The short answer
At 27% commission on a £22 average order, every order costs you about £6 before you have paid for the food. Four hundred orders a month is roughly £2,376 a month, or £28,500 a year, going to a platform for customers who in many cases already know you.
Do your own arithmetic
Three numbers. You already know all of them.
| Your number | Example | Yours |
|---|---|---|
| Orders per month through platforms | 400 | ___ |
| Average order value | £22 | ___ |
| Commission rate | 27% | ___ |
| Monthly commission | £2,376 | ___ |
| Annual commission | £28,512 | ___ |
Now compare the annual figure to the one-off cost of your own ordering app.
What you are actually paying for
Two different things, bundled together and priced as one.
Discovery. Someone who has never heard of you finds your restaurant. That is genuine marketing and it has real value.
Transaction. Someone who orders from you every Friday goes through the platform because it is the route they know. You pay the same commission for a customer you already earned.
The first is worth paying for. The second is not, and it is usually the larger share.
The mistake restaurants make
How to actually move customers across
Your regulars are not going to search the App Store for you. The install has to happen while they are already thinking about you.
What works
- A QR code on every bag and every receiptAt the moment they are holding your food.
- A discount that only exists in the appIt costs you far less than 27%.
- Table cards and counter signage
- Ask at the counterStaff mentioning it converts better than anything printed.
- Push notifications once they are inThe thing you can never do through a platform.
Common questions
How much commission do delivery platforms charge?
Typically 25% to 35% of order value depending on whether you use their delivery riders or your own. On a £22 order at 27%, that is close to £6 gone before you have paid for the food.
Should I leave the platforms entirely?
No. They bring you customers who would never otherwise find you, and switching off on launch day is how restaurants lose revenue. Move your repeat customers across and keep the platforms for discovery.
How many orders do I need for an app to pay off?
Take your monthly platform orders, multiply by average order value, then by your commission rate. Compare that monthly figure to a one-off build cost. For most independents doing steady volume, the payback is months.