Delivery apps bring you orders you wouldn’t get otherwise. They also take a big slice of every one. If your delivery menu has the same prices as your in-house menu, some dishes are probably losing you money.
What the apps charge in the UK
| Platform | You deliver | They deliver |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats | 13% | 30% |
| Just Eat | 14% + 50p per order | 30% |
| Deliveroo | No published rate, set by contract | |
Published UK rates at the time of writing, plus VAT on the commission. Rates vary by contract, so always check yours.
Where the money goes on a £15.95 burger
Same dish, four ways to sell it
£15.95 burger, £4.10 food cost, 35p packaging for takeaway orders. Before driver costs.
On a full-service app order, the burger keeps £4.06 instead of £9.19. You’d need to sell more than two burgers on the app to make what one makes in the restaurant.
Delivery profit calculator
See what one dish really makes on an app.
How to price your delivery menu
- Set a separate delivery menuMost apps let you set different prices from your in-house menu. Use that.
- Add a price upliftMany takeaways add 15 to 25% to delivery prices. On our burger, 20% takes it to £19.14 and pushes the 30% order back up to £5.76.
- Cut low-margin dishes from the appDishes with expensive ingredients can make a loss once commission comes off. Leave them off.
- Push your own orderingEvery customer who orders direct or collects saves you the commission. Put a flyer in every bag.
- Count packagingBoxes, bags, sauce pots and napkins. Add them to every delivery costing.
Fully matching your restaurant profit on a 30% app usually isn’t realistic, as the £25.58 shows. The aim is a delivery price where every order is still clearly worth making.
Key points
- App commission is taken from the full price the customer pays
- Never copy in-house prices straight onto the apps
- Check every dish’s profit per channel, not just the average
- Direct orders and collection are your most profitable sales
Common questions
Can I charge more on Deliveroo or Uber Eats than in my restaurant?
Yes, most restaurants and takeaways do. Check your contract for any pricing terms first.
Can I reclaim the VAT on commission?
If you’re VAT registered, you can usually reclaim the VAT charged on the platform’s commission. Ask your accountant how it applies to you.
Can I negotiate commission?
Rates are set by contract, so it’s worth asking, especially if you’re bringing a lot of orders.
Sources
DishProfit shows profit per dish, per app
The Delivery Apps tab shows what every dish really makes on collection, your own website, Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, using your own commission rates. The Dish Tester checks a new dish on every app before it goes on the menu.
- Real profit per dish per channel
- Your own commission rates, editable
- Delivery price uplift built in
