Own delivery drivers for UK takeaways: what they cost and when they pay
Updated 20 October 2026
Your own delivery drivers save money when each driver does about three drops an hour on short runs. At the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour and HMRC's approved mileage rate of 55p a mile, a driver doing three 3-mile drops an hour costs you about £7.54 per delivery. Charge a £2.50 delivery fee on your own ordering page and a £22 order costs you about £5.62 to deliver, against £7.92 when Just Eat delivers at 30% + VAT. At two drops an hour the saving almost disappears. Below are the numbers, the UK rules, and how to track every driver without paying per delivery.
Wage and mileage rates checked on GOV.UK on 20 October 2026. App rates from each app's own UK pages; your agreement is the final word.
What one delivery costs in driver time and mileage
A driver costs you their hourly pay plus the miles they drive. The key number is drops per hour: the more deliveries one driver makes in an hour, the less each one costs.
| Per delivery, 3 miles each way (6 miles there and back) | 2 drops an hour | 3 drops an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Driver pay at £12.71 an hour | £6.36 | £4.24 |
| Mileage at 55p a mile | £3.30 | £3.30 |
| Driver cost per delivery | £9.66 | £7.54 |
Notes on the inputs:
- £12.71 is the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2026. It's £10.85 at 18–20 and £8.00 at 16–17.
- 55p a mile is HMRC's approved mileage allowance for cars and vans, for the first 10,000 business miles, from 6 April 2026 (45p before). You can pay less, but anything up to the approved amount is tax-free for the driver. Bikes are 20p a mile and motorcycles 24p.
- Not included: employer National Insurance, holiday pay and pension contributions where they apply. Tips don't count towards minimum wage pay, so you can't use them to top up a driver's hourly rate.
One £22 order, four ways
Here's the same £22 delivery order at three drops an hour, with a £2.50 delivery fee on your own ordering page.
| Per £22 delivery order | Just Eat delivers (30% + VAT) | Just Eat, your drivers (14% + VAT) | Uber Eats, your drivers (13% + VAT) | Your own ordering page, your drivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission + VAT | £7.92 | £3.70 | £3.43 | £0 |
| Card fee | Not stated by Just Eat | Not stated by Just Eat | Included | 53p (Stripe 1.5% + 20p) |
| Driver cost | £0 | £7.54 | £7.54 | £7.54 |
| WhatsApp order updates | – | – | – | About 5p (3 × £0.0159) |
| Delivery fee you keep | – | Set your own in Partner Hub | Check your agreement | −£2.50 |
| Cost to you | £7.92 | £11.24 before any delivery fee | £10.97 before any delivery fee | £5.62 |
| 200 orders a month | £1,584 | £2,248 | £2,194 | £1,124 + US$39 plan |
What this tells you:
- Own drivers on an app cost more than letting the app deliver, unless the delivery fee you set covers most of the driver. The commission is lower, but you still pay the driver.
- Own drivers on your own channel save about £2.30 an order at three drops an hour: about £460 a month on 200 orders, before the US$39 Menuthere Pro plan.
- At two drops an hour, your own channel costs about £7.74 an order, almost the same as Just Eat delivering. Drivers only pay off with density: a tight radius and steady demand.
- VAT-registered? You can usually reclaim the VAT on app commission, which makes Just Eat delivering £6.60 for you. The gap narrows to about £1 an order.
Run your own numbers in the delivery app loss calculator, which opens with Just Eat UK at 30%. Change the app to Uber Eats or Deliveroo there.
Three ways to use your own drivers in the UK
1. On a marketplace, with your own drivers. Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo all let you deliver yourself at a lower rate.
- Just Eat: 14% + VAT with your own drivers (its sign-up page, July 2026). Just Eat's knowledge centre says own-delivery partners can change delivery fees and set a delivery area of up to 7 miles in Partner Hub. See our Just Eat Partner Hub guide.
- Uber Eats: 13% + VAT for self-delivery (Uber's UK pricing page).
- Deliveroo: Marketplace+ lets you deliver with your own riders and set your own radius, delivery fee and minimum order. The rate is in your agreement; it moves to 35% + VAT while you switch on Deliveroo's riders. See Deliveroo Marketplace+ with your own riders.
