Why Collection Is the Right Place to Start
Delivery is complicated. You've got third-party riders, live tracking, minimum basket rules, and surge pricing baked in. Customers expect the app for delivery — and honestly, for now, the apps are useful there.
Collection is different. The customer is already coming to your shop. They already trust you. They already know where you are. So why are you paying Just Eat 14% just to take the order?
That's the number. Just Eat's collection commission is 14%. On a £30 order, that's £4.20 gone before you've touched the food. Deliveroo and Uber Eats go even higher — up to 30–35% on delivery. But collection is the easiest place to act without disrupting your kitchen or your riders.
The Maths That Makes It Worth Doing
Let's use a real example so this isn't abstract.
| Order type | Basket | Commission or fees | What you keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Eat collection (14%) | £30.00 | £4.20 | £25.80 |
| Direct via your own site (4% + ~2% card) | £30.00 | ~£1.91 | ~£28.09 |
| Difference per order | £2.29 saved |
The direct route breaks down as: 4% platform fee = £1.20, plus roughly 2% card processing = £0.71. So £1.91 all-in versus £4.20. That £2.29 gap is yours.
Now imagine 30 collection orders a week going direct instead of through Just Eat. That's roughly £68 a week back in your pocket, or around £3,500 a year — just on collection. And you haven't changed a single delivery arrangement.
You could fund a 5% loyalty discount for direct customers, pocket the rest, and still come out ahead every single order. That's the playbook.
Step One: Give People Somewhere to Order Direct
Before you can move anyone, you need a direct order link. That might be a Flipdish, Slerp, storekit, or similar setup you've already got — or it might not exist yet. Either way, you need a clean URL that works on a phone, loads fast, and shows your actual menu.
A proper website ties this together. Your menu needs to be real searchable text — not a PDF or a JPEG — so Google can read it and customers can find your dishes by name. That alone is worth more than people realise. If you want to see what that looks like, check out do takeaways need a website.
If you're using Takely's Growth plan, you're already wired into your existing ordering tool and you've got locally-targeted landing pages pointing people there. If you're starting from scratch, the Starter plan gets you a one-page site with a proper text menu in seven days. Either way, you need a URL worth sending people to.
The Counter Playbook: Bag Stuffers, QR Cards, and the Right Ask
The simplest conversion tool costs almost nothing: a small printed card in every collection bag.
Every customer who walks in to collect has already decided to support you directly. They've come to your shop. They're standing at your counter. That's the moment. A card in the bag with a QR code linking to your direct order page, and a clear reason to use it next time, is all you need.
Here's what to put on the card:
- "Order direct next time and save X%" — tie the discount to your saved commission
- A QR code linking straight to your ordering page (not your homepage, the actual order link)
- Your shop name and the URL in plain text so they can find it even without scanning
- A short line explaining why it helps you: "Every direct order keeps more money with us"
- Optional: a simple loyalty hook like "your 5th direct order is on us"
That's it. No app to download, no loyalty card to carry. Just a QR code and a honest reason.
Put the same message on your receipt printer and on a small tent card at the counter. Repetition matters — most people won't switch on the first prompt, they'll switch on the third.
"Order Direct" Messaging That Actually Works
The mistake most takeaways make is writing "order direct" copy that sounds like a business asking for a favour. It doesn't land.
What works is honest and specific. Don't say "support local" — say "save 5% and cut out the middleman." Don't say "visit our website" — say "scan here, order in 2 minutes, collect when it's ready."
If you've got a WhatsApp Business number, add it to the card. Some regulars will just text you — a WhatsApp order costs nothing and builds a relationship the apps never can.
One thing to be careful about: don't post anything on Just Eat or Deliveroo directing customers off their platform — that's against the terms. Bag stuffers and counter cards work because they happen after the order is collected, not while the customer is on their app.
Building a Repeat List You Actually Own
Here's the part most takeaways skip — and it's the most valuable.
When someone orders direct, you get their details. Their name. Their email. Their phone number. That data is yours. The apps keep it locked away — you can't email a Just Eat customer, you can't text them a Wednesday deal, you can't tell them about your new menu. You get a payout. That's it. More on who actually owns your customer data.
