If a customer places a £100 order through Uber Eats and you deliver it yourself, Uber Eats takes 13%. If Uber does the delivery, it takes 30% (Uber Eats UK merchant pricing, 2026). Owners call it "the new rent" for a reason: it comes off the top of every single order, week after week, whether you had a good month or not.
A direct online ordering system is the other side of that trade. It lets a customer order straight from your own branded website or app, and you keep the margin the aggregator would have taken - you pay only card processing and a fixed monthly fee. This guide compares the direct ordering systems worth a UK independent's attention in 2026, with pricing verified on each vendor's own page, and the break-even maths that tells you whether the switch pays.
Key takeaways
- Aggregator commission is the pain, direct ordering is the lever. Uber Eats UK charges 13% for self-delivery and 30% when it delivers, plus a one-off £650 (excl. VAT) activation fee (Uber Eats UK, 2026).
- Direct ordering costs card processing, not commission. Square, for example, charges 1.4% + 25p per UK card online and no commission on the order itself (Square UK, 2026).
- The UK aggregator market is now three owners. DoorDash completed its acquisition of Deliveroo on 2 October 2025, and the European Commission cleared Prosus's takeover of Just Eat Takeaway.com on 11 August 2025.
- Direct does not have to mean "no delivery". Add-ons like Uber Direct provide a courier for your own-site orders on a per-delivery fee with no commission on the order value (Uber Direct, 2026).
- Verify pricing before you sign. Vendor headline fees change often and most transaction terms are quote-only - treat any all-in number you cannot see on the vendor's page as marketing.
What is a direct online ordering system, and how is it different from Deliveroo?
A direct online ordering system takes orders on a channel you own - your website, a branded app, or a QR-code menu - and drops the money (minus card fees) straight into your account. An aggregator marketplace like Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats lists you alongside every other takeaway in your postcode, brings the customer, and charges a percentage of each order for the privilege.
The difference that matters to your margin is who owns the customer and who takes the cut. On a marketplace, the platform owns the relationship and the data, and takes a double-digit percentage of every order. On your own channel, you own both - the repeat customer never costs you commission again. Most owners end up running both: the aggregator for discovery, the direct channel for the regulars they would rather not keep renting. Our pillar guide to restaurant online ordering in the UK walks through that split in detail.
Does the maths actually favour going direct?
For repeat orders, yes - and it is not close. The cost of a direct order is card processing plus a fixed monthly fee you have already paid; the cost of an aggregator order is a percentage that scales with every pound you take.
Here is the same £100 order three ways, using only published rates. Square charges 1.4% + 25p on a UK card online, so £1.65 (Square UK, 2026). Uber Eats charges 13% for self-delivery (£13) and 30% when it delivers (£30) (Uber Eats UK, 2026).
What you lose on a £100 order: direct vs aggregator
Direct ordering via Square costs £1.65 in card fees on a £100 order; Uber Eats self-delivery costs £13 (13%); Uber Eats when Uber delivers costs £30 (30%).
<!-- Square -->
<!-- Uber self-delivery -->
<!-- Uber delivers -->
Treat that as a model, not a promise. The direct figure ignores your monthly subscription, and the aggregator figures ignore Uber's £650 (excl. VAT) activation fee and the reality that aggregator commission is often quoted before per-order admin, payment charges and VAT on the commission itself - so the effective deduction can run higher than the headline. But the shape is the point: a fixed monthly fee plus a small card charge beats a double-digit percentage the moment you have enough repeat volume to cover the subscription. If you are still weighing up the marketplaces themselves, our Deliveroo vs Just Eat vs Uber Eats comparison breaks down what each one actually charges.
The 2026 UK landscape: three owners, one direction of travel
Two deals in 2025 reshaped who you are actually renting from. The European Commission cleared Prosus's acquisition of Just Eat Takeaway.com on 11 August 2025, the final regulatory approval needed to close the offer (Prosus, 2025). DoorDash completed its acquisition of Deliveroo on 2 October 2025 (DoorDash, 2025).
That leaves the UK's three big marketplaces - Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat - under three owners (Uber, DoorDash and Prosus). Consolidation rarely pushes commission down. Meanwhile the market keeps growing: the UK foodservice delivery market was worth £14.3bn in 2025, up 3.1%, and is forecast to reach £14.8bn in 2026, up 2.8% (Lumina Intelligence; via CLH News, 2026). Uber Eats overtook Just Eat in 2024, accounting for over half of all delivery occasions (Lumina Intelligence, 2025). Owning a slice of that demand directly, rather than renting all of it, is the single clearest way to protect margin.
