For most UK takeaways, the delivery apps are not optional. Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats bring in customers who would never have found you otherwise, and switching them off overnight would be a gamble few owners can afford.
But the apps are an expensive way to serve customers who already know you. A regular who orders the same curry every Friday is still costing you a platform's full commission each time, even though the app did nothing to win that customer.
The practical answer for many independents is not "apps or no apps". It is running your own commission-free ordering page alongside the apps and gradually moving repeat customers onto it. This guide covers what the apps charge, how to estimate the saving, and how to set it up.
What the delivery apps charge (at time of writing, October 2026)
Commission structures vary by platform, plan and individual contract, so treat the figures below as a starting point and check your own agreement.
- Uber Eats publishes its UK rates. Its merchant pricing page lists 30% commission when Uber's couriers deliver (33% for orders from Uber One members), and 13% for self-delivery or pick-up. It also lists a £650 activation fee. All figures are quoted excluding VAT.
- Just Eat does not appear to publish a rate card on an open page. Deliverect's Just Eat UK guide (last updated January 2026) reports a 14% commission plus VAT, with a 50p plus VAT fee per self-delivered order, and an extra 5% (minimum 50p, capped at £1.99) if Just Eat's own delivery service is used.
- Deliveroo does not publish a standard rate. Commission is agreed restaurant by restaurant. Press coverage has commonly reported rates of up to 35% plus VAT on some orders (for example, CNBC, May 2020), but that is older reporting and your own contract is the only figure that matters.
Note that VAT is charged on top of commission (reclaimable if you are VAT-registered, but it still affects cash flow), and that commission grows with your prices: a price rise also raises what you pay the platform.
Why a direct ordering page makes sense alongside the apps
A direct page is a link where customers order from you and pay you directly. The apps are good at discovery: people scrolling for "pizza near me" who have never heard of you. Your own page is better for retention: people who already know your food. The typical split:
- New customers keep finding you on the apps.
- Repeat customers are nudged towards your own page through bag inserts, receipts, your Google Business profile and social media.
- Phone orders, which often tie up a member of staff at the busiest time, move online too.
A worked example (illustrative only)
The numbers below are made up to show the method. They are not based on any real business. Plug in your own figures.
Assumptions
- A takeaway takes 400 app orders a month at an average of £25, so £10,000 a month through the apps.
- Over a few months, it moves 25% of those orders (its regulars) to its own ordering page: 100 orders, £2,500 a month.
- Card payments on the direct page are processed through a payment provider. Stripe's standard UK online rate is 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards, with premium and international cards costing more. To allow for that mix, this example assumes a blended 2% + 20p.
- The ordering software costs £14.99 a month.
- All figures exclude VAT.
Direct-page costs for those 100 orders
- Card fees: 2% of £2,500 = £50, plus 100 × 20p = £20. Total £70.
- Software: £14.99.
- Total: £84.99 a month.
Scenario A: you already deliver with your own drivers on the apps
At a 13% self-delivery commission, those 100 orders cost £325 in commission. Your drivers are paid either way, so the comparison is straightforward:
- App commission: £325
- Direct-page costs: £84.99
- Difference: about £240 a month, or roughly £2,880 a year.
Scenario B: the app's couriers currently deliver
At 30% commission, those 100 orders cost £750. But if you take them direct, you need to deliver them yourself. Assume your own rider costs you £4 a drop:
- App commission: £750
- Direct-page costs: £84.99 + rider costs of £400 = £484.99
- Difference: about £265 a month, or roughly £3,180 a year.
Scenario B ignores any delivery fee you charge customers on your own page, which would reduce your rider cost. It also ignores marketing spend to promote the page, such as printed inserts, which would add to it.
The point is not the exact figure. It is that the saving depends on three things you can measure: how many orders you can move, your current commission rate, and what delivery really costs you.
What to look for in a direct ordering system
Questions worth asking any provider:
- Is there really no per-order fee? Some providers advertise no commission but take a percentage through their own payment processing. Check whether payments go into your own merchant account and what the total cost per order is.
- Can you set delivery zones? You should be able to choose the postcodes you serve, with a delivery fee and minimum order for each.
- How do orders reach the kitchen? Ideally direct orders land on the same screen or printer as your other orders, not on a separate tablet that someone has to watch.
- Can customers pay cash? Some customers still prefer cash on collection or delivery. You may want that option.
- Does it work without an app download? Customers should be able to order on a phone browser.
- What are the contract terms? A monthly contract with no setup fee lowers the risk of trying it.
- Can app orders come into the same system? If you plan to keep the apps, look at whether your EPOS can bring app orders onto the same kitchen screen, either directly or through an integration service.
As one example, Café QR's online ordering for takeaways gives each venue its own collection and delivery page with postcode delivery zones, a link for your own riders, and card payments going into the venue's own Stripe account. Café QR takes no commission or platform fee on orders, though Stripe's processing fees still apply. The Order & Pay + Delivery plan is £14.99 per venue a month, with no setup fee and no contract. It has limits worth knowing: orders are for the same day only, and there is no live rider tracking or marketplace listing. Other providers exist too, so compare a few against the checklist above.
How to move customers from the apps to your own page
- Put a card in every app order. A simple insert with a QR code and a line such as "Order direct next time" reaches exactly the customers you want. Check your platform agreement first, as some contracts have rules about marketing to their customers.
- Update your Google Business profile. Add your ordering link so people searching for you by name land on your page, not an app.
- Use your own channels. Pin the link on social media and your website.
- Offer a reason to switch. A small saving, a free side or a loyalty reward on direct orders gives people a nudge. You can afford it because you are not paying commission.
- Move phone orders online. When someone rings, mention the link for next time. It frees up staff during the rush.
Keeping it manageable in the kitchen
Several channels on several tablets can be chaotic. If you are reviewing your setup, consider whether a takeaway EPOS that brings counter, online and app orders into one queue would help. One queue makes it harder to miss an order.
Checklist
- Find your actual commission rates in your app contracts, including VAT and any per-order fees.
- Work out your average order value and monthly app orders per platform.
- Estimate what share of those orders come from repeat customers.
- Work out your true cost per delivery if you use your own riders.
- Compare at least three direct ordering providers on total cost per order, not just the headline.
- Set delivery zones, fees and minimum orders.
- Check your platform agreements before marketing to app customers.
- Print inserts and update your Google Business profile and social links.
- Track direct versus app orders each month and adjust.
Conclusion
The delivery apps are a useful marketing channel, but paying full commission on every repeat order is an expensive habit. A commission-free ordering page alongside the apps keeps the discovery they provide while keeping more of the money from customers who already know you. Work out your own numbers, and if the saving looks meaningful, test it for a few months.