Online ordering for Chinese takeaways
Updated 20 October 2026
Online ordering puts your whole numbered menu on your customers' phones, so they can order a set meal for two or "No. 27 with egg fried rice", pay, and collect or have it delivered, without the phone tied up all evening. Menuthere gives a Chinese takeaway its own ordering page with 0% commission. Import the menu from a photo of your leaflet, keep the dish numbers, show names in Chinese and English, list what's in each set meal on the kitchen ticket, and tag the 14 allergens. The Free plan covers 50 orders a month; Lite is US$17 a month for unlimited orders.
In short
- HMRC names "Chinese and Indian takeaway meals" as hot takeaway food, standard-rated at 20% VAT.
- Six of the 14 allergens are common on a Chinese menu: crustaceans, molluscs, soya, sesame, peanuts and cereals containing gluten.
- Keep your numbers and your Chinese names: type the number into the dish name and the Chinese name as its second name.
- On 350 orders a month at £28, Just Eat's 30% delivery rate costs £3,528 a month with VAT; your own page costs about £217 in card fees plus US$17.
Put a long numbered menu online
Import it, don't type it. Upload a photo or PDF of your leaflet and Menuthere reads in the dishes, prices and sections, which you then check. See import your menu from a photo or PDF.
| On your leaflet | In Menuthere |
|---|---|
| Numbered dishes ("27. Chicken chow mein") | Keep the number at the start of the dish name, so phone regulars and online orders match |
| Sections: soups, starters, chicken, beef, duck, seafood, rice, noodles, chef's specials | Categories, in the order you choose |
| Small or large portions, rice by the tub | Sizes with their own prices |
| "With egg fried rice or chips" | A required single-choice add-on, with a price on the upgrade |
| Set meal for 2, 3 or 4 people | One dish per set meal; its contents in the description, one per line |
| Chilli strength | An optional add-on group |
| Prawn crackers, sauces in pots | Small dishes or add-ons |
Set meals print in full. Start each item of the set meal on its own line in the description, and the kitchen ticket and bill can print those lines under the dish name, so the kitchen sees "Set meal B for 2" and everything in it. See what to print on the bill and takeaway order printers.
A menu in Chinese and English
- Chinese names next to English, on every plan. Add the Chinese name as each dish's second name. Staff and customers who read Chinese see it beside the English. See dish names in a second language.
- A Chinese button for customers, on Lite. The menu's language button translates your menu text into Chinese (Simplified), and into other languages you pick. Prices don't change. Keep dish names you don't want translated as written in the second name. See menu in several languages and multilingual menus in Chinese.
Allergens on a Chinese takeaway menu
The FSA's list of 14 allergens includes several that run through Chinese cooking. Tag them on each dish in Menuthere (every plan), and customers see them when they open the dish.
| Allergen (FSA list) | Where it often turns up |
|---|---|
| Crustaceans | Prawns in rice, noodles, dumplings and crackers |
| Molluscs | Oyster sauce, squid, scallops |
| Soybeans | Soy sauce, tofu, black bean sauce |
| Sesame | Sesame oil, sesame prawn toast |
| Peanuts | Kung pao and satay dishes, groundnut oil |
| Cereals containing gluten | Wheat noodles, batter, and soy sauces brewed with wheat |
| Eggs | Egg fried rice, egg noodles |
For online and phone orders, the FSA says allergen information must be given before the order is completed and again when the food is delivered, and it advises giving it in writing both times. Check each sauce's label, not just the dish, and put a printed allergen sheet in the bag; make one with the allergen chart maker.
What you pay: apps vs your own page
A Chinese takeaway taking 350 online orders a month at £28: £9,800 a month.
| Channel | Fee | VAT on fee (20%) | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just Eat delivers (30%) | £2,940 | £588 | £3,528 | £42,336 |
| Just Eat, your own drivers (14%) | £1,372 | £274.40 | £1,646.40 | £19,756.80 |
| Your own page: Menuthere Lite + Stripe | US$17 + £217 card fees | none on commission | about £217 + US$17 | about £2,604 + US$204 |
Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p per standard UK card: 62p on a £28 order. Menuthere takes 0%. Deliveroo doesn't publish its UK commission; see Deliveroo fees in the UK and Just Eat commission in the UK.
