Chowdeck arrived in Ghana from Nigeria and moved fast. It launched across Accra areas like Osu, East Legon and Madina, and Accra customers have taken to it quickly. If you run a restaurant and you are wondering how to get on it, here is the honest walkthrough.
The quick answer
To join Chowdeck as a vendor, you need a physical restaurant in one of their covered locations — Chowdeck themselves say they can enlist you "depending on your exact location." You apply through their vendor sign-up, their team reviews your business, and if you are approved you get onboarded and your menu goes live. Marketplace commission is commonly around 20 to 30%, and your exact rate is confirmed during onboarding.
Now let's break each part down properly.
Step 1: Check that you qualify
Chowdeck's own help centre is clear about the basics:
- You need a physical restaurant — not just a home kitchen or an online-only brand.
- Your restaurant must be in one of their listed locations, and even then approval depends on your exact area, because it comes down to whether they have riders covering your streets.
- They onboard vendors city by city, so what is true in Accra today may differ in Kumasi or Takoradi.
Before anything else, check their current list of locations. If your area is not covered, applying will not get you far yet — but the list grows, so it is worth checking back.
Step 2: Prepare your details
Have these ready before you start the application, because you will need them all:
- Business name and contact details
- Your location, clearly described
- Your menu with prices
- Images of your food (good ones — we will come back to this)
- Any business registration documents you have
Step 3: Apply through their vendor page
Head to Chowdeck's vendor page or their help centre article on joining as a vendor, and submit your details. Their team reviews applications and reaches out to onboard approved restaurants. From their side, the promise is a proper onboarding process for restaurants rather than an instant self-serve listing.
How long does approval take? They do not publish a fixed timeline, so ask their team directly when they contact you.
Step 4: Onboarding and going live
Once approved, you will be onboarded: your store profile goes up, your menu is added, and you start receiving orders through the app. Get your opening hours, prices and photos right at this stage — sloppy menus are the number one silent order-killer on every delivery app.
What it costs: the honest answer
Chowdeck does not publish a simple public Ghana commission table. What we can say honestly:
- Marketplace commissions in this market commonly run around 20 to 30%.
- Chowdeck sits in that same range according to our comparison research — we break the maths down fully in our Bolt Food commission guide, because the marketplace model works the same way everywhere.
- Your exact rate is set during onboarding. Ask what the rate is after any intro period, in writing.
On a GH₵8,000 month, a 25% commission is GH₵2,000 — every month, forever. Know your number before you celebrate your first orders.
Should you join Chowdeck?
Honest verdict:
- Yes, if you are in a covered Accra area and you want a second stream of discovery beyond Bolt Food. New customers scroll that app daily.
- Think twice if your margins are already thin. Commission plus packaging plus app pricing pressure adds up. Do the maths first.
- Either way, do not build your whole business on any app. Remember Jumia Food and Glovo — platforms came to Ghana, platforms left Ghana. Your own customer list survives everything.
That is exactly why many restaurants run Chowdeck for discovery while taking direct orders on their own store. On Dingo, you get a free store page, a WhatsApp AI that takes orders for you around the clock, and zero commission on every order — the free plan costs nothing forever.
Frequently asked questions
Can I join Chowdeck if I only sell from home?
Chowdeck's vendor requirements are built around physical restaurants in covered locations. If you sell from home, your own online store is the stronger route — you can start selling today without waiting for any approval.
Does Chowdeck deliver outside Accra?
Chowdeck started with Accra areas like Osu, East Legon and Madina and expands over time. Check their current location list — if they are not in your city yet, a marketplace listing cannot help you yet.
Can I be on Chowdeck and my own store at the same time?
Absolutely, and that is the smart setup. Let the app bring new customers, and let your regulars order direct where you keep every cedi.
Who can help me set up my own store?
You can DIY it in about 3 minutes at madingo.store, or talk to Brand Afro and we will set up your whole ordering and marketing system for you.
Ready to keep 100% of your orders too?
Set up your Dingo store at madingo.store, claim your shop name, and start taking direct orders with zero commission today.