Best online ordering systems for UK restaurants in 2026
There is no single "best" - it depends on whether you want ordering bolted onto your existing setup, a full branded platform, or just a courier for your own orders. Verify every headline fee on the vendor's own page before you commit; the figures below were checked in 2026 but move often.
| System | Headline monthly fee | Card / transaction terms | Delivery | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online | Free / £20 / £64 | 1.4% + 25p per UK card online; no order commission | Collection, or add a courier | The cheapest, lowest-risk way to start |
| Flipdish | From £119 (POS + ordering bundle) | Quoted separately | Branded site + app; courier options | A full own-brand website and app |
| Uber Direct | No monthly fee | Per delivery only, no commission | Its whole purpose - a courier for your site | Adding delivery to a direct site |
| StoreKit / Slerp / Vita Mojo | Quote-based | Quote-based | Varies (Slerp integrates courier fleets) | Specific needs - see below |
Headline fees verified on each vendor's own page in 2026; card and setup terms are often quoted separately. Confirm current pricing before you sign.
Square Online - best for keeping it simple and cheap
Square Online lets you build an ordering site on a free plan (£0/month), with paid Plus (£20/month) and Premium (£64/month) tiers billed annually for more features (Square UK, 2026). Crucially, there is no commission on the order - "your only cost comes when you make a sale", at 1.4% + 25p per UK card online, dropping to 1.4% + 15p on the Premium plan (Square UK, 2026). In-person card payments run at 1.75% (Square UK, 2026), so your till and your website sit on one account. For a small independent testing direct ordering, the free tier is the lowest-risk way in.
Flipdish - best for a full branded website and app
Flipdish builds you a branded ordering website and app aimed at capturing "more orders without giving up margin to third-party marketplaces" (Flipdish, 2026). Its published bundle starts from £119/month for a Point of Sale and Online Ordering package (£139 if billed monthly, excl. VAT) (Flipdish UK pricing, 2026). Transaction terms are quoted separately rather than published, so treat the monthly fee as the headline and get the card and setup terms in writing before you sign. Flipdish suits an operator who wants a proper own-brand app, not just a checkout page.
Uber Direct - best for adding delivery to your own site
Uber Direct is not an ordering system on its own; it is a courier you plug into your own website's checkout so you can offer delivery without listing on the Uber Eats marketplace. Pricing is per delivery only, with "no start-up costs, commissions or monthly minimums" (Uber Direct, 2026). Pair it with a direct ordering platform when you want delivery reach without handing over a percentage of the order value.
StoreKit, Slerp and Vita Mojo - worth a look for specific needs
Three more names come up repeatedly for UK independents, though their pricing is largely quote-based - ask for terms in writing and do not rely on any figure you cannot see on the vendor's own page:
- StoreKit - branded ordering websites aimed at hospitality; commonly cited on a free-to-low monthly tier, but confirm the current plan and card terms directly.
- Slerp - a branded ordering platform known for integrating UK courier fleets, so you can offer delivery from your own site; pricing is not published.
- Vita Mojo - a modular ordering and kiosk platform pitched at larger groups and chains rather than single independents; expect an enterprise quote.
A warning: check GloriaFood before you rely on it
GloriaFood has long been the go-to free ordering widget for tight-margin independents. It is now reported to be winding down: multiple migration providers state that new sign-ups have closed and cite an end-of-service date of 30 April 2027 under its owner Oracle. These are secondary, self-interested sources, so confirm the position directly with the provider before you build anything new on it - and if you are already using it, start planning a move. A free tool is no bargain if it disappears with your menu and customer data.
How to choose an online ordering system for your restaurant
The right pick depends less on the brand than on how it fits your existing setup and margins. Weigh these before you commit:
- Total cost, not the headline fee. Add the monthly subscription, the card processing rate, any setup fee, and hardware. A "free" plan with a high card rate can cost more than a paid plan with a low one.
- Does it talk to your POS and kitchen? An ordering page that does not print to the kitchen or sync with your till just moves the admin around. Our best POS systems for UK restaurants guide covers what integrates cleanly.