VAT and other rules
VAT. HMRC's VAT Notice 709/1 lists "Chinese and Indian takeaway meals" among hot takeaway food that is standard-rated at 20%. Prices on your ordering page must include VAT, and you can't add a card surcharge. See VAT on takeaway food.
Late nights. In England and Wales, hot food sold between 11pm and 5am needs a late night refreshment licence under the Licensing Act 2003.
Printed menus in Wales. Takeaways in Wales must print a bilingual statement on menus and leaflets that list food, prices and a way to order without visiting, telling customers they can check the food hygiene rating online.
Delivery with your own drivers
Draw delivery zones and set a minimum order on every plan; price delivery by distance or zone and set a free-delivery threshold on Lite. On Pro, your drivers use the Menuthere rider app for iPhone and Android, you assign each order with one tap, and customers follow the driver on a live map. Menuthere doesn't auto-assign or plan routes. See the rider app. For more on running your own drivers, see own delivery drivers for takeaways.
Dates to plan for
Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, so expect a busy weekend. Plan set meals and a pre-order window for it on Lite, and see the UK restaurant marketing calendar for the rest of the year.
Set it up this week
- Create your store at /get-started from your Google listing.
- Import your leaflet from a photo or PDF, keep the dish numbers and add Chinese names.
- Tag allergens on every dish and sauce; check every price includes VAT.
- Write each set meal's contents one per line in its description.
- Set collection times, delivery zones and a minimum order.
- Connect Stripe on Lite, or start with pay on collection.
- Print your QR code on the leaflet and every bag.
Plans are billed in US dollars: Free US$0, Lite US$17, Pro US$39 a month. See pricing or the takeaway ordering system.
FAQs
Can I keep my dish numbers on the online menu?
Yes. Put the number at the start of each dish name, such as "27. Chicken chow mein", so phone customers and online orders use the same numbers.
Can my online menu show Chinese and English?
Yes. Add the Chinese name as each dish's second name on any plan. On Lite, the language button also translates the menu into Chinese (Simplified) for customers.
How do I sell set meals for two or four online?
Make each set meal one dish with its price, and list its contents one per line in the description. Those lines can print under the dish name on the kitchen ticket.
Which allergens should a Chinese takeaway tag?
Check every dish against the FSA's 14 allergens. On Chinese menus, crustaceans, molluscs (such as oyster sauce), soya, sesame, peanuts, eggs and cereals containing gluten are the ones that come up most.
What VAT rate applies to Chinese takeaway food?
Hot Chinese takeaway meals are standard-rated at 20%. HMRC lists "Chinese and Indian takeaway meals" as hot takeaway food in VAT Notice 709/1.
How much does Menuthere cost for a Chinese takeaway?
The Free plan is US$0 for 50 orders a month, Lite is US$17 a month for unlimited orders and the Chinese language button, and Pro is US$39 with your own drivers. There's no commission.
Sources (7)
- HMRC, VAT Notice 709/1 (hot takeaway examples include "Chinese and Indian takeaway meals"): gov.uk/guidance/catering-takeaway-food-and-vat-notice-7091 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- FSA, Allergen guidance for food businesses (updated 17 July 2026; the 14 allergens incl. crustaceans "such as prawns", molluscs "such as mussels and oysters", soybeans, sesame, peanuts, cereals containing gluten "such as wheat"; distance selling §3.2): gov.uk/government/publications/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- GovHK (Hong Kong SAR Government), General holidays for 2027 (Lunar New Year's Day, Saturday 6 February 2027): gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/holiday/2027.htm (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Licensing Act 2003, Schedule 2 (late night refreshment): legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/17/schedule/2 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- FSA, Food hygiene rating publication and displaying your rating (Wales bilingual statement): food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-hygiene-rating-publication-and-displaying-your-rating (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Stripe UK pricing: stripe.com/gb/pricing (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere commission pages /en/delivery-app-commission/just-eat-uk (archived 13 Jul 2026) and /deliveroo-uk