see on your booking page — for example “Closed for Thanksgiving, see you on the 14th.”

Question 10

How does Dineration decide which table a booking gets?

Accepted Answer

Your floor plan holds each table's size and which tables can be pushed together. A time is offered only if your tables can seat everyone for the whole meal. Your host chooses the table, and Dineration suggests one — the snuggest free table, or the order you set. If you prefer, you can switch on automatic seating, which gives online bookings a table and moves earlier ones that are not about to start when a larger party needs the room. Tables you choose yourself are never moved.

Question 11

How will I know when someone books or cancels?

Accepted Answer

You can turn on alerts on each device you use — a host-stand tablet, a manager's phone, a computer — with a choice of sounds while the dashboard is open, and add manager email addresses that are told when a booking comes in, changes or is cancelled. Those emails show the guest's first name, party size and time, not their contact details.

Question 12

Do you send guests text messages or WhatsApp?

Accepted Answer

Guests who give a mobile number and agree to it receive a text-message confirmation, as well as the email, and can reply STOP at any time. WhatsApp is not available.

Question 13

Can I protect myself from no-shows?

Accepted Answer

Yes. No-show protection lets you hold a card when guests book the parties or days you choose. The guest sees your fee and cancellation cut-off before they confirm and agrees to it. If they do not arrive you mark the no-show, and only then can you charge — never more than they agreed to. The money goes straight to your own Stripe account; Dineration takes no commission. It is an optional add-on at $9.99/month on the free plan, and included in the Standard Plan.

Question 14

Can I add my team and control what they see?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Invite each person by email and give them a role. You choose what each role can do — seat guests, run the waitlist, see guest details, edit the floor plan — and managers alone can change settings and billing. New people set their own password from the invitation, and you can remove anyone the day they leave.

Question 15

Can I customize my reservation page?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Upload your logo and photos, choose your colors, and add your business information and text to your x.dineration.com page. If you prefer, you can use Dineration's clean default reservation page instead.

Question 16

Do I need my own website?

Accepted Answer

No. Your Dineration reservation page gives guests a direct place to book even if you do not have a website. You can also link guests to it from your Google Business Profile and other online channels.

Question 17

Can guests find and book us through Google?

Accepted Answer

Your Dineration reservation page can be used as the booking destination linked from your business's online presence, including Google Business Profile. Guests can move from discovering your business to your branded reservation experience.

Question 18

Can I keep using my existing reservation system?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You do not necessarily have to switch everything at once. Dineration can support a gradual transition rather than requiring an immediate replacement of your existing workflow.

Question 19

Who owns my business content and guest information?

Accepted Answer

Your business retains ownership of the content it provides, such as its logo, photographs, menus and descriptive content. Personal information remains subject to applicable privacy rights and Dineration's Privacy Policy.

Question 20

Can I export my data if I leave Dineration?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can request a standard built-in export of your eligible Business Content and reservation/diner data.

Question 21

I booked a table — how do I view or cancel my reservation?

Accepted Answer

Dineration powers each restaurant's own booking page, so there is no diner account to sign in to. Open the confirmation email (or text) you received and tap Manage booking — you can view or cancel it there. If you can't find it, go to the restaurant's own booking page and choose Manage Booking, or call the restaurant.

Question 22

I am a diner looking for a table. Can I book through Dineration?

Accepted Answer

Dineration is software for restaurants, not a booking marketplace. To reserve a table, use the booking link on the restaurant's website, Google listing or social page — it opens a page run by the restaurant itself, with no booking fees added.

Feature	Canadian Independent	Standard Plan
Taking bookings
Reservations a month	Unlimited	Unlimited
Your own booking page
Your dineration.com address
Your colours, logo and menu
Waitlist queue
Online waiting list that fills cancelled tables
Email confirmations, and a link for guests to change or cancel
Guest text-message confirmations
No-show protection — a card held at booking	$9.99/mo add-on	Included
Confirm bookings automatically, or approve them yourself
Holiday and special-day hours, with a message for guests
Phone-only days (open, but guests call to book)
Running the floor
Visual floor plan and table solver
Joinable tables, seats drawn around tables, your own fill order
Optional automatic seating of online bookings
Live host dashboard
Booking alerts on your devices, with sounds and manager emails
Guest records and visit history
Insights on visits to your booking page
Team members	Unlimited	Unlimited
Team invitations by email
Role-based staff permissions
Still being built — scoped with you
Your own domain name	—
White-label — no Dineration marks	—
Several locations under one dashboard	—
Guest database shared across rooms	—
Point-of-sale integration	—
Third-party integrations beyond POS	—
Takeout and online ordering	—
Events and ticketed experiences	—
Loyalty and rewards	—
Social media integration	—

Your reservations.
Your brand. Free.

Make it yours —
or keep it simple.

From search to reservation in seconds.

All your reservations. All in one place.

Smart Floor Plans

Direct Reservations

Waitlist & Walk-ins

Reminders

No-show Protection

Role-based Access

Already using another system?

No website?
No problem.

Free should
actually mean free.

Same great service. A fairer table.

Why is it free? How does Dineration make money?

Canadian Independent Restaurants

Standard Plan

Built for the people running restaurants

Straight answers