How to sell without Glovo (or with far less Glovo)
Every order that comes in through Glovo leaves you 15% to 30% short in the till. This guide isn't about deleting yourself from Glovo tomorrow. It's about building your own channels so Glovo becomes one more of them, not the owner of your customers.
What Glovo really costs you
The commission is what you see on the invoice: between 15% (if you deliver with your own fleet and use Glovo only for visibility) and 30% (if Glovo delivers). On a €20 ticket, that's €3 to €6 per order that never comes back to your till.
But the cost that shows up on no invoice is worse: the customer belongs to Glovo, not to you. You don't have their email, their phone, or any idea how often they order. If Glovo raises your commission tomorrow or drops you down the listing, you have no one to write to in order to recover those sales.
The goal isn't to leave Glovo. It's to stop depending on Glovo. Use it for what it's good at — getting new people to discover you — and win every following order on a channel of your own.
The 4 owned channels that replace Glovo
Your own ordering site
This is the foundation. A page where the customer sees your menu, orders and pays with no middleman. The difference with Glovo:
- 5% commission or less, not 15-30%
- The customer's email and phone stay with you
- You set the prices, the promos and the hours — not an algorithm
If you deliