20 April 2026 · 7 min read
The commission reality on Talabat and Deliveroo, what 'integration' actually means, and why your own website should handle what the platforms can't.
Every Dubai restaurant owner knows the Talabat commission structure, and most of them hate it. The question we get asked regularly is some version of: "Can we add a button on our website that lets people order directly and skip the platform?"
The honest answer is: sort of, but not the way you're imagining. Let's break down what's actually possible, what isn't, and what strategy makes sense.
Talabat, Deliveroo, and Zomato all take commissions in the 20–35% range for delivery orders. The exact number depends on your contract, your volume, and sometimes which package you're on.
On a AED 500 order — a fairly typical family meal — you're handing over AED 100–175 to the platform. Before you've paid your staff, ingredients, or kitchen overhead.
For a busy restaurant doing AED 150,000 per month on Talabat, that's AED 30,000–52,500 going to the platform. Every month. The number is real and it compounds.
This is not a complaint — Talabat brings customers. The question is whether you can shift even a portion of those orders to a direct channel.
First, the counterintuitive part: having a good website doesn't mean you should leave the platforms.
Talabat and Deliveroo are discovery channels. New residents, tourists, people searching for food nearby — they start on the app. Your listing there is marketing, not just sales infrastructure. A restaurant that abandons the platforms usually loses new customer acquisition, even if the economics of platform orders are painful.
The goal isn't to replace Talabat. It's to convert some of those customers to direct ordering for repeat purchases.
This is where a lot of restaurant owners have unrealistic expectations.
You cannot deep-link from your website into Talabat's ordering system. Talabat does not expose an API that lets external websites submit orders on its behalf. The same is true for Deliveroo.
What you can do on your website: link to your Talabat and Deliveroo listing pages. That's the extent of "integration" with these platforms. A button that says "Order via Talabat" and opens the app or their website.
Some restaurant websites use this well — they show both options prominently, let the customer choose, and track which channel performs. That's a legitimate and useful setup.
Here's where your website actually earns its value for a restaurant:
Table bookings. Talabat doesn't handle dine-in reservations. If someone wants to book a table at your restaurant, they're searching Google, checking your website, or calling. A simple booking form (or a link to Sevenrooms or OpenTable) on your site captures this without any commission.
Catering inquiries. A AED 8,000 corporate catering order generates roughly AED 2,000 in platform commission if it goes through Talabat (unlikely for catering, but the math illustrates why you want this direct). Catering inquiries should go directly to you via a website form or WhatsApp.
Corporate accounts and regulars. Businesses that order weekly from the same place are worth cultivating as direct customers. A "set up a corporate account" page on your website, linked from a WhatsApp conversation or email signature, works.
Your story and brand. Talabat listings are fungible. Every restaurant looks the same. Your website is where you can show the chef's background, the sourcing story, the photography that makes someone actually want to visit.
Setting up direct online ordering on your website is possible, but it's not a simple fix.
Pros:
Cons:
A few platforms that Dubai restaurants actually use:
FoodBunny — UAE-based, designed specifically for this market, integrates with POS systems some restaurants already use.
iiko — Full restaurant management platform that includes online ordering. More suited for multi-location operations.
OrderEasy — Simpler solution, white-label ordering page, used by some independent Dubai restaurants.
WhatsApp order forms — The lowest-tech option and often the most effective for smaller operations. A pinned message with your menu and a simple ordering format. Your regulars already have your number.
For most independent restaurants in Dubai, a WhatsApp-based direct ordering system for regulars is more practical than a full-stack online ordering platform. Setup time is hours, not weeks.
You don't need to replace the platforms. You need to shift a meaningful slice.
If you're doing AED 150,000/month on Talabat with 25% commission (AED 37,500/month in fees), converting 10% of those orders to direct saves roughly AED 3,750 per month — AED 45,000 per year. That's a meaningful number for a restaurant.
Getting to 10% direct doesn't require replacing Talabat. It requires a website that gives regulars a reason to order direct, a WhatsApp number they can message, and a light nudge ("save your next delivery fee — order direct").
A clear mental model for how to think about each channel:
| Channel | Job | |---------|-----| | Talabat / Deliveroo / Zomato | Discovery, new customers, delivery logistics | | Your website | Bookings, catering inquiries, brand story, converting regulars | | WhatsApp / direct | Repeat orders, corporate accounts, regulars | | Instagram | Inspiration, awareness, driving both of the above |
None of these replace the others. They serve different customers at different stages.
We build restaurant websites that handle bookings, catering forms, and direct WhatsApp ordering without retainer contracts. More on what that looks like at /for-restaurants.
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