Marketplace Operations

A delivery marketplace is an operating channel, not simply a marketing listing. It affects menu maintenance, order acceptance, kitchen timing, delivery, customer communication, refunds and payouts. This page is a hub for the controls an independent takeaway should establish before relying on marketplace demand.

Understand the service model and contract

Before launch, confirm in writing:

which services the platform provides;
who handles delivery and driver support;
all contracted charges and how VAT is treated;
promotion and sponsored-placement arrangements;
payment, payout and adjustment timing;
refund, cancellation and dispute processes;
customer-data access and permitted use;
equipment, integrations and support responsibilities;
termination, notice and data-export arrangements.

Do not rely on a headline commission figure or a sales conversation. The commercial result depends on the complete agreement and the way the channel is operated.

Prepare the menu as a separate publication

A marketplace may support different categories, modifiers, images, bundles and availability controls from the direct system. Decide which system owns each item and how changes reach the platform.

Check:

names and descriptions;
prices and mandatory charges shown to the customer;
modifier combinations;
allergen information and customer contact route;
collection or delivery availability;
sold-out controls;
photographs and promotional claims;
marketplace-only bundles.

Place real test orders. A menu that looks correct in the partner portal may display differently to the customer or map incorrectly into the POS.

Control acceptance and preparation times

Assign a named role to monitor the platform. Define:

whether orders are accepted automatically or manually;
who rejects an order and which reasons are used;
how preparation time is adjusted during a peak;
when the channel is paused;
what happens if the tablet, printer or integration fails.

Preparation time should reflect the full kitchen queue. Do not show a short marketplace estimate while telephone, walk-in and direct orders are invisible to the calculation.

Align kitchen and delivery handover

If the marketplace provides delivery, the restaurant still controls food readiness and handover accuracy. Establish:

a clear driver collection point;
order-number and bag-count checks;
rules for early or delayed drivers;
temperature and quality controls appropriate to the food;
escalation for a missing, abusive or incorrect driver;
a record of the actual handover time.

A platform status should follow the real order state. Marking food ready before it is packed can create driver congestion and misleading customer updates.

Manage customer issues through the correct channel

Document who handles:

missing or incorrect items;
late preparation;
late or failed delivery;
unsafe or damaged delivery;
refunds and redelivery;
allergen-related concerns;
payment and duplicate-order disputes.

The restaurant and platform may control different parts of the resolution. Staff should avoid blaming the other party before the facts are known. Give the customer the correct support route and record the case for reconciliation.

Review the full commercial result

Track more than platform sales. Review:

contracted charges;
delivery and service adjustments;
promotion funding;
refunds and chargebacks;
packaging and incremental labour;
remakes and food waste;
payout differences;
incremental demand versus likely substitution from direct channels.

Use contribution and service quality together. A channel can produce high sales but poor value if it creates repeated delays, refunds or unmanageable peaks.

Visibility and promotions

Platforms do not disclose every ranking or recommendation factor, and these systems can change. Focus on controllable basics:

being open only when the business can serve orders;
accurate menu availability;
realistic preparation times;
clear images and descriptions;
consistent order handling;
genuine customer feedback;
carefully budgeted sponsored participation.

Do not buy fake reviews or manipulate feedback. Do not treat paid placement as proof that the underlying menu, pricing or service is competitive.

Reviews as operational evidence

Group reviews by issue rather than responding emotionally to each one. Useful categories include:

missing item;
wrong modifier;
late preparation;
delivery problem;
food quality;
packaging damage;
menu description or price confusion.

Respond professionally without revealing customer information. Fix the repeated operational cause and record any correction made to the menu or process.

Daily and weekly controls

Daily

Check device, printer, paper and integration status.
Confirm menu availability and opening hours.
Reconcile cancelled and refunded orders.
Record support cases and payout issues.

Weekly

Review contribution and service by daypart.
Check menu errors and rejected orders.
Review reviews and complaint themes.
Compare payouts with the order record.
Decide whether promotions are producing useful demand.

Marketplace outage and fallback

Define:

how staff recognise a platform or integration outage;
whether the listing can be paused;
how customers with existing orders are supported;
how duplicate fulfilment is avoided when service returns;
which evidence is retained for a support case;
how missed orders and payment adjustments are reconciled.

Related guides

Online Ordering — the main guide for the wider topic.
Managing Marketplace Reviews — a detailed next step for putting this guidance into practice.
Marketplace Commission Structures — a detailed next step for putting this guidance into practice.
Getting Started with Online Ordering — a closely related operational control to review alongside this page.
Multi-Location Ordering — a closely related operational control to review alongside this page.
Marketplace Payments and Commission — a connected decision that can change the recommended approach.

Official guidance checked

Guidance checked: 24 July 2026. Provider features, ranking systems, support processes and commercial terms vary and should be verified in current partner documentation.