Restaurant Takeaway Loyalty: Win Back Your Delivery App Customers

Phil Ingram
2 days ago
4 min read

For the independent restaurant owner, third-party delivery apps are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they provide a digital storefront and a fleet of drivers; on the other, they charge eye-watering commissions, often between 15% and 30%, that eat directly into your already thin margins.

Perhaps more damaging than the commission is the loss of the customer relationship. When a customer orders through a major delivery platform, they aren’t your customer; they are the platform’s customer. You lose the data, the direct communication channel, and the ability to incentivise a second visit.

This guide explores how to use a restaurant takeaway loyalty delivery app customer strategy to flip the script, reclaiming your margins and your customers by migrating them from third-party apps to direct, loyal regulars.

The Margin Gap: Why Direct is Essential

Every time a customer chooses to order via a delivery app instead of directly from your kitchen, you are essentially paying a massive "convenience tax." If your average order value is $40, a 20% commission means $8 stays with the platform. Over a year, for a busy takeaway, this can equate to tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

By implementing a "Direct-Order" transition strategy, you can recapture that 15–20% margin. Even if you offer a 5% or 10% discount to order directly, you are still significantly more profitable than through a third-party app.

The Missing Link: Why Customers Stay on Apps

Customers stay on delivery apps for two reasons:

Convenience: Their payment details and address are already saved.
Aggregation: They can see all their options in one place.

To win them back, you don't need to build a million-dollar app of your own. In fact, our research shows that 75% of consumers do not want to install more apps. Instead, you need a "frictionless" way to reward them for choosing you directly.

Using QR-Based Loyalty to Bridge the Gap

The most effective way to convert a delivery-app user into a direct-order regular is at the point of consumption. Since you cannot control the delivery app's interface, you must use the takeaway meal's physical packaging as your marketing real estate.

1. The "Package Insert" Strategy

Include a high-quality card or sticker on every delivery bag. Instead of a generic "Please order direct next time," offer a tangible reward.

The Hook: "Love your meal? Get your next one 20% cheaper by ordering directly. Scan to start your digital stamp card."
The Technology: Use a meed QR code that leads to a mobile-optimised web app. This ensures the customer doesn't have to download anything to join.

2. Receipt Scanning: The Game Changer

One of the biggest hurdles for takeaway loyalty is POS (Point of Sale) integration. Traditional systems require complex technical setups to link an order to a loyalty account.

With meed’s receipt scanning technology, you can bypass this entirely. You simply print a QR code on your receipt (or the delivery box) or include a "Scan to Claim" instruction. The customer scans the code, takes a photo of their receipt, and the AI-driven system automatically awards the stamps based on the purchase value. This works for both "Scan for Restaurants" and "Stamp for Takeaways" themes.

Step-by-Step Guide to Converting App Users to Direct Regulars

Step 1: Set Up Your "Stupidly Easy" Programme

You don't need a marketing department to start. With meed, a business operator can design a loyalty programme, upload a logo, and set up a stamp card with rewards in under 5 minutes.

Action: Create a "Takeaway Direct" campaign where 5 orders = 1 free side, or 10 orders = $10 off.

Step 2: The First-Scan "Welcome" Voucher

The moment a customer scans your QR code from their delivery bag, they should receive an instant Welcome coupon. This provides immediate gratification and ensures they have a reason to keep the meed web-app link on their phone.

Step 3: Solve the "App Fatigue" Problem

Most people won't download an app for a single kebab shop or pizza parlour. By using a cloud-based platform like meed, your customers manage their loyalty through a mobile browser or their Apple/Google Wallet. This removes the #1 barrier to entry: the "I don't have space on my phone" excuse.

Step 4: Use Digital Stamp Cards

Traditional paper stamp cards are easily lost or forgotten. Digital stamp cards automatically track progress. When the progress bar is full, it turns into a redeemable voucher for their next direct order, and a new empty card appears in its place.

Overcoming the "Silent Customer" Problem

When a customer orders via a delivery app, they are anonymous to you. You don't have their email or phone number. By incentivising them to scan a QR code for loyalty, you "tag" them in your ecosystem. Even if you don't share their personally identifiable data (PID) for privacy reasons, you can now track their journey and understand their habits, such as how often they return and what they typically spend.

Moving from Free to Growth

Many independent retailers are wary of monthly SaaS fees. To help businesses start without risk, meed offers a Free Tier for the first 50 members. This allows you to test the "Delivery-to-Direct" strategy for free. You will receive notifications when you hit 25, 40, and 45 members, so you can see the ROI before ever paying a penny. Once you have 50 loyal direct-order regulars, the $59/month investment is easily covered by the margins you've reclaimed from the delivery apps.

Summary: Your Takeaway Loyalty Checklist

To successfully implement a restaurant takeaway loyalty delivery app customer strategy, follow these points:

Audit your margins: Calculate exactly how much you are losing to third-party commissions each month.
Remove friction: Don't ask customers to download an app; use a web-based QR solution.
Physical triggers: Place QR codes on every bag, box, and receipt.
Offer a "Direct-Only" Perk: Ensure the reward for ordering directly is better than anything they can get on the delivery app.
Automate: Use digital stamp cards with receipt scan so you don't have to manually manage the process while busy in the kitchen.

The delivery apps provide the first date, but your loyalty programme should secure the marriage. By reclaiming your customer relationship through smart, QR-based loyalty, you turn high-commission delivery orders into high-margin direct regulars.