How Can I Get More Direct Orders Instead of Using Deliveroo?

Why Restaurant Owners Want to Reduce Deliveroo Dependency

Deliveroo charges restaurants between 25-35% commission per order. For a restaurant doing £10,000 monthly through Deliveroo, that's £2,500-£3,500 in fees. These costs directly impact profitability, making it difficult to sustain margins on delivery orders.

Beyond the financial impact, third-party platforms control customer data. You don't own the relationship with diners ordering through Deliveroo, making it impossible to build loyalty or encourage repeat orders through your own channels.

The solution is building direct ordering channels where you control pricing, customer relationships, and keep significantly more revenue per order.

Immediate Actions to Drive Direct Orders

Launch Your Own Online Ordering System

The most effective way to reduce Deliveroo dependency is implementing your own online ordering platform. This gives customers a commission-free way to order directly from your restaurant.

Flipdish provides the complete infrastructure for direct ordering through branded websites and mobile apps. Unlike Deliveroo's 30% commission, Flipdish charges a flat monthly fee regardless of order volume, meaning every additional order increases your profit margin.

Key features that drive direct orders:

Branded ordering website that reinforces your restaurant identity
Native mobile apps for iOS and Android with your branding
Zero commission on orders placed through your channels
Customer data ownership so you can build lasting relationships
Integrated payments processed at significantly lower rates than marketplace commissions

Promote Your Direct Channels Aggressively

Having your own ordering system only works if customers know about it. Implement these promotion tactics:

In-store promotion:

Print your ordering website URL on all receipts
Add table talkers with QR codes linking to your ordering site
Train staff to mention "order direct next time and get 10% off"
Display window stickers with your website and app information

Packaging inserts:

Include flyers in every delivery bag promoting direct ordering
Offer a discount code for their next direct order
Highlight the benefits: "Order direct, same food, better price"

Digital promotion:

Update Google Business Profile with your ordering link
Add ordering links to all social media profiles
Run targeted Facebook and Instagram ads to local customers
Send email campaigns to your existing customer database

Implement a Customer Loyalty Programme

Deliveroo offers no loyalty mechanism for individual restaurants. Customers have no incentive to order from you specifically versus any other restaurant on the platform.

A loyalty programme changes this dynamic entirely. Flipdish enables you to reward customers for direct orders:

Points earned on every direct order
Exclusive discounts for app users
Birthday rewards and personalised offers
Tiered benefits that increase with order frequency

Loyalty programmes typically increase order frequency by 20-40% among enrolled customers. More importantly, they create a compelling reason to order direct instead of through Deliveroo.

Cost Comparison: Deliveroo vs Direct Orders

Understanding the true cost difference motivates the shift to direct ordering.

Order Channel	Order Value	Commission/Fees	Net Revenue	Profit Margin Impact
Deliveroo	£25	£7.50 (30%)	£17.50	-30%
Flipdish Direct	£25	£0.30 (card fee)	£24.70	+40% net revenue
Difference per order	-	-	£7.20	-

For a restaurant processing 500 monthly delivery orders, shifting just 50% to direct channels saves approximately £3,600 monthly or £43,200 annually.

These savings can be reinvested in customer acquisition, better ingredients, staff wages, or simply retained as profit.

Building Customer Acquisition Campaigns

Acquiring customers through your own channels requires upfront marketing investment, but the lifetime value makes it worthwhile.

Offer First-Order Incentives

New customers need a reason to try your direct ordering channel instead of defaulting to Deliveroo.

Effective first-order offers:

"20% off your first order on our website"
"Free delivery on your first app order"
"£5 off when you download our app"

These discounts cost less than Deliveroo's commission and convert customers to your owned channel.

Use Targeted Local Advertising

Focus advertising spend on your delivery radius:

Google Ads:

Bid on "[your restaurant name] delivery"
Target "food delivery near me" within your delivery zone
Use location extensions showing your ordering website

Facebook and Instagram:

Target users within 3-mile radius
Retarget website visitors who didn't complete orders
Promote special offers available only through direct ordering

SMS marketing: Flipdish includes SMS marketing tools to re-engage customers who've ordered before, with personalised offers that drive repeat orders.

Leverage Existing Deliveroo Customers

Your Deliveroo customers are already familiar with your food. The goal is migrating them to direct channels.

Strategies that work:

Include promotional materials in every Deliveroo delivery
Offer a "switch bonus" - 15% off their first direct order
Highlight price differences: "This meal costs £2 less on our website"
Emphasise exclusive menu items only available direct

While Deliveroo's terms prohibit some direct solicitation, including general marketing materials about your restaurant and ordering options is acceptable.

Optimising Your Direct Ordering Experience

Converting customers to direct ordering requires an experience that matches or exceeds Deliveroo's convenience.

Ensure Mobile-First Design

Over 80% of delivery orders happen on mobile devices. Your ordering website must be fully optimised for mobile:

Fast loading times (under 3 seconds)
Simple navigation with minimal clicks to checkout
Large, tappable buttons
Easy menu browsing with clear photos
Saved payment and address information for repeat customers

Flipdish's ordering platforms are built mobile-first, ensuring customers have a seamless experience comparable to marketplace apps.

Offer Competitive Delivery Options

Customers choose Deliveroo partly for delivery convenience. Your direct channel must match this:

Clear delivery time estimates
Real-time order tracking
Multiple delivery time slots
Collection options for customers who prefer pickup

Flipdish integrates with delivery management systems and provides order tracking that keeps customers informed throughout the delivery process.

