How Much Does Food Delivery Really Cost vs Picking It Up Yourself?

Convenience always has a price. The honest question is how much — and on UK delivery apps it is rarely the headline number.

A typical £20 takeaway in a UK city, ordered through Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat, ends up costing somewhere between £25 and £32 once everything is added. That same order collected from the restaurant costs £20 — sometimes less if the restaurant runs a collection-only discount.

The real components of a delivery total

Every delivery order is built from the same handful of charges, even when the apps label them differently:

  • Item prices — often 10-25% higher on apps than the in-store menu, because restaurants quietly raise prices to absorb the platform's commission.
  • Delivery fee — what you pay the platform for the courier. Typically £1.49-£4.99, but rises sharply in bad weather or at peak times.
  • Service fee — a percentage cut (usually 5-15%) the platform takes on top of items.
  • Small order fee — a £1.99-£2.99 surcharge if your basket is under £10-£15.
  • Tip — optional, but expected by most drivers.

Add it up and on a £20 menu order you are paying around £6-£12 of pure overhead.

When collection wins

Collection almost always wins on cost, but it costs you time and (sometimes) parking. A rough rule of thumb for UK city orders:

  • Under £15: collection is dramatically cheaper — overhead can be 50% of the bill.
  • £15-£40: collection saves £4-£10. Worth it if the restaurant is within 10 minutes.
  • Over £40: the percentage overhead drops, so delivery starts to look reasonable on a per-person basis.

When delivery genuinely makes sense

Delivery is worth it when the marginal cost of your time is high, when collection means a 30-minute round trip, or when the platform is running an aggressive promo (20-50% off the basket). It also makes sense in foul weather, when a £4 delivery fee beats a soaked walk.

Is collection always cheaper than delivery?

Almost always on cost, yes — you skip delivery, service and small-order fees, and the menu prices are often lower in-store. The exception is when an app runs a basket-wide discount that beats the in-store price even after fees, which does happen during quieter hours.

Why are app prices higher than the menu in the restaurant?

UK platforms charge restaurants 25-35% commission on every order. Most restaurants offset this by raising in-app prices 10-25%, so you pay part of the commission without seeing it.

How do I know if my order is overpriced on delivery?

Compare the same basket against the restaurant's own website or in-store menu. ChooseOut also runs this comparison live across Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat so you can see the real difference before you commit.