The customer still belongs to the app, and you can use their details only to fulfil that order.
2. On your own ordering page. Customers order from your own website or link at 0% commission, and your drivers deliver. You set the zones, the fee and the minimum order, and you keep the customer. This is where the saving in the table above comes from. See our takeaway ordering system.
3. Hybrid: your drivers first, couriers on busy nights. Menuthere connects to your own Uber Direct account outside India. Customers pay Uber's live delivery fee at checkout, Uber bills your Uber Direct account, and you choose whether a courier is booked when you accept the order, when the food is ready, or only when you tap Book. Other UK courier services, such as Stuart, aren't connected to Menuthere; you'd book them separately.
How to track your own drivers (without per-delivery fees)
Menuthere Pro (US$39 a month) includes your own riders and the Menuthere Delivery App for iPhone and Android, with no per-rider or per-delivery fee.
- Add each driver in Delivery boy settings with a name, phone number and password. The phone number is their username.
- Assign an order with one tap. Online drivers show first. The driver's phone gets a New Delivery Assignment alert with the order number and drop address.
- The customer tracks the driver live. Their order page shows the driver's name, a live map and a Call button. With WhatsApp on Pro, the Out for delivery message carries a Track Order button.
- The driver marks it delivered, and the order moves to completed.
- Check each driver's numbers. Rider analytics show deliveries, order value, delivery charges and distance for any period, which helps when you pay mileage.
What it doesn't do: Menuthere doesn't auto-assign orders, plan routes, batch drops or take photo proof of delivery. You choose the driver for each order.
UK checklist before your first driver goes out
| Check | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | At least £12.71 an hour for workers 21+, for all working time, including waiting between drops | GOV.UK |
| Employment status | Someone who works personally for you under an arrangement is usually a "worker", with minimum wage, paid holiday and rest breaks. Calling them freelance doesn't change that | GOV.UK |
| Motor insurance | Driving without the right insurance can mean a £300 fixed penalty and 6 points. Ordinary personal car policies usually exclude paid food delivery | GOV.UK; insurers |
| Employers' liability insurance | Required from your first employee, at least £5 million cover. Fines of £2,500 a day without it | GOV.UK |
| Licences, MOT and safety | HSE expects employers to check drivers' licences, insurance and MOTs are legal and up to date, including staff using their own cars | HSE |
| E-bikes | An electrically assisted pedal cycle (250W, 15.5mph) needs no licence, tax or insurance; a faster one counts as a moped | GOV.UK |
Insurance is the step most takeaways get wrong. Read our takeaway delivery driver insurance guide before anyone drives.
Set up delivery with your own drivers
- Create your ordering page. Sign up and import your menu from a photo or PDF.
- Set where you deliver. Use a radius, or draw zones on the map. Basic zones are on every plan; advanced zones and distance-based fees are on Lite and above.
- Set what you charge. A flat fee, a fee by distance or a fee by zone, plus a minimum order. Keep the radius tight enough for three drops an hour.
- Move to Pro for riders and live tracking. The 7-day free trial needs a card; nothing is charged until it ends.
- Add your drivers and send them the app links from the dashboard.
- Switch on two or three WhatsApp updates if you use WhatsApp: accepted, out for delivery (with Track Order) and delivered. Each costs £0.0159 at Meta's UK utility rate, billed to your own WhatsApp account with no Menuthere markup. See WhatsApp ordering for UK takeaways.
Keep the delivery fee and the customer.
FAQs
Is it cheaper to use your own delivery drivers?
Only when each driver does about three drops an hour on short runs. At £12.71 an hour and 55p a mile, three 3-mile drops an hour cost about £7.54 each in driver time and mileage. At two drops an hour it's about £9.66, which is more than Just Eat's 30% + VAT on a £22 order.
How much should I pay a takeaway delivery driver in the UK?
At least the National Living Wage, £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2026, for all their working time. Many takeaways also pay mileage. HMRC's approved rate for cars is 55p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles from 6 April 2026, tax-free up to that amount.