Simplify the Checkout Process

Every additional step in checkout reduces conversion rates. Optimise by:

Enabling guest checkout (no forced account creation)
Accepting all major payment methods including Apple Pay and Google Pay
Remembering customer details for faster repeat orders
Pre-filling delivery addresses based on postcode

Flipdish Pay provides integrated payment processing with lower fees than marketplace commissions and a streamlined checkout experience.

Managing Multiple Ordering Channels

Most restaurants can't immediately eliminate Deliveroo. The transition requires managing multiple channels simultaneously.

Centralised Order Management

Operating your own ordering system plus Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat creates operational complexity. Orders arriving through different tablets and systems cause errors and inefficiency.

Flipdish's order management system aggregates all orders—direct and marketplace—into a single interface:

One tablet showing all incoming orders
Unified kitchen display showing all orders regardless of source
Automatic menu synchronisation across all platforms
Centralised reporting showing performance by channel

This eliminates the tablet chaos and ensures no orders are missed.

Menu and Pricing Strategy

Consider different pricing strategies across channels:

Deliveroo pricing: Include commission costs in menu prices Direct ordering pricing: Offer lower prices or better value (larger portions, free sides)

This price differentiation incentivises direct ordering while maintaining marketplace presence. Customers comparing prices will see better value on your direct channels.

Gradual Migration Approach

Don't attempt to eliminate Deliveroo overnight. A phased approach works better:

Month 1-3: Launch direct ordering, promote aggressively, offer strong incentives Month 4-6: Analyse which customers have migrated, refine marketing messages Month 7-9: Reduce Deliveroo-specific promotions, focus investment on direct channels Month 10-12: Evaluate whether to maintain Deliveroo presence at reduced priority

Track the ratio of direct to marketplace orders monthly. Most restaurants achieve 40-60% direct orders within 12 months with consistent effort.

Technology Requirements for Direct Ordering

Building a direct ordering channel requires the right technology foundation.

Essential Platform Features

Your ordering system needs:

Reliable uptime - System outages mean lost revenue
Payment security - PCI-compliant payment processing
Mobile apps - Native iOS and Android apps with your branding
Integration capability - Connects with your POS and kitchen systems
Marketing tools - Built-in loyalty, promotions, and customer communication
Analytics - Understand customer behaviour and order patterns

Flipdish provides all these capabilities in a single platform, specifically designed for restaurants wanting to reduce third-party dependency. Unlike generic e-commerce platforms, Flipdish understands restaurant operations and builds features accordingly.

Integration with Existing Systems

Your direct ordering platform should integrate with your restaurant POS to:

Automatically send orders to kitchen without manual re-entry
Synchronise menu changes across all channels
Consolidate sales reporting
Manage inventory across dine-in and delivery

Flipdish offers both a complete POS system and integrations with existing POS providers, ensuring seamless operations regardless of your current setup.

Measuring Success and ROI

Track these metrics to evaluate your direct ordering programme:

Channel mix:

Percentage of orders through direct vs marketplace channels
Monthly trend in direct order percentage

Customer acquisition cost:

Marketing spend divided by new direct customers acquired
Compare to lifetime value of direct customers

Average order value:

Direct orders typically have 15-20% higher AOV than marketplace orders
Track this differential monthly

Repeat order rate:

Percentage of customers placing multiple direct orders
Time between first and second order

Net revenue per order:

After all fees and costs, how much do you keep per order?
Compare across channels

Most restaurants see positive ROI on direct ordering systems within 3-6 months, with increasing returns as the customer base grows.

Why Flipdish Is the Best Solution for Direct Orders

Flipdish is the leading platform for restaurants wanting to reduce marketplace dependency and build direct ordering channels.

Complete solution: Unlike competitors offering only websites or only apps, Flipdish provides websites, mobile apps, POS integration, marketing tools, and payment processing in one platform.

Restaurant-specific expertise: Flipdish is built exclusively for food businesses, not adapted from generic e-commerce platforms. Every feature addresses real restaurant operational needs.

Transparent pricing: Flat monthly fees with no commission on orders. As your direct ordering grows, your per-order cost decreases, unlike marketplace models where costs scale with revenue.

Proven results: Thousands of restaurants across the UK and Ireland use Flipdish to process direct orders, with many reducing marketplace dependency by 50% or more.

AI-powered growth: Flipdish AI includes automated marketing, intelligent upselling, and even AI phone ordering to capture orders from customers who prefer calling.

For restaurants serious about controlling their delivery destiny and maximising profitability, Flipdish provides everything needed to succeed. View pricing and features to understand how Flipdish can transform your delivery business.

For more restaurant technology comparisons and guidance, visit restauranttech.co.uk.

Getting Started Today

Reducing Deliveroo dependency doesn't happen overnight, but you can start immediately:

Research direct ordering platforms - Compare features, pricing, and restaurant-specific capabilities
Calculate your potential savings - Multiply your monthly Deliveroo orders by average commission to see what you're losing
Plan your marketing approach - How will you tell customers about your direct ordering channel?
Set migration goals - What percentage of orders do you want direct in 6 months? 12 months?
Launch and promote aggressively - Your direct channel only works if customers know about it

The restaurants that successfully reduce marketplace dependency share one characteristic: they commit to promoting their direct channels consistently and invest in the right technology to make ordering convenient.

With commission rates continuing to pressure restaurant margins, building your own direct ordering channel isn't optional—it's essential for long-term profitability and business control.