Aggregators vs Direct Ordering for Ghost Kitchens: The Real Maths

Aggregator platforms charge commission on every order. The exact rate varies by platform, plan, and whether delivery is included, but the typical range is 15-35% of the order total. Let us look at what that actually means for your business.

On a single £20 order:

• At 15% commission — you pay £3.00. You keep £17.00.
• At 25% commission — you pay £5.00. You keep £15.00.
• At 35% commission — you pay £7.00. You keep £13.00.

Those numbers look manageable on a single order. Now multiply them by the volume a ghost kitchen needs to be viable.

At 100 orders per week (£20 average):

• At 15% commission — £300/week, £15,600/year in commission.
• At 25% commission — £500/week, £26,000/year in commission.
• At 35% commission — £700/week, £36,400/year in commission.

Compare that to direct ordering, where you pay only payment processing fees of 1.5-2.5% per transaction. On the same 100 orders at £20:

• At 2% payment processing — £40/week, £2,080/year. Plus any platform subscription (typically £0-£50/month, or £0-£600/year).

The annual difference is stark. At 25% aggregator commission versus direct ordering, you are paying roughly £23,000-£25,000 more per year in fees on the same revenue. That is not a rounding error — it is a full-time salary, a kitchen renovation, or a year's worth of marketing budget.

There is also a hidden cost: you do not own the customer relationship. Aggregators control the customer data. You cannot email past customers, you cannot send them a discount code for their next order, and you cannot build a direct relationship. Every customer is rented, not owned.

The reality for most ghost kitchens is not "aggregators or direct" — it is "aggregators then direct." The smart approach is to use aggregators as a customer acquisition channel while building your direct ordering base.

Think of aggregators as paid advertising that also fulfils orders. You are paying 25-35% commission to get in front of thousands of local customers who are actively searching for food. That is expensive, but it is also highly targeted and immediately revenue-generating. The goal is to convert those aggregator customers into direct customers over time.

Here is how to do it practically:

• Include a flyer in every aggregator order — a small card with your direct ordering link and a discount: "Order direct next time and save 10% — [yourwebsite.com]." This is the most effective conversion tactic. Aggregator terms technically prohibit overt poaching, but a branded insert with your website is standard practice. Focus on the customer benefit (cheaper prices, exclusive deals) rather than explicitly saying "stop using Deliveroo."
• Offer better prices on your own site — many ghost kitchens inflate prices on aggregator platforms by 10-15% to cover commission, then offer "real" prices on their own site. Customers notice the difference and switch. This is transparent and fair — you are simply passing the commission saving on to the customer.
• Create exclusive menu items for direct orders — offer a dish, bundle, or dessert that is only available when ordering directly. This gives customers a genuine reason to visit your site rather than defaulting to an aggregator app.
• Use branded packaging even on aggregator orders — your logo, website URL, and social media handles should be on every bag and container. Customers may have found you on Deliveroo, but if your branding is strong, they will Google you next time and find your direct ordering option.
• Track the shift over time — monitor the percentage of orders coming through direct versus aggregator channels. A healthy target is to move 40-60% of order volume to direct within the first 6-12 months. Some operators reach 70-80% direct within 18 months.

When to drop aggregators entirely: once your direct ordering volume is high enough that you do not need aggregator traffic to fill your kitchen capacity. For most ghost kitchens, this happens when direct orders consistently exceed 60-70% of total volume. At that point, the remaining aggregator orders are costing you commission without generating new customers — they are just repeat customers who have not switched yet.

Some operators keep one aggregator platform active indefinitely as a discovery channel, accepting the commission cost as a customer acquisition expense. This makes sense if you are still growing and the aggregator brings in genuinely new customers, not just existing ones who find it more convenient.