Can I use my own drivers on Just Eat?
Yes. Just Eat's UK sign-up page listed 14% + VAT when you deliver with your own drivers, against 30% + VAT when Just Eat delivers. Its knowledge centre says own-delivery partners can set delivery fees and a delivery area of up to 7 miles in Partner Hub.
Can I use my own riders on Deliveroo?
Yes, with Marketplace+. You deliver with your own riders and set your own delivery radius, fee and minimum order. Your rate is in your agreement. If you switch on Deliveroo's rider network, the fee becomes 35% + VAT while it's on.
How do I track my own delivery drivers?
With Menuthere Pro, each driver uses the Menuthere Delivery App on iPhone or Android. You assign an order with one tap, the driver shares their location while delivering, and the customer sees a live map and a Call button on their order page.
Does Menuthere assign drivers automatically?
No. You assign each order to a driver with one tap. Menuthere doesn't auto-assign, plan routes, batch deliveries or take photo proof of delivery.
Can I mix my own drivers with couriers?
Yes. Menuthere connects to your own Uber Direct account outside India. Customers pay Uber's live delivery fee at checkout, and you can set a courier to be booked only when you tap Book. Other courier services, such as Stuart, aren't connected.
What insurance do takeaway delivery drivers need?
Motor insurance that covers paid food delivery, because personal policies usually exclude it. As an employer you also need employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million. Our driver insurance guide covers who buys what.
Sources (17)
- GOV.UK, "National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour", 1 April 2026 (21+ £12.71; 18–20 £10.85; 16–17 £8.00): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-living-wage-increases-to-1271-per-hour (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Expenses and benefits: business travel mileage for employees' own vehicles, rules for tax (cars and vans 55p from 6 April 2026, 45p before; 25p above 10,000 miles; motorcycles 24p; bikes 20p): https://www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-business-travel-mileage/rules-for-tax (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, The National Minimum Wage and Living Wage: employers and the minimum wage (tips not included in minimum wage pay): https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage/employers-and-the-minimum-wage (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Employment status: worker: https://www.gov.uk/employment-status/worker (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle insurance: driving without insurance (£300 fixed penalty and 6 points): https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-without-insurance (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Employers' liability insurance (at least £5 million; £2,500 a day): https://www.gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Riding an electric bike: the rules: https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules (accessed 20 October 2026)
- HSE, Driving and riding safely for work: overview (the law applies to company and "grey fleet" vehicles owned by workers): https://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/employer/index.htm (accessed 20 October 2026)
- HSE, Driving and riding safely for work: make sure drivers and riders are safe (licences, insurance and MOTs): https://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/employer/make-sure-drivers-riders-are-safe.htm (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Just Eat UK partner sign-up page, archived copy of 13 July 2026 (14% + VAT own drivers, 30% + VAT Just Eat delivery): https://web.archive.org/web/20260713160102/https://www.just-eat.co.uk/partner/signup/js/main.ce6066e016ab89ffb6a6.js (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Just Eat UK partner knowledge centre, "Introduction to Partner Hub" (own couriers: delivery fees and delivery area up to 7 miles), updated 2 December 2025: https://partnerinfo.just-eat.co.uk/en/your-business/introduction-to-partner-hub (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Uber Eats UK merchant pricing (13% + VAT self-delivery; 30% Uber delivery): https://merchants.ubereats.com/gb/en/pricing/ (as cited on our Uber Eats UK commission page, checked 11 October 2026)
- Deliveroo, Marketplace+ (own riders; set delivery area, fees and minimum spend): https://merchants.deliveroo.com/en-gb/what-we-offer/marketplace (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Deliveroo partner terms, Marketplace+ Service and Deliveroo rider network terms (35% + VAT while active): https://merchants.deliveroo.com/legal/terms (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Stripe UK pricing (standard UK cards 1.5% + 20p): https://stripe.com/gb/pricing (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Meta for Developers, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing (GBP utility rate £0.0159): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Menuthere help centre: Your own delivery riders; The rider app; Customers track the rider live; Uber Direct; Delivery zones; Delivery charges (read 20 October 2026)