Halal food ordering apps: which route suits a UK halal restaurant?

Searches for a "halal food ordering app" come from two very different people. Diners want somewhere to order from. Owners want a way to take orders without handing a slice of every sale to someone else. This guide is for the owner. It sets out the three routes, what to compare before choosing, and how to keep your halal wording in your own hands.

The three routes

1. A halal marketplace or delivery app

Some marketplace apps focus on halal food, and the large general marketplaces have halal categories too. The benefit is discovery: people who have never heard of you can find you. The cost is that the platform sets its own commission and fees, and it usually owns the relationship with the customer. Chefzi is not affiliated with any of them. Ask each app for its fees in writing before you sign, and do not assume the rate.

2. Your own ordering page

Customers open your link from Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, a leaflet or a QR code on the door, read your halal statement, choose collection or delivery and pay. There is no commission on any Chefzi plan. You are responsible for sending people to the link, which is why many owners keep a marketplace for new customers and move regulars to their own page.

3. Your own branded app (Pro)

An app with your name on the customer's phone. It suits shops with many weekly regulars. Not every shop needs one: a mobile-friendly ordering page does the same job for most customers, and the page is included from Starter. Your own branded app is on the Pro plan.

What to compare before you choose

• Commission on collection and on delivery, and any fee charged to the customer.
• Who sees the customer's name, number and order history.
• How your halal status is shown: a platform badge, or your own words on your own menu.
• Whether you can use your own drivers.
• Contract length, and what happens if you leave.

How the maths works

If a marketplace takes 14% on a £20 order, that is £2.80 on a single order. Use the commission calculator with your own weekly orders and the rate on your own contract. That is an example, not a quote for any platform. For the published rates and their sources, see Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats commission in the UK.

Showing your halal status on your own page

Chefzi does not certify food and does not add a halal badge. You write the statement yourself, for example "All our meat is halal, supplied by [your supplier]", and name your certification body if you have one. Only claim what you can prove. See online ordering for halal restaurants and takeaways and our guide to halal wording on an online menu.

Keep the marketplace, add your own link

You do not have to leave a marketplace to start. Put your own link on your Google profile, your receipts, your bags and your social pages, and give regulars a reason to order direct. See how to add an order link to your Google Business Profile and moving customers from Just Eat to your own website.

What it costs with Chefzi

Starter £12 a month (£9 billed yearly), Plus £22 (£19) and Pro £49 (£39), per location, excluding VAT. The first month is free, no credit card is required, there is no setup fee and commission is 0% on every plan. Your own branded app and the EPOS till are on Pro. See pricing, or read our halal restaurant page and book a free call.