Last Updated on August 12, 2026
Every takeaway in the country is already spending a fortune on marketing. It just does not look like marketing, because it leaves as commission rather than as a bill.
Delivery platforms take 14 to 30 percent of every order. That is your marketing budget. You did not set it, you cannot cap it, and it grows every time you get busier.
Here is what takeaway marketing actually costs in 2026, from our UK takeaway marketing cost research.
What takeaways actually spend
| Business size | Monthly budget |
|---|---|
| Single unit | £200-490 |
| Multi-unit | £790-2,030 |
That is the deliberate spend. It sits alongside the commission, which for most takeaways is several times larger.
The commission you are already paying
| Platform | Self delivery | Platform delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Just Eat | 14% | 25-30% |
| Deliveroo | 20-25% | 25-30% |
| Uber Eats | 13% pickup | 25-30% |
Note the Uber Eats pickup rate. At 13 percent it undercuts the Just Eat floor, which is the opposite of what most operators assume.
Now the alternative. A direct ordering system costs £30-150 a month with commission of 0 to 5 percent. It saves £3-5 per order.
The £20 order, two ways
| Platform order | Direct order | |
|---|---|---|
| Order value | £20.00 | £20.00 |
| Food cost at 30% | £6.00 | £6.00 |
| Platform or system cost | £6.00 | £0.60 |
| You keep | £8.00 | £13.40 |
That is a 68 percent improvement in margin on the same order, from the same customer, for the same food.
You are not going to move everyone. You do not need to. Shifting 20 to 30 percent of your orders to direct is a realistic target and it changes the shape of the business.
What each channel actually costs
| Channel | DIY cost | Outsourced cost | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | £0 | £100-250 one-off | Do first |
| Direct ordering system | n/a | £30-150/mo | Do first |
| Review collection | £0 | n/a | Do first |
| Menu photography | £0 on a phone | £150-400 one-off | Do first |
| Website with ordering | n/a | £500-2,000 build | Build phase |
| Google Ads | £100-400/mo | plus management | Build phase |
| Local SEO | £0 | £100-300/mo | Build phase |
| Leaflet drops | n/a | £50-150 per 1,000 | Build phase |
| Fridge magnets | n/a | £100-300 per 500 | Build phase |
| Branded packaging | n/a | £0.05-0.15 per item | Scale phase |
What a direct order actually costs to win
Google Ads produces a direct order for £2-8, on clicks of £0.50-3. Platform commission on the same order costs £3-6.
Read that twice. Advertising for a direct order often costs less than the commission you would have paid anyway. And unlike commission, you only pay it once.
If a £4 ad wins a customer who then orders directly ten times over a year, you have saved £28-50 in platform fees off a single £4 spend.
Where to start if you have nothing to spend
The £0 starting plan
- Complete your Google Business Profile with menu, hours, photos and a direct ordering link.
- Put a card or a magnet in every delivery bag with your direct ordering address and a reason to use it.
- Photograph your ten best selling dishes on a phone in daylight.
- Ask for a Google review in the bag insert, not just on the platform.
- Offer something small for ordering direct. A free side beats a discount.
Every platform order is a chance to convert someone to direct. Most takeaways waste all of them.
What to stop paying for
- Platform promoted placement. You are paying twice on the same order. Once in commission, once for the position.
- Discounting on platforms. You are cutting margin on the channel that already takes the most.
- Leaflets with no direct ordering link. A phone number is not a conversion path in 2026.
- Being on three platforms with no direct option. That is not diversification. That is three landlords.
- A website without ordering built in. A menu PDF is a document, not a shop.
The bottom line
You are already spending 14 to 30 percent of revenue on customer acquisition. The question is whether you keep renting those customers or start owning them.
A direct ordering system and £100 a month of local search will pay for themselves faster than anything else in this guide.
Not sure where your money is going?
Run a free check on your business and get specific budget recommendations.
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