How Much Does Deliveroo Charge?

Deliveroo is convenient, but it isn't cheap, for you or for the restaurant cooking your food. Here's what you actually pay as a customer, what restaurants pay behind the scenes, and how to eat well for less.

What Deliveroo Charges Customers

Delivery fee

Charged on most orders. It depends on how far away the restaurant is, the restaurant itself, and how busy it is. Some restaurants offer free or reduced delivery as a promotion.

Service fee

A fee Deliveroo adds to cover running the platform. It's worked out as a percentage of your food total, usually with a minimum and a maximum, and appears as its own line at checkout.

Small order fee

If your basket is below the restaurant's minimum order value, Deliveroo adds a small order fee to make up the difference.

Deliveroo Plus

A monthly subscription that removes the delivery fee on eligible orders above a minimum spend. It only pays off if you order often. Service fees and small order fees can still apply.

Higher menu prices

Because restaurants pay a big commission on every delivery order, many charge more for the same dish on the app than they do in person. Compare the app price with the restaurant's own menu and the difference can be significant.

Where to check: before you confirm an order, tap the order total in the app. It breaks down the food, delivery fee, service fee and any small order fee.

What Deliveroo Charges Restaurants

This is the part most people never see, and it's one of the main reasons we started HomeCooks.

Both HomeCooks founders had thriving food businesses that, one way or another, found it impossible to make Deliveroo, Uber Eats and the other delivery platforms work. A big part of that was commission. Smaller independent restaurants are typically charged around 30% of each order, and some pay up to 35%. Bigger chains can negotiate lower rates. Industry guides in 2026 still put Deliveroo's commission at roughly 25% to 35%, depending on the plan.

The VAT catch

Commission is charged on the full order value including VAT, not on what the restaurant actually keeps.

• A customer pays £20 for an order.
• That includes VAT at 20%, so £3.33 goes to HMRC and the restaurant's real takings are £16.67.
• Deliveroo takes 30% of the full £20: £6.
• £6 out of £16.67 is 36% of what the restaurant actually earns, before it has paid for ingredients, staff or rent.

For a small independent restaurant, that often means making a loss on a delivery order.

How to Eat Well Without Paying Delivery App Prices

• Collect it yourself. If your local restaurant is nearby, picking up your order means more of your money goes to the people who cooked it.
• Order direct. Many restaurants have their own website or phone line, often with lower prices than the apps.
• Compare the total, not the menu price. Add up food, delivery and service fees and divide by the number of meals.
• Plan ahead for the week. Most takeaway orders happen when there's nothing ready at home. Having proper meals in the fridge takes away the temptation.

Originally written by Andy, HomeCooks co-founder. Updated October 2026.