Loyalty Programs for Takeaways: Reduce App Dependency
Feb 3, 2026
Here's a scenario that probably sounds familiar:
A customer orders from you every Friday night via Uber Eats. They spend £28 per order. You pay Uber Eats 30% commission (£8.40), leaving you with £19.60 before food costs, labor, and overheads. After everything, you're making £2-3 profit per order.
That same customer could be ordering directly from you—saving you £8.40 in commission and giving you their contact details so you can bring them back next Friday. Instead, they don't even know your phone number. They're Uber Eats' customer, not yours.
Now multiply that by 50-100 customers per week. You're paying £20,000-40,000 per year in commissions to platforms that own the customer relationship, control the pricing, and train your customers to chase the next 30% off voucher.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: delivery platforms are brilliant for discovery, but terrible for profitability and loyalty. They get your food in front of new customers, but they also commoditize your business, hide you behind algorithms, and make it impossible to build direct relationships. It's the same economics strangling independent hotels, where OTAs like Booking.com take 15-25% commission and own the guest relationship—which is why hotel loyalty programs have become essential for driving direct bookings and reclaiming margins.
The solution isn't to abandon delivery apps entirely—it's to use them for customer acquisition while building a direct ordering channel powered by a loyalty program that gives customers a reason to order from you repeatedly without waiting for discounts.
This guide is for takeaway owners—pizza shops, fried chicken joints, kebab houses, sushi bars, burger places—who are tired of working harder for less profit. We'll show you how to reduce platform dependency, build a base of direct-ordering regulars, and implement loyalty programs that work during peak hours without slowing down service or confusing staff.
The Delivery Platform Trap (And Why It's Getting Worse)
Let's talk about the economics of running a takeaway in 2026. It's brutal.
Your typical cost structure:
Food costs: 28-35% of revenue
Labor costs: 20-30% of revenue
Rent, utilities, packaging: 15-20% of revenue
Platform commissions: 20-35% of revenue (on app orders)
Net profit margin: 3-8% (often less)
When a customer orders a £25 meal via Deliveroo:
Deliveroo takes £7.50 (30% commission)
Your food cost: £7.50
Labor + packaging + overheads: £6.50
Your profit: £3.50
When that same customer orders directly:
No commission
Food cost: £7.50
Labor + packaging + overheads: £6.50
Your profit: £11.00
That's 3x the profit on the exact same order. And you get their phone number, email, and order history—data you can use to bring them back.
Why takeaways stay trapped on platforms:
"We need the visibility"—platforms put you in front of customers searching for food
"Everyone's on there"—customers default to apps for convenience
"We don't have time to build our own system"—you're slammed during peak hours
These reasons are valid. But here's what's also true: every order that goes through a platform instead of direct is costing you £7-8 in commission. Over a year, that's £20,000-50,000+ in lost profit.
You don't need to abandon platforms. You need to convert platform customers into direct customers using loyalty as the bridge.
The Discount Trap: Why "30% Off" Is Destroying Your Business
Here's another problem: delivery platforms train customers to chase discounts.
"30% off your first order." "50% off selected restaurants." "£10 off orders over £15."
These promotions drive orders, but they also:
Attract deal-hunters who never pay full price
Condition customers to wait for discounts before ordering
Destroy perceived value—if your food is 50% off every week, is it actually worth full price?
Erode margins even further—you're busier but less profitable
Example: A kebab shop in Birmingham ran 30% off promotions every Friday for six months. Orders spiked on Fridays, but:
Customers stopped ordering other days
Average order value dropped (people bought just enough to hit the minimum)
When they stopped the promotion, Friday orders collapsed
They'd trained customers to only order with discounts
This is the discount trap. You can't afford to keep discounting, but you can't stop without losing customers.
The alternative: Replace discounts with earned rewards.
Instead of "30% off for everyone," offer:
"Order 8 times, get £10 off"
"Earn 1 point per £1 spent, redeem for free items"
"5% cashback on every direct order"
The difference:
Discounts are given away for free and attract price-sensitive customers
Rewards are earned through behavior and build loyalty
Rewards cost you less, attract better customers, and create habits instead of one-time spikes.
The Economics of Loyalty: What's a Regular Takeaway Customer Worth?
Let's run the numbers on customer lifetime value.
Scenario 1: Platform-Only Customer
Orders once via Deliveroo
Spend: £25
Your profit after commission: £3.50
Lifetime value: £3.50
Scenario 2: Regular Direct Customer (twice per month)
Orders 24 times per year directly
Average spend: £28 per order
Your profit per order (no commission): £11
Lifetime value over 2 years: £528 Sit-down restaurants face a similar gap between one-time diners and regulars, which is why loyalty programs for restaurants use the same lifetime value logic to justify rewarding repeat visits over chasing new covers.
