Why order direct?
When you order through a delivery app, the restaurant pays the platform a commission on your order. Ordering direct often means more of your money stays with the kitchen, and sometimes a lower price for you.
Uber Eats (UK) commission
30%
- 30% of the order when an Uber courier delivers (33% on Uber One member orders).
- 13% when the restaurant delivers itself or the customer collects.
- Rates exclude VAT.
Source: Uber Eats merchant pricing page, read 24 Oct 2026
Deliveroo commission with Deliveroo riders
35%
- 35% commission plus VAT on the "Marketplace+" plan, charged on the VAT-inclusive order value.
Source: Deliveroo partner terms, read 24 Oct 2026
- Secondary source
Just Eat (UK) commission
30%
- 30% when Just Eat delivers.
- 14% when the restaurant uses its own drivers.
- Both plus VAT.
Source: Menuthere (archived copy), 13 Jul 2026
- 2021, older data
Same meal, different price
£26.42 vs £38.04
- In a Which? comparison, a meal cost £26.42 ordered direct and £38.04 on Deliveroo.
Source: Which?, 17 Jun 2021
- Vendor survey
Many restaurants charge more on apps
60%
- 60% of 112 UK restaurant operators surveyed had raised their prices on delivery apps.
Source: Slerp, an online-ordering vendor, 13 Apr 2026
Margins are thin
23%
- 23% of UK hospitality businesses are operating at a loss.
Source: The Guardian, 30 Jun 2026
Even big groups struggle
About 1.5%
- The UK's 100 biggest restaurant groups made £204m profit on £13.3bn of sales: a margin of about 1.5%, with profit down 44%.
Source: B&M Magazine, 24 Aug 2026
- Estimate
What the kitchen keeps from a £25 order
£14.50 to £24.43
- Via Deliveroo at 35%: about £14.50 (£25 minus £8.75 commission and £1.75 VAT on it).
- Via an app courier at 30%: about £16.00 (£25 minus £7.50 commission and £1.50 VAT on it).
- On the restaurant's own website, paying a 1.5% + 20p card fee: about £24.43.
- Simplified: ignores food, staff and other costs.
Source: Commission rates above, read 24 Oct 2026; Stripe UK pricing, read 24 Oct 2026
Prices can differ
"May differ"
- Uber's own customer help page says app prices may differ from prices at the restaurant.
- That is why we say direct is often cheaper, not every time.
Source: Uber Eats help page, read 24 Oct 2026
How to order direct
- Look up your local in the directory, or check its own website.
- Phone your order through, order on the restaurant's own website, or collect in person.
- No direct number? Ask for it next time you're in, and save it.
- Check the price and delivery area with the restaurant. They vary.
This isn't about blaming anyone. Apps are convenient, and many locals use them. It's about knowing your options: if your local takes orders direct, it's worth asking.