How to choose an online ordering system for a UK takeaway: 12 checks

Pick the model first

• Marketplace listing (for example Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats): new customers find you, and you pay a percentage of each order. See which food delivery app is cheaper for restaurants.
• Your own ordering system on a monthly plan: customers order on your own site, you pay a fixed fee, and you keep the order and the customer. This is where Chefzi sits. See commission-free online ordering.
• A per-order or customer-paid fee model: some providers charge nothing monthly and add a fee to each order that your customer pays. See the Tastie alternative page for one published example.

Most takeaways use more than one. A common route is to keep a marketplace for new customers and move regulars to your own link.

The twelve checks

1. Is the full price published? Ask for the monthly fee, set-up fee, hardware cost, card fees and any per-order fee in one written list. Chefzi's prices are on the pricing page: Starter £9 a month billed annually (£12 monthly), Plus £19 (£22), Pro £39 (£49), per location, excluding VAT, with no set-up fee.
2. Is there a fee on your customer's bill? Some systems add a service fee per order. Chefzi adds nothing to your customer's bill.
3. How much commission, if any? Chefzi takes 0% commission ever. Use the commission calculator to see what a marketplace percentage costs on your own order numbers.
4. Who sets the card fee? Every card payment has a processing fee. On Chefzi, card payments are on the Plus plan and above through Stripe Connect, Square, Worldpay or PayPal, so the processor you choose sets the rate. Cash on collection and cash on delivery work on every plan.
5. Do orders ring where the kitchen is? An order that sits in an email is easy to miss. In Chefzi the order rings in the Chefzi Orders app on a phone or tablet you already own until someone accepts or rejects it.
6. Does it connect to a till? If you want counter and online orders on one screen, check that before you sign. Chefzi's browser till and kitchen screen are on the Pro plan.
7. How much control do you have over the menu? You should be able to change a price, mark an item out of stock and set required choices (size, sauce, spice) yourself. In Chefzi, choices can be required with a minimum and a maximum, and an item can be marked out of stock.
8. How does delivery work? Check for delivery zones with their own fee and minimum, and whether you use your own drivers. Chefzi has zones with their own fee, minimum and time and uses your own drivers. It has no courier integrations.
9. How do hours and pre-orders work? Collection and delivery hours should be separate. In Chefzi they are, and the pre-order lead time is set for the location. Chefzi has no cap on orders per time slot, so you pause ordering when the kitchen is full.
10. How are allergens shown? For orders placed online, allergen information must be given before the purchase is completed and again when the food is delivered (Food Standards Agency). On Chefzi you write the allergen information for each dish and Chefzi shows it; Chefzi does not check it. See allergen information for online orders.
11. Who owns the domain and the customer relationship? Ask whether the ordering site sits on your own domain and what happens to it if you leave. Chefzi includes your own domain in every plan.
12. What does the contract say about leaving? Ask for the notice period, any early-leaving charge and what happens to hardware, in writing. If a terminal is lent to you, find out who owns it. Chefzi has no set-up fee, the first month is free and no credit card is needed to start, and you use your own phone or tablet.

Red flags

• A price only available after a sales call, with no published "from" figure.
• Fees that appear only in the contract and not on the pricing page.
• Hardware you must return or buy out when you leave.
• A renewal clause you have not read.

Moving from another system

If you are replacing GloriaFood, which Oracle is closing on 30 April 2027, we move your menu for you at no charge. See moving from GloriaFood. Our online takeaway ordering page shows collection, delivery zones and 0% commission in one place.

Where Chefzi fits

Chefzi gives your takeaway its own ordering website on your own domain with 0% commission ever, from £9 a month per location billed annually (£12 monthly, excluding VAT). The first month is free and no credit card is required. See online ordering for takeaways and Chefzi pricing.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Starting a food business, section "Allergen information for food deliveries" (Food Standards Agency, last updated 19 August 2026), read 10 Nov 2026: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/starting-a-food-business
• Oracle GloriaFood end-of-life FAQ (read 10 Nov 2026): https://www.oracle.com/webfolder/dms/prod/d3/FAQs-GL.pdf