Scenario 3: Loyal Direct Customer (weekly + referral)
Orders 48 times per year directly
Average spend: £30 per order (higher comfort = upsells)
Refers 2 friends who each become regulars
Lifetime value over 2 years: £2,000+
Now ask yourself: what would you pay to convert a platform customer into a direct regular? £20? £50?
If you spent £30 in loyalty rewards (3 free sides, 1 free drink, £10 cashback) to secure £528 in lifetime value, that's a 1,660% ROI. Even at 5% margins, that math works.
Loyalty Structures That Work for Takeaways
Takeaways operate differently from sit-down restaurants or coffee shops. Your customers:
Order frequently (weekly or more)
Spend £15-35 per order
Want speed and convenience above everything
Are habit-driven but easily distracted by deals elsewhere
The best customer loyalty programs for takeaways are simple, fast, and designed around habit formation.
1. Digital Stamp Cards: Simple, Visual, Effective
This is the classic model, and it works brilliantly for takeaways.
How it works:
Customer orders → gets a digital stamp
After 8-10 stamps → free item (free pizza, free burger, £10 off)
Why it works for takeaways:
Dead simple—customers understand it immediately
Visual progress—they can see how close they are
Fast completion—at 2 orders per month, they earn rewards in 4-5 months
Creates urgency—"I'm on 7/10 stamps—might as well order this week"
Example: A pizza shop in Leeds switched from paper punch cards to Perkstar's digital stamp cards (Buy 8, Get 1 Free). Getting the stamp count right matters more than most owners think—set it too high and customers lose interest, too low and you erode margins, which is why it's worth understanding how to design a stamp card that balances reward frequency with profitability. Within 12 weeks:
Direct orders increased 47%
Customers stopped losing paper cards (digital cards live in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet)
Average order frequency increased from 1.8x/month to 2.4x/month
Platform dependency dropped from 70% to 45% of orders
Perkstar makes stamp cards instant to set up. Customers scan a QR code, add the card to their phone's wallet, and earn stamps automatically with each direct order.
2. Cashback System: Simple, Transparent, High-Value
Cashback is psychologically powerful because it feels like "free money" rather than a discount.
How it works:
Customers earn 5-10% cashback on every direct order
Cashback accumulates and can be used on future orders
Example: Order £30 directly → earn £1.50-3.00 cashback
Why it works for takeaways:
Transparent value—customers know exactly what they're getting
Encourages direct ordering—platform orders don't earn cashback
Builds balance over time—creates momentum and psychological ownersh If you're torn between cashback and a points system, the decision often comes down to your average order value and margin structure—a detailed comparison of points vs cashback programs shows how each model affects profitability differently at various price points.ip
Works at any order size—no minimum spend required
Example: A fried chicken shop in Manchester offers 8% cashback on all direct orders (phone, website, in-person). A customer who orders £25 twice a month earns £48 cashback per year—enough for 2 free meals. The shop reports that customers who enroll in cashback order 2.3x more frequently than those who don't.
3. Points System: Flexible and Encourages Upselling
A points-based system gives you control and encourages customers to spend more per order.
How it works:
Customers earn 1 point per £1 spent on direct orders
100 points = £5 off
200 points = free side or drink
500 points = free meal
Why it works:
Encourages upsells: "I'll add a side—it gets me closer to my reward"
Rewards your best customers proportionally
You control redemption ratios to protect margins
Works across your entire menu
Example: A sushi takeaway in Bristol uses a points system (1 point per £1, 300 points = £10 off). Since launching, they've seen:
33% increase in extras ordered (sides, drinks, desserts)
Average order value up from £22 to £26.50
Direct orders now represent 60% of total orders (up from 35%)
Perkstar's points system lets you set custom values, offer bonus points for specific behaviors (order on quiet nights, refer friends), and adjust ratios as your economics change.
4. Referral Rewards: Turn Customers into Your Marketing Team
Word-of-mouth is huge for takeaways. Formalize it with referrals.
How it works:
Customer refers a friend → both get a reward (£5 off, free side, 100 bonus points)
Track referrals via unique codes or digital cards
Why it works:
Referred customers have 50-70% higher lifetime value (they come pre-endorsed)
Low cost (you only pay out after acquiring a new customer)
Builds community and social proof
Example: A burger shop in Glasgow introduced "Refer a friend, you both get a free side." In 8 months, they acquired 110 new direct customers through referrals—customers who bypassed delivery apps entirely because they were personally recommended.
