Your own riders vs. delivery apps: what really costs less?
Commissions, control and customer data: an honest comparison of running deliveries with your own riders versus relying only on aggregator apps.
4 min readUpdated Outlet owners
Aggregator apps bring you orders you would not have had. They also keep a share of every one, and they own the customer. Many shop owners feel the pinch at the end of the month: the app is busy, but the profit is thin.
So the question comes up. Should you deliver with your own riders instead? The honest answer is: it depends, and often it is both. This guide helps you work out which orders are better delivered by whom.
What you pay for#
Aggregator apps | Your own riders |
|---|---|
You pay a commission on each order, so the cost grows with the order value. | You pay riders and fuel. The cost is mostly fixed, however big the order. |
Costs rise on your busiest, biggest orders. | Costs per order fall as each rider delivers more orders. |
No rider to hire, train or manage. | You hire and manage the riders (MiniDrop makes this easier). |
The app decides how your shop appears. | Your name and logo are on the customer's tracking link. |
Neither is free. The difference is how the cost behaves. A commission goes up with every sale. A rider's cost is shared between more orders as you grow.
Who owns the customer#
When a customer orders through an aggregator app, that customer belongs to the app. You may not see their phone number or address, and you cannot message them. The next time they are hungry, the app shows them your competitors too.
When a customer orders from you and your own rider delivers, the customer is yours. Their address is saved, you can recognise them next time, and the tracking link carries your shop's name. That relationship is what brings repeat orders. See how to win repeat customers.
When aggregator apps still make sense#
You are new and nobody knows your shop yet. An app can bring first customers.
Outside your delivery area, where your riders would not reach.
Quiet hours, when your riders are idle anyway and extra orders help.
Peak days, when you have more orders than riders.
There is no shame in using them. The goal is not to leave them, but to stop depending on them for orders you could deliver yourself.
Running both side by side#
Many shops do both. They keep the app for new customers and far areas, and use their own riders for regulars and nearby orders. They tell app customers about direct ordering, for example with a card in the bag or a note on the bill, so the next order comes straight to the shop.
That way the app is a way to find customers, not the place where your profit goes.
Frequently asked questions#
Is my own delivery always cheaper?
No. With few orders, a rider's fixed cost is shared over little. It becomes cheaper as the number of orders per rider grows. Do the sum with your own numbers.
Will I lose the orders from the app?
Not if you keep using it. You can decide which orders you take from the app and which ones you serve yourself.
How do I get app customers to order directly?
Ask politely. A small note in the bag with how to order from you directly works for many shops. Do it fairly and do not promise what you cannot keep.
What does MiniDrop do here?
MiniDrop helps you run deliveries with your own riders: planned trips, a live map of your riders and tracking links with your logo. It does not replace the apps; it helps you do your own delivery well.
Take a week of orders, do the sum and see which of them you could deliver yourself. Then plan those trips.
Related guideHow to reduce your delivery cost per orderWork out what each delivery really costs you, then lower it with grouped trips, planned routes and better use of every rider's time.Related guideHow home delivery grows a local shop's salesWhy delivery brings new customers, bigger baskets and more repeat orders for local shops, and how to set it up so it pays for itself.Was this page helpful?
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