A takeaway on the delivery apps pays £2.80 to £6.00 in commission on every £20 order. This page is for owners who want to keep more of each order: direct ordering, a Google Business Profile that brings calls, and a menu AI assistants can read. Every figure is dated Whito research.
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14% to 30%
platform commission, Just Eat basic to Deliveroo and Uber Eats with delivery (Whito, May 2026)
£2.80 to £6.00
lost on every £20 order to commission (Whito, May 2026)
£30 to £150
a month for your own direct ordering website (Whito, May 2026)
50,078
takeaway and delivery businesses in a £23.6 billion UK market (Whito data report, May 2026)
Finding
UK delivery platform commissions range from 14% on Just Eat basic to 30% on Deliveroo and Uber Eats with delivery, £2.80 to £6.00 on a £20 order, while a direct ordering website costs £30 to £150 a month, according to Whito's May 2026 cost guide.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/research/uk-takeaway-marketing-costs, May 2026. Free to quote with a link to that page.
Start, Build, Scale
The right order for takeaways
Do the stages in order. Nothing in Build works while Start is missing.
Start, Build, Scale for takeaways: complete the free listing and text menu first, then build direct ordering and a consented contact list, then move repeat customers direct and measure commission saved.Start
- Google Business Profile with menu, hours and photos
- Menu in text with prices, not only on the apps
- Hygiene rating linked where customers can see it
Build
- A direct ordering route of your own
- Collect numbers and emails with consent at pickup
- A simple loyalty offer for direct orders
Scale
- Move repeat customers from the apps to direct
- Measure the commission you saved each month
- One weekly offer to your own list
The library
Every guide and study for takeaways
3 guides · 2 studies. All specific to takeaways, every figure dated.
GuideTop 5 UK Takeaway Marketing Breakdown (2026): Social Media, Email, SEO, Reviews and More
GuideWill AI Recommend Your Takeaway? How to Get Named When Locals Ask
StudyUK Takeaway Marketing Costs 2026: What to Spend and Where
StudyUK Takeaway Marketing in Numbers: 2026 Data Report
Whito need-to-know
- Platform customers are not your customers. Just Eat and Deliveroo own the relationship. If they change fees or algorithm, your revenue drops overnight.
- Every order you move direct keeps the commission: £2.80 to £6.00 on a £20 order (Whito, May 2026). That is profit on the same food.
- Texts get read. A text about tonight's deal reaches almost every customer instantly.
- Your Google listing matters more than you think. "Takeaway near me" is one of the most common local searches. If your profile is weak, those orders go to competitors.
- Repeat customers are the ones worth moving direct. A simple loyalty scheme (order 10 get 1 free) keeps them coming back to you directly.
Why most takeaway marketing falls short
Platform addiction
You joined Deliveroo to get more orders. Now 70% of your revenue flows through them, they take up to 30% of each order, and you have no idea who your customers actually are. You are running someone else's business.
No direct ordering option
When a loyal customer wants to order directly, they cannot. No website ordering, no app, no phone menu that works smoothly. So they go back to Just Eat because it is easier, and you pay the commission again.
Zero customer data
You have served thousands of customers but cannot name 10 of them. No email addresses, no phone numbers, no order history. Every week you start from scratch hoping people remember you exist.
The money leak
What a £20 delivery order really pays
Commission by platform, against £30 to £150 a month for your own direct ordering website.
On a 20 pound delivery order, commission is 2 pounds 80 at 14 percent on Just Eat basic and 6 pounds at 30 percent on Deliveroo and Uber Eats with delivery. A direct ordering website costs 30 to 150 pounds a month. Whito, May 2026.Just Eat basic: 14% commission on a £20 order
You keep £17.20£2.80 commission
Deliveroo and Uber Eats with delivery: 30% on the same order
You keep £14.00£6.00 commission
What actually works for takeaway marketing
The takeaways growing profitably are not quitting platforms. They are building direct channels alongside them.
Set up direct ordering
Use a service like Flipdish, OrderYoyo, or even a simple WordPress site with WooCommerce. Offer a 10% discount for ordering direct. Make the link visible everywhere.
Build an SMS list
Collect phone numbers from every direct order and in-store pickup. Send one text per week with a deal or new menu item. Keep it to customers who opted in.
Optimise your Google listing
Add mouth-watering food photos, keep your hours accurate, upload your menu, and respond to reviews. "Takeaway near me" searches peak between 5pm and 8pm every day.
Create a loyalty programme
Order 10 times, get your 11th free. Track it digitally through your ordering system. The loyalty scheme is not about the free meal, it is about keeping them ordering from you directly.
Use flyers that actually work
Include a QR code linking to your direct ordering page and a first-order discount code. Distribute within a 2-mile radius. Track redemption rates to know which areas convert best.
Run Facebook ads for delivery radius
£5 per day targeting your delivery area on Facebook and Instagram. Promote your direct ordering link with a discount code. Measure cost per order and adjust weekly.
Three quick wins this week
Set up a direct ordering page
Even a simple page with your menu, prices, and a phone number to order direct is better than nothing. Add "Order Direct and Save 10%" to every receipt and bag.
Start collecting phone numbers
Ask every in-store and phone-order customer for their mobile number. Aim for 20 per week. Within 3 months, you will have enough contacts to fill any quiet evening.
Update your Google Business Profile
Add 10 photos of your most popular dishes, upload your menu, and reply to your last 10 reviews. This takes 30 minutes and immediately improves your visibility.
Common takeaway marketing mistakes
Treating platforms as your only channel
Platforms are marketing tools, not your business model. If 80%+ of revenue comes from one platform, any fee change could make you unprofitable. Diversify or risk everything.
Cheap-looking photos
Dark, blurry phone photos of foil containers do not sell food. Spend one afternoon taking proper photos with good lighting. Your food deserves to look as good as it tastes.
No data collection
Every order that passes through without capturing a name and number is a missed opportunity. Even a simple notebook tracking customer details is better than nothing.
Takeaway marketing guides
The register that matters
Food hygiene rating
The rating is public and the platforms and engines show it. Put it on your own site too, with your company number.
Ready to keep more of every order?
Start with the free visibility check: Seventeen checks, about twenty seconds, no email, no sales call. It tells you what AI search and Google can actually read about your takeaway, and what to fix first.
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