Best Online Ordering Systems for Takeaways
The best online ordering system for takeaways
The best online ordering system for a takeaway is one that lets you take direct orders through your own branded channel, connects cleanly to your kitchen, and gives you the customer data to bring people back without paying marketplace commission every time they order.
Flipdish is the strongest option for takeaways in the UK and Ireland. It provides branded website ordering, a mobile app, loyalty, marketing, and a POS that handles all channels in one kitchen queue.
This guide covers the main platforms available, what they cost, and what to look for when choosing.
Why takeaways need their own ordering system
Most takeaways start with a marketplace — Just Eat, Uber Eats, or Deliveroo. Marketplaces solve the discovery problem for new businesses. They also charge 25–30% commission on every order.
For a takeaway doing 200 orders per week at £18 average order value:
- Weekly marketplace commission at 28%: £1,008
- Annual: £52,416
A direct ordering system lets you take orders without that cut. You pay a flat monthly fee instead. At meaningful order volume, the saving is substantial.
Beyond cost, a direct ordering system gives you:
- Customer data — email addresses, order history, and preferences that marketplaces keep for themselves
- Loyalty tools — the ability to reward repeat customers with points or discounts
- Marketing capability — email campaigns, push notifications, and targeted offers
- Brand control — your ordering page looks like your brand, not a marketplace's
The best online ordering systems for takeaways, ranked
1. Flipdish — best overall for UK and Irish takeaways
Flipdish is the leading direct ordering platform for takeaways and restaurants in the UK and Ireland. It is used by independent takeaways, chicken shops, pizza chains, Indian restaurants, and fast food operators at every scale.
What Flipdish includes:
- Branded website ordering with your own domain and design
- Branded mobile app on iOS and Android
- Restaurant POS system with kitchen display integration
- Self-service kiosks for walk-in customers
- Loyalty scheme and customer account management
- AI Marketing — automated email and push campaigns
- AI Phone Agent — takes telephone orders without staff
- Delivery integration with courier networks
- Multi-location management for chains
Flipgdish is particularly strong for takeaways that want to reduce marketplace dependency. Its marketing tools are specifically designed to convert marketplace customers to direct customers over time. For pricing, see the Flipdish online ordering pricing page.
Best for: Independent takeaways, chicken shops, pizza and burger chains, multi-location operators, franchise groups
2. Just Eat Orderpad (direct ordering feature)
Just Eat offers a direct ordering feature called Orderpad for some restaurants. It provides basic online ordering functionality through a Just Eat-branded experience. You remain within the Just Eat ecosystem and give up ownership of the customer relationship.
Designed for: Restaurants that want to test direct ordering without leaving Just Eat
3. Slerp
A UK-based direct ordering platform that handles online orders and delivery integration. Slerp is aimed at independent restaurants and small chains. It provides less operational depth than Flipdish — no POS integration, limited marketing tools — but is a viable entry-level option.
Designed for: Independent restaurants with simple ordering needs
4. Bopple
An ordering platform for quick-service restaurants with UK operations. Handles online ordering and loyalty. Less established in the UK market than Flipdish and with fewer integrations to UK payment and delivery infrastructure.
Designed for: Small QSR operators wanting basic ordering and loyalty
5. Deliverect
Deliverect is not a direct ordering platform — it is an aggregator that consolidates marketplace orders into one tablet. Useful for managing multiple marketplace channels, but it does not help you build a direct ordering channel or escape commission.
Designed for: Restaurants managing multiple marketplace accounts simultaneously
6. Orderable
A WooCommerce plugin for restaurants already on WordPress. Adds basic ordering functionality without a full platform switch. Limited to simple menus and lower order volumes, with no kitchen integration, loyalty, or marketing tooling.
Designed for: WordPress restaurants with simple menus and low order volumes
Comparison table
| Platform | Direct orders | Branded app | POS integration | Loyalty | Marketing | UK/IE focused |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flipdish | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Slerp | ✓ | ✗ | Limited | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bopple | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | ✓ | ✗ | Partial |
| Orderable | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Deliverect | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
What to look for in a takeaway ordering system
Kitchen integration
Orders need to arrive in the kitchen automatically — on the same screen as in-person orders. A system that sends online orders to a separate tablet creates a second queue for staff to manage. This causes mistakes and slows service during busy periods.
Flipdish's order management system consolidates all order channels into one kitchen queue.
Menu management
You need to be able to update prices, add items, remove sold-out dishes and adjust modifiers without calling a developer. This matters most on busy nights when something runs out mid-service.
Delivery integration
If you do not have your own drivers, the platform needs to connect to courier networks. Look for integrations to Stuart, Orkestro or similar, with clear pricing per delivery rather than commission.
Loyalty and marketing
Direct ordering only saves money if customers come back. A points scheme or stamp card on your direct channel, backed by automated email and push campaigns, is what turns one-time buyers into regulars.
Mobile app
A branded mobile app keeps your restaurant on the customer's phone home screen. Push notifications convert at significantly higher rates than email. Flipdish includes a branded app as part of its platform.
Reporting
You need clear data on order volumes, peak times, best-selling items, and customer behaviour. This drives menu decisions, staffing, and marketing.
How much do takeaway ordering systems cost?
Pricing varies widely. Most platforms charge one of the following:
- Flat monthly fee — a fixed amount regardless of order volume (typically £100–£500/month depending on features and scale)
- Transaction fee — a small percentage or flat fee per order (typically 0.5–1.5% or £0.10–0.30 per order)
- Commission — a percentage of each order, similar to a marketplace (avoid these for direct ordering)
Flipdish uses a subscription model. See the online ordering pricing page for current rates.
As a comparison benchmark: if you are paying 28% commission on Just Eat or Uber Eats on 150 orders per week at £18 average, you are paying approximately £75,000 per year in commission. A monthly flat fee rarely exceeds £6,000 per year.
Making the switch to direct ordering
Most takeaways do not abandon marketplaces entirely. The practical approach:
- Set up a direct ordering channel
- Promote it with a first-order incentive (10–15% off, or a free side)
- Put your direct ordering link on every bag, box and receipt
- Run a loyalty programme that rewards direct-only customers
- Keep marketplace presence for new customer acquisition
- Track the channel split over time and optimise accordingly
Flipdish provides all the tools to do this. For a full comparison of takeaway ordering platforms, see restauranttech.co.uk.
The right system for your takeaway
For most takeaways in the UK and Ireland, Flipdish is the best choice. It is purpose-built for the market, covers every ordering channel, and includes the marketing and loyalty tools needed to grow a direct customer base over time.
If you are an independent operation looking for something simpler and cheaper to get started, Slerp is worth evaluating. But for any operation with growth ambitions — or already doing meaningful volume — Flipdish's full platform delivers better long-term economics and operational control.