What about the riders?
The 30–35% commission a restaurant pays goes to the platform, not the rider. App riders are self-employed and paid mainly per delivery. Here's what the evidence says, and how you can help.
The easiest thing you can do
Tip your rider.
However you order, someone carries it to your door, whatever the weather, and often between unpaid waits for the next order. A pound or two goes straight to them.
App riders get no statutory holiday or sick pay
They are self-employed, and time spent waiting between orders is unpaid. A tip is extra money straight to the person at your door.
Deliveroo rider pay floor, read 25 Oct 2026; Uber UK worker protections FAQ, 12 Aug 2026; GOV.UK holiday entitlement, read 25 Oct 2026
Tips in the app reach the rider
Deliveroo says riders keep 100% of tips. Uber says tips are added to a courier’s earnings after the trip.
Deliveroo rider pay floor, read 25 Oct 2026; Uber UK: how much drivers make, read 25 Oct 2026
Employed restaurant drivers get all their tips by law
Since 1 October 2024, employers must pass on all tips to workers without deductions. Tips are on top of the minimum wage, not part of it.
GOV.UK: distributing tips fairly, 29 Jul 2024; GOV.UK: tips at work, read 25 Oct 2026
How to tip
- In the app, when you order or after delivery.
- Cash at the door, for app riders and restaurant drivers alike.
- Collecting yourself? Leave a tip for the kitchen team instead.
How riders are paid
The commission doesn't go to the rider.
From the platforms and from independent research. Each card shows its source, date and any caveat.
- Company figures
Deliveroo pays a floor while on an order
£12.88–£17.18 an hour
A minimum agreed with the GMB union from 1 April 2026, depending on vehicle (bike to car) and including vehicle costs. It covers Deliveroo’s estimated time on an order. Time spent waiting for an order is not paid. Riders keep 100% of tips.
Source: Deliveroo rider pay floor, read 25 Oct 2026
- Company figures
Uber Eats publishes no hourly floor
No UK floor
Uber gives its UK ride-hail drivers the National Living Wage on trip time, holiday pay and a pension. Its own FAQ says this does not apply to Uber Eats couriers.
Source: Uber UK worker protections FAQ, 12 Aug 2026
- 2022 data, survey sample
Waiting time adds up
About £8 an hour
A University of Cambridge survey of 257 local riders and drivers found average pay of about £8 an hour, with around 10 hours a week logged on but unpaid while waiting for jobs.
Source: University of Cambridge study, via Phys.org, 2 Jun 2025
- Latest UK rating, 2023
Minimum wage after costs: not evidenced
2 of 12 platforms
Fairwork, at the Oxford Internet Institute, found only 2 of 12 UK platforms could evidence that workers earn the minimum wage after costs. Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber could not.
Source: Fairwork UK Ratings, 28 Apr 2023
- Deliveroo-sponsored survey, 2021
Riders value the flexibility
93% vs 55%
93% of Deliveroo riders surveyed were satisfied with their flexibility and control; 55% were satisfied with their pay. 60% had other work as well.
Source: Social Market Foundation, 29 Nov 2021
In 2023 the Supreme Court ruled that Deliveroo riders are not in an employment relationship for collective bargaining, mainly because they can send a substitute. Source: IWGB v CAC and Roofoods [2023] UKSC 43, 21 Nov 2023.
Working for an app or a restaurant
App rider or employed driver?
| App rider (self-employed) | Employed driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Time waiting for orders | Unpaid | Paid: minimum wage covers every hour worked |
| Minimum rate | Deliveroo: on-order floor. Uber Eats: none published | £12.71 an hour (aged 21+) |
| Paid holiday | None | 5.6 weeks a year |
| Sick pay | None | Statutory Sick Pay |
| Workplace pension | None | Employer pays at least 3% (if earning £10,000+) |
| Vehicle and fuel | Rider pays | Often still the driver’s own, sometimes offset per delivery |
| Choosing hours and jobs | Rider chooses | Set shifts |
Employed rights: GOV.UK National Living Wage, 1 Apr 2026; GOV.UK holiday entitlement, read 25 Oct 2026; GOV.UK Statutory Sick Pay, read 25 Oct 2026; GOV.UK workplace pensions, read 25 Oct 2026.
London takeaway driver job ads mostly offer £12.50–£14 an hour. Many still ask drivers to use their own car or scooter, and some roles are advertised as self-employed, without these protections. Source: Indeed UK job listings snapshot, 25 Oct 2026 (indicative).
What you can do
- Tip your rider or driver, whoever they work for.
- Collect it yourself when you can. No courier needed, and nothing goes to an app.
- Ask your local how they deliver. Many in our directory use their own drivers.