Perkstar's referral program tracks referrals automatically, applies rewards, and sends push notifications when rewards are earned.
Real-World Example: How One Pizza Shop Reclaimed Customers from Deliveroo
Here's a case study from a family-run pizza takeaway in Newcastle that was losing money to platform commissions.
The Problem:
75% of orders came through Deliveroo and Uber Eats
They were paying £2,400/month in commissions
Customers had no idea they could order directly
No customer data, no ability to market directly
Profit margins were 4-5% (unsustainable)
The Solution: They launched a direct ordering loyalty program using Perkstar:
QR code on every delivery bag and receipt: "Order direct next time, earn loyalty points + skip the fees"
Digital stamp card: Buy 8 pizzas directly, get the 9th free
Better pricing direct: Offered free delivery on direct orders over £15 (saved customers money vs. app delivery fees)
Push notifications: Reminded customers when they were close to rewards or hadn't ordered in 2+ weeks
Bonus stamps for direct orders: First direct o This isn't an isolated case—pizza restaurants specifically are among the hardest hit by platform economics, and a dedicated pizza restaurant loyalty program can reclaim 20-40% of app orders within six months when paired with the right incentive structure.rder earned 2 stamps instead of 1
The Results (after 6 months):
Direct orders increased from 25% to 58% of total orders
Saved £18,000 in platform commissions over 6 months
Built a database of 850 customers with phone/email
Average order frequency increased 31% (customers ordered more often when earning rewards)
Profit margins improved from 4.5% to 9.2%
Customer retention improved by 40% (loyalty members stayed engaged longer)
The owner said: "We were working 70-hour weeks and barely breaking even. Platforms were bleeding us dry. The loyalty program gave customers a reason to order direct, and suddenly we had a real business again."
Speed and Simplicity: Implementation That Works During Peak Hours
Here's a critical point: takeaways can't afford slow loyalty systems during peak hours.
When you're slammed on Friday night doing 100+ orders, you can't have staff fumbling with apps, manually tracking points, or dealing with complicated redemption processes. This is another reason paper punch cards are a liability—during a Friday night rush, fumbling with physical cards and stamps adds 15-30 seconds per transaction, which across 100 orders costs you 25-50 minutes of lost productivity.
How digital loyalty cards solve this:
For In-Store Pickup:
Customer places order at counter
Staff scans QR code on customer's phone (3 seconds)
Digital stamp/points automatically applied
Customer's wallet card updates in real-time
No paper cards, no manual entry, no slowdown.
For Phone Orders:
Customer calls to order
Staff asks: "Phone number for the order?"
System looks up loyalty account, applies reward automatically
Customer sees update via push notification
For Delivery Orders:
Customer orders via your website
Loyalty account linked to phone/email
Points/stamps applied automatically at checkout
No staff involvement needed
Perkstar is designed for speed. Barcode scanning takes 3-5 seconds, online orders auto-credit loyalty, and there's no complex training required. Your staff can handle peak hours without the loyalty system slowing anything down.
Modern Take: The Direct Ordering Revolution
Let's talk about the shift happening in the takeaway industry right now.
What's changing:
Customers are getting platform fatigue—tired of scrolling through 500 options, surge pricing, and hidden fees
More customers want to support local businesses directly—they understand platforms take huge cuts
Commission-free ordering tools are now accessible and affordable for small takeaways
WhatsApp orderin If your customer base skews older or less tech-savvy, don't assume digital is the only path—simple low-tech loyalty options like phone-number-based tracking or text-to-order systems can reduce friction just as effectively without requiring an app download.g is exploding (especially in ethnic food markets)
The opportunity: You don't need to build a fancy app or compete with Just Eat's budget. You just need:
A simple website or landing page where customers can order
A loyalty program that gives them a reason to order direct
Marketing that captures platform customers and redirects them
Example: A kebab shop in Bradford started using WhatsApp for direct orders + Perkstar loyalty. Their pitch: "Order via WhatsApp, earn stamps toward free kebabs + skip the delivery fees."
Within 4 months:
WhatsApp orders represented 40% of total orders
They'd converted 200+ Deliveroo customers to direct ordering
Customer satisfaction increased (faster communication, personal service)
Saved £8,000 in commissions
The future of takeaways isn't just being listed on apps—it's building direct relationships with customers who choose you because you've earned their loyalty.
How to Convert Platform Customers to Direct Orders
Here's the practical playbook for reducing platform dependency.
