Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about ordering from — and baking on — lepatisse.
For customers
What is lepatisse?
lepatisse is a marketplace that connects you with talented local home bakers. Browse bakers near you and order their baked goods — everyday menu items, limited drops, and custom cakes — to pick up fresh (and some bakers offer local delivery, too). Each baker runs their own storefront and bakes to order; lepatisse handles discovery, ordering, and secure payments.
How do pickup and delivery work?
Most orders are pickup: you place and pay, then the baker's exact pickup address is texted to you, and you collect it at the date and time you chose at checkout. Until you pay, you'll only see the baker's city — the precise address stays private (some bakers choose to show it publicly). Some bakers also offer local delivery; if they do, you'll see a delivery option at checkout where you enter your address and see the delivery fee. Each storefront shows which options that baker offers.
Do I need an account to order?
No — you can check out as a guest with just your name and phone number. Creating a free account (you can do it in seconds right after checkout) lets you track your orders, message bakers, follow for drop alerts, and skip re-entering your details next time.
Is there a fee to order?
No — the price you see is the price you pay. There's no service fee added at checkout. (If a baker offers delivery and you choose it, the delivery fee is shown clearly before you pay.)
Can I cancel or get a refund?
Cancellation and refund policies are set by each baker (you'll see them on their storefront). You can request a cancellation from your order, and the baker reviews it. Because everything is freshly made to order, please cancel as early as possible.
What are drops and flash drops?
Drops are limited-batch specials available for a short window — a small quantity, first-come first-served. A flash drop is a same-day drop with a tight pickup window. Follow a baker (and tap “Notify me” on an upcoming drop) to get a text when they launch new drops.
How do custom orders work?
Request a quote from a baker's storefront with the details (and reference photos if you like). The baker replies with a price; once you accept, you pay through a secure link and it becomes a confirmed order.
What does the heart (♥) mean?
Hearts are how the community shows love. You earn a baker a heart by liking their posts, and after an order you can give 1–5 hearts based on your experience. They're cumulative — a running total that only adds up, with no average or star rating. So a baker's heart count reflects all the love they've earned over time, not a grade out of five.
How do I message a baker?
Open the baker's storefront and tap the message icon near their name (you'll need to be signed in). Your conversation lives in your Inbox, and the baker is notified by text.
Is the food safe?
Bakers on lepatisse are independent home bakers responsible for following their local food-safety and cottage-food rules. Reviews and hearts from real customers help you choose with confidence.
For bakers
Why sell on lepatisse?
lepatisse gives you a whole bakery business in one place — a free trial to start, then a flat $5/month with no commission or per-order fee. You get a beautiful storefront, a full menu, limited drops and same-day flash drops, custom-order quotes with secure invoicing, and payouts straight to your bank via Stripe. Plus the tools to actually run and grow it: lead times and rush fees, multiple pickup locations (plus optional local delivery), availability and daily capacity limits, a post feed with followers, customer messaging, hearts (your cumulative reputation), and a built-in AI helper. You focus on baking — we handle discovery, ordering, and payments. And we're shipping new features all the time.
How do I become a baker on lepatisse?
Tap Become a baker and tell us about your baking. Once approved, you set up your storefront — add your logo, menu, pickup location, and hours — and you're ready to take orders.
What does it cost?
You start with a free trial when you're approved — then it's a flat $5/month to run your storefront, cancel anytime. lepatisse takes no commission and no per-order fee. On card orders, Stripe deducts standard card processing (about 2.9% + 30¢); if a customer pays you directly by Venmo, Zelle, or cash, there's no processing fee at all.
How does my heart count (reputation) work?
Hearts are your headline reputation — the running total of love you've earned from post likes and per-order ratings (1–5). They're cumulative, never averaged: the number only grows, so one tough day can't pull down a star score the way a 1–5 average would. It's built to reward showing up and sharing your bakes over time, not chasing a perfect rating.
How and when do I get paid?
For card orders, connect your bank through Stripe from your Studio and payouts happen automatically on Stripe's schedule — your payout is the order total minus standard card processing (about 2.9% + 30¢ per order). If you take payment directly by Venmo, Zelle, or cash, that money comes straight to you — lepatisse never touches it.
Who pays the fees?
After your free trial, you pay a flat $5/month membership — no commission, no per-order fee. On card orders, Stripe's standard processing (~2.9% + 30¢) is deducted from your payout; direct payments (Venmo, Zelle, cash) have no processing fee. Customers never pay a platform fee.
How do pickup and delivery work for my customers?
You set one or more pickup locations and choose a default. Customers see only your city up front; the exact address is texted to them automatically after they pay — unless you choose to make a location's full address public. You can also turn on local delivery as an optional extra (see below) — pickup is always available either way.
Can I offer delivery?
Yes — it's optional and entirely up to you. Turn on delivery in your Studio settings and set your delivery area and fees (by distance zones, or a base fee plus a per-mile rate), with an optional order minimum. Pickup stays available regardless; delivery is just an extra option customers can choose at checkout if they qualify.
How do lead times and rush fees work?
Set how much notice you need (your lead time) and, optionally, rush-fee tiers for short-notice orders — a percentage or flat amount that increases the closer the pickup date is. You can set a store default and override it per item. New bakers start with no rush fee.
What are drops, and how do I run one?
Drops are limited-batch specials. From your Studio you schedule a drop (quantity, order window, pickup day/time), and it appears on your storefront, the Drops tab, and the feed — and you can text your followers when it goes live. Flash drops are same-day with a tight window. You can clone past drops to relaunch favorites.
How do custom orders work for me?
Customers send you a quote request. You reply with a price, and lepatisse sends them a secure invoice — once they pay, it becomes a confirmed order, no chasing payments.
Do I need a license or insurance?
You're responsible for complying with your local cottage-food and food-safety laws, including any required permits. lepatisse is a marketplace that connects you with customers — each baker is an independent seller.
Still have a question?
Email us at support@lepatisse.com and we'll help.