Every order through Just Eat or Deliveroo hands over a slice of a sale you worked hard to earn. For a busy takeaway, that adds up to thousands a year. A low-commission ordering system lets you take orders directly instead, keeping the margin and the customer, usually built into a restaurant website with online ordering. Here is how it works and whether it is worth it.
What is a low-commission online ordering system?
It is your own branded way to take orders online, on your website or app, instead of through an aggregator that charges a percentage of every sale. You pay a flat fee or a one-off build cost rather than 14-30% per order, so more of each sale stays with you and the customer relationship is yours.
How much commission do Just Eat and Deliveroo charge?
Aggregator commission in Ireland typically runs from around 14% to 30% of each order, before card fees. We work through exactly what that adds up to over a year in our guide to what Just Eat and Deliveroo commissions really cost you. On a busy week that is a large share of your margin handed to a third party, and the customer's details stay with them, not you, so you cannot easily bring that diner back directly.
| Aggregator (Just Eat / Deliveroo) | Your own ordering system | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per order | ~14-30% commission | Flat fee or one-off build |
| Customer data | Theirs | Yours, to remarket to |
| Branding | Their app, you blend in | Your brand, start to finish |
| Discovery | Their marketplace | You drive your own traffic |
How does your own ordering system work?
Customers order from your own site, the order lands with your kitchen, and they pay you directly. You set the menu, prices, opening hours, collection and delivery zones, and you keep the customer's details. It is a custom build tailored to how your kitchen actually runs, which is why we treat it as a custom web app, not a template.
Is it worth dropping the aggregators?
Most kitchens keep the aggregators for discovery and run their own ordering for repeat customers, who are the profitable ones. Once direct orders cover the build cost, every order after that saves you the full commission. We look at the numbers in building your own restaurant ordering system.
What does an ordering system cost to build?
It depends on the features: menu, payments, collection and delivery, and any links to your till or printer. It is a one-off build plus modest running costs, rather than a percentage forever, so it pays for itself once you reach a steady flow of direct orders. See what a custom web app costs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave Just Eat or Deliveroo entirely?
You can, but most restaurants keep them for new-customer discovery and push regulars to their own system. That way you get the marketplace's reach where it helps and keep the full margin on the repeat orders that make up most of your profit.
Will customers order direct instead of through an app?
They will if it is easy and you give them a reason: faster service, loyalty perks, or simply better prices because you are not paying commission. A clean, quick checkout on your own site is the key, which is exactly what a custom build delivers.
Does this work for a small single-location takeaway?
Yes. The commission saved on even a modest weekly order volume usually covers the system quickly. We built ordering for The Oak Room in Cavan, and the same approach scales down to a single takeaway. Get a free quote.
Tired of handing 25% to the apps? We build low-commission ordering systems for Irish kitchens. Get a free quote.