Step 1: Make Customers Aware of Direct Ordering
Most customers don't realize they can order directly. Tell them.
Where to promote:
QR code on every delivery bag: "Order direct next time, earn loyalty rewards"
Receipt inserts: Small card with QR code and value proposition
Social media: "Order direct, save on fees, earn free food"
Google Business Profile: List your phone number and website prominently
Step 2: Offer Clear Value for Direct Orders
Customers need a reason to switch. Make it obvious.
Value propositions that work:
"Free delivery on direct orders over £15" (vs. £2.99 app fees)
"Earn loyalty points only on direct orders"
"Better prices direct—no app markups"
"Order direct, earn free food faster"
Step 3: Remove Friction from Direct Ordering
Don't make it harder to order direct than via apps.
How to reduce friction:
Mobile-friendly website with simple ordering
WhatsApp ordering (just text your order)
Phone orders (fast and personal)
Save customer details for faster repeat orders
Step 4: Use Loyalty to Build the Habit
Once a customer orders direct once, loyalty ensures they come back.
Habit-building strategies:
Offer bonus stamps/points for first direct order
Send push notifications when they're close to rewards
Re-engage lapsed customers with targeted offers
Recognize regulars with VIP perks
Step 5: Track Progress and Adjust
Use data to see what's working.
Metrics to watch:
% of direct orders vs. platform orders
Average order frequency for loyalty members
Redemption rates (are customers actually using rewards?)
Customer lifetime value
Perkstar's analytics show you all of this in real-time, so you can see which strategies are driving direct orders and adjust accordingly.
Avoiding the Mistakes That Kill Takeaway Loyalty Programs
Here are the most common mistakes takeaways make with loyalty—and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Making Rewards Too Generous (Killing Margins)
Offering "Buy 5, Get 1 Free" sounds great, but on 5% margins, it can push you into the red.
Solution: Use reward ratios that protect margins. "Buy 8, Get 1 Free" (11% discount rate) or "Earn 5% cashback" work at thin margins.
Mistake 2: Using Paper Punch Cards
Customers lose them, staff forget to stamp them, and there's zero data.
Solution: Go digital. Wallet-based loyalty cards (Apple Wallet, Google Wallet) are always accessible, update automatically, and give you customer data.
Mistake 3: Offering the Same Rewards on Platform and Direct Orders
If customers earn loyalty on Deliveroo orders, there's no incentive to switch to direct.
Solution: Only reward direct orders. Make this clear: "Earn loyalty points only when you order direct."
Mistake 4: Not Promoting the Program
You launch a loyalty program and assume customers will find it. They won't.
Solution: Train staff to mention it, put QR codes everywhere, send reminder texts, post on social media.
Mistake 5: Complicated Redemption Process
If customers have to jump through hoops to redeem rewards, they'll stop participating.
Solution: Make redemption automatic. When customers hit reward thresholds, notify them and let them redeem on their next order with one tap.
Why Digital Loyalty Platforms Beat DIY Solutions
You could try running loyalty manually—spreadsheets, paper cards, WhatsApp groups. But here's what you'd miss:
Automation—no manual tracking, no human error
Always accessible—customers can't lose digital cards
Push notifications—re-engage lapsed customers automatically
Customer data—see who your best customers are, identify at-risk customers
Integration—works with online ordering, POS systems
Analytics—track ROI, measure effectiveness
Scalability—grows with you as you add locations
Perkstar is purpose-built for takeaways and small hospitality businesses. You get unlimited loyalty card members, custom designs, push notifications, analytics, and integrations—all from £15/month. Setup takes less than 20 minutes, and there's a 14-day free trial (no credit card required).
Start Building Direct Ordering Regulars
Here's the reality: takeaways can't survive long-term by giving 30% of every order to delivery platforms. The economics don't work.
The solution isn't abandoning platforms—it's using them for customer acquisition while building a direct ordering channel powered by loyalty. Give customers a reason to order from you directly: better value, personal service, and rewards they can't get on apps.
Whether you choose stamp cards, cashback, points, or referrals, the key is making it fast, simple, and valuable enough that customers choose direct ordering over scrolling through Deliveroo.
Digital loyalty platforms like Perkstar make this manageable. No complicated setup, no slow transactions, no lost customer data. Just a system that converts platform customers into profitable direct regulars.
Ready to reduce platform dependency and reclaim your margins? Start your free 14-day trial with Perkstar—no credit card required. Set up your loyalty program in minutes and start building a base of direct-ordering customers who keep coming back.
