How Much Are Delivery Apps Costing Your Takeaway?
Delivery apps can take 20–30% of your order value in commissions, plus fees. Here’s a breakdown with real UK examples—and how AI can help you reclaim that profit.
Convenience vs Cost
Delivery apps like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat boost visibilit - but that convenience comes at a steep cost. What’s the real dent in your profit when you hand over your margins to them?
Commission Charges: The Fine Print
- Uber Eats: Takes between 15–30% commission on delivery orders (6% for pickup). Lite plan: 15%; Plus: 25%; Premium: 30% UpMenu. If you handle delivery yourself, it can drop to 13%, but you still bear the entire logistics burden wavegrocery.comUpMenu.
- Deliveroo: Charges typically range from 25–35% per order wavegrocery.comAviko Food Service.
- Just Eat: Takes around 14% + VAT (approximately 16.8%) on self-delivery orders, or 30% if they provide delivery. It also originally imposed setup fees (~£295) and a £0.50 admin fee per online order wavegrocery.comWikipedia.
- More broadly, app commissions usually fall between 15–30%, not including marketing or processing fees orders.co.
Fees Doesn’t Stop There
- Some apps tack on service fees (5–10%) and delivery charges, typically £2.50–£3.50 wavegrocery.comThe Guardian.
- Businesses often raise menu prices to compensate—sometimes up to 90% higher, which can dent competitiveness South West Londoner.
Breaking Down the Impact (£££)
See how much your takeaway is losing in commision paid to delivery apps:
- Assume average order value: £25 × 30% commission = £7.50 lost per order.
- If you get 100 app orders a week, that's £750 per week, £3250 per month, £39,000 per year swallowed in commission alone!
That's a blatant hit on margins.
Real Business Strain
Despite the reach these platforms offer, small takeaways often bleed profitability through:
- Delivery app commissions take a massive slice - and margins are already tight WIRED.
- Apps depend on algorithmic pricing and gig labor, adding volatility to what's supposed to be income Financial Times.
Looking For a Cheaper Alternative to Just Eat, Deliveroo & Uber Eats?
You don’t need to pick between visibility and profit - AI phone ordering bridges that gap.
With a Telephone Answering Service for Takeaways, you:
- Encourage more direct phone orders, cutting out the commission that eats your profit.
- Offer customer convenience with an automated order-taking service.
- Answer every call - without needing extra staff.
Third-party apps can make growth quick—but if your margins are thin, that presence comes at a high price.
With Alayic enabling efficient, always-on phone order handling, there’s a smarter path—one where more revenue stays in your pockets, and every customer order goes direct.
Order Assist from Alayic offers an alternative to delivery apps, and from only £39.99 per month, you can answer every call, take more orders and save money - boosting your profits.
Don't throw money away in commision!
try our AI phone answering and order taking software for free today!