When you own the order, you own the relationship. A simple email list lets you send a midweek deal, a new dish heads-up, or a reminder when they're hungry on a Thursday night and about to open the app on autopilot. Building that list is simple:
- Ask for an email at checkout on your direct ordering page — make it optional but give them a reason ("get our Wednesday deals")
- Keep a note of regulars who order by phone or WhatsApp
- Run a monthly message — nothing fancy, just a deal or a new item — to keep the connection warm
- When the message includes a direct order link, you're converting at almost no cost
This is the thing the apps cannot do for you. They're a discovery tool for new customers. They should not be your retention strategy — that's too expensive at 14%.
Collection Discounts: Fund Them With Saved Commission
You save £2.29 per £30 order when a customer switches direct. Offer 5% off (£1.50 on a £30 order) and you still bank an extra £0.79 per transaction. Use the rest to cover the cost of your printed cards.
A few ways to structure the incentive:
- Flat discount: 5% off every direct order — simple, no tracking needed
- Loyalty punch card: 10th order free — higher per-order value, longer cycle
- First-order deal: one-time discount to get them to try the direct channel — after that, the convenience keeps them
- Members-only deal: a weekly special only available on your site or via WhatsApp — exclusivity works
Don't overcomplicate it. Pick one and stick with it long enough to see if it works. A card in the bag with a clear offer is better than a loyalty scheme nobody understands.
What About the Apps? Keep Them Running
Nothing in this guide is about leaving Just Eat, Deliveroo, or Uber Eats. The apps are still useful — they put you in front of people who've never heard of you. That's valuable, especially if you're in a competitive area.
The shift is about your regulars — the people who already know you and choose you. Those people don't need to discover you on an app. They're already yours. The 14% you're paying for them to order collection via Just Eat is a fee for nothing.
Keep the apps. Let them bring new faces through the door. Then use the counter, the bag, and your direct site to convert those new customers into repeat direct orders. That's the funnel. Here's a fuller breakdown of what the apps actually cost.
And when Takely Ordering launches — collection ordering at a flat 4% plus card fees — your direct channel gets even cleaner. You can join the waitlist at /ordering if you want to be first in line.
Frequently asked questions
Is it against Just Eat's terms to tell customers to order direct?
You can't redirect customers away from the platform while they're on it — that's against their terms. But once an order is collected, you can include information about ordering direct in future. Bag stuffers, counter cards, and receipts handed over in your shop are fair game. The key is keeping it post-transaction, not on their platform.
How much can I realistically save by moving collection orders direct?
Just Eat charges 14% on collection orders. On a £30 order that's £4.20. The same order direct costs roughly £1.91 all-in (4% platform fee plus about 2% card processing). That's a saving of around £2.29 per order. Across 30 collection orders a week, that's over £3,500 a year — even after funding a small loyalty discount.
What do I need to take direct collection orders?
At minimum: a URL customers can use to order, ideally linked to your existing ordering tool (Flipdish, Slerp, storekit, or similar). A website with a real text menu helps Google find you and gives customers confidence. You don't need an app. A clean mobile-friendly page with a checkout link is enough to start shifting regulars away from the apps.
How do I get customers to actually use a loyalty discount?
Make it dead simple. One QR code, one message, one discount. Don't ask them to download anything or create an account on the first visit. A 5% flat discount on every direct order is easier to explain at the counter than a punch card. Once they've ordered direct once and it was easy, most will do it again without needing a nudge.
Can I collect customer emails from a third-party ordering platform?
Generally no. Platforms like Just Eat keep customer contact details — you get the order and the payout, nothing else. When customers order directly through your own site, you can collect their email at checkout (with their consent). That data is yours to use for marketing, subject to standard GDPR rules.
Should I offer a lower price on my own site versus the apps?
Check your app contracts first — some platforms require price parity, meaning you can't list lower prices elsewhere. If that applies, offer a loyalty discount or freebie funded by your saved commission instead, framed as a reward for direct orders. Always read the terms before running a competing price.
Keep reading