- Who owns the customer data? The whole point of going direct is keeping the relationship. Check you can export your customer list and marketing permissions.
- Delivery, collection, or both? If you need delivery, budget for a courier add-on like Uber Direct on top of the ordering fee.
- Lock-in and exit. Contract length, notice period, and whether your site and data leave with you if you switch.
Should you drop the aggregators entirely?
For most independents, no - not straight away. The marketplaces are a genuine discovery channel: they put you in front of customers who have never heard of you. The mistake is treating them as your only channel and paying commission on regulars who would happily order direct if you gave them the option.
The pragmatic move is a hybrid: keep a listing on one or two aggregators for reach, and push every repeat customer to your own ordering page with a flyer in the bag, a QR code on the table, and a lower price or a loyalty perk for ordering direct. Over time the direct channel carries your regulars and the commission bill shrinks. Avoiding the common traps here matters - our guide to delivery app mistakes UK restaurants make covers the pricing and menu errors that quietly cost you money on both channels.
If setting up a branded ordering page sounds like another tech project you do not have time for, that is the gap tools like DineHere aim to close - turning a menu photo into a working site with ordering built in, so the direct channel that protects your margin is not the thing you never get round to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest online ordering system for a UK restaurant?
Square Online offers a genuinely free plan (£0/month), so your only cost is card processing at 1.4% + 25p per UK card online (Square UK, 2026). It is the lowest-risk way to start taking direct orders.
How much commission does Uber Eats charge UK restaurants?
Uber Eats UK charges 13% for pick-up (collection), 13% for self-delivery, and 30% when Uber handles delivery, plus a one-off activation fee of £650 (excl. VAT) (Uber Eats UK, 2026).
Can I take orders online without paying Deliveroo or Just Eat commission?
Yes. A direct ordering system takes orders on your own website or app, so you pay a fixed monthly fee and card processing instead of a per-order commission to a marketplace.
Do I still need delivery drivers if I go direct?
Only if you offer delivery. You can offer collection-only with no couriers, or add an on-demand courier such as Uber Direct, which charges per delivery with no commission on the order value (Uber Direct, 2026).
Is going direct actually cheaper than the aggregators?
For repeat orders, almost always. A £100 order costs about £1.65 in card fees via Square, versus £13 (13%) or £30 (30%) on Uber Eats depending on who delivers - though you must cover a fixed monthly subscription first (Square UK; Uber Eats UK, 2026).
How many aggregators are there in the UK now?
Three main marketplaces - Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat - now under three owners after DoorDash acquired Deliveroo (completed 2 October 2025) and the EU cleared Prosus's takeover of Just Eat Takeaway.com (11 August 2025).
Is the UK delivery market still growing?
Yes. It was worth £14.3bn in 2025 (up 3.1%) and is forecast to reach £14.8bn in 2026 (up 2.8%) (Lumina Intelligence via CLH News, 2026).
What happened to GloriaFood?
It is widely reported to be winding down, with new sign-ups said to have closed. Some migration providers cite a firm end-of-service date, but that is not confirmed by a primary notice - so check directly with the provider before relying on it, and start planning a move if you use it.
Should I close my Deliveroo and Just Eat listings?
Usually not at first. Keep the aggregators for discovery and push regulars to your own ordering page with QR codes, flyers and a direct-order incentive, so commission falls on the orders you can win back.
Will an online ordering system connect to my till?
Some do and some do not - it is one of the most important things to check. Look for a platform that syncs with your POS so orders print to the kitchen and reconcile against your takings without extra admin.
Sources
- Uber Eats UK - merchant pricing: merchants.ubereats.com/gb/en/pricing (2026)
- Uber Direct: merchants.ubereats.com/gb/en/services/uber-direct (2026)
- Square UK - Square Online plans: squareup.com/gb/en/online-store/plans (2026)
- Square UK - fees: squareup.com/gb/en/payments/our-fees (2026)
- Flipdish UK - pricing: flipdish.com/gb/pricing (2026)
- DoorDash - completion of Deliveroo acquisition: ir.doordash.com (2025)
- Prosus - EC clearance of Just Eat Takeaway.com: prosus.com (2025)
- Lumina Intelligence - UK foodservice delivery market: lumina-intelligence.com; via CLH News (2026)
