ChooseOutHow Much Does In-House Restaurant Delivery Cost Customers?
Restaurants that run their own delivery typically charge £1.99-£3.99 per order — comparable to or slightly less than the apps' delivery fee, but with no service fee, no small-order fee and no item markup. The total saving is usually £4-£10 vs ordering the same food on a third-party app.
What in-house delivery actually costs
A typical UK chain running its own fleet (Domino's, Pizza Hut, ASK Italian, Wagamama, Honest Burgers):
- Delivery fee: £1.99-£3.99, sometimes free on orders over £20-£25.
- Service fee: usually none.
- Small order fee: usually none, but a minimum order (£10-£15) often applies.
- Item prices: roughly the same as in-store, occasionally with a small online markup of 5-10%.
That is structurally cheaper than the same order through Uber Eats or Deliveroo, where service fees and item markups are layered on top.
Why the prices look similar
The headline delivery fee on a chain's own app and on Uber Eats can look comparable — both around £2-£4. The chain's app looks roughly the same price. The difference is hidden:
- The Uber Eats version has a 10-15% item markup; the chain's app does not.
- Uber Eats adds a 5-15% service fee; the chain's app does not.
- Uber Eats has a small-order fee; chains usually use a flat minimum instead.
Add it up and a £20 order from Pizza Hut directly costs £22-£24; the same order on Uber Eats costs £27-£30.
Where independents fit
Most UK independents do not run their own dedicated fleet — they use Stuart, Uber Direct or local couriers, branded under the restaurant's own ordering page. From the customer's view, the experience and cost are similar to chain-direct: no service fee, no markup, just a delivery fee.
This is why direct ordering tends to win even when the restaurant is small.
When in-house is not cheaper
A few cases where it is genuinely a wash or worse:
- Aggressive Uber Eats / Deliveroo promo: 30% off can beat in-house pricing.
- Subscription members: Deliveroo Plus or Uber One eliminates delivery fees, closing the gap.
- Restaurants that price-match their own app to the third-party app: rare but happens — typically because the restaurant uses the same ordering platform behind both.
How to find in-house delivery options
For most UK chains: their own app or website. Domino's, Pizza Hut, Five Guys, Honest Burgers and similar all have their own ordering with consistently lower prices than third-party apps.
For independents: search "[restaurant name] order online" or check their Instagram / Google profile for a direct ordering link.
Do UK chains charge more on their own app or on Uber Eats?
Almost always less on their own app. Item markups and service fees on third-party platforms typically add £4-£10 to the same order.
Is in-house delivery faster than Uber Eats?
Comparable in most cases. Many in-house operations now use the same shared courier networks (Stuart, Uber Direct), so the fleet is similar. Tracking is sometimes worse, but actual delivery time is roughly equivalent.
Why do some restaurants charge for delivery but not others?
It depends on volume and margin. Higher-margin chains absorb the courier cost above a threshold; lower-margin independents pass it through. Most UK delivery — direct or via apps — has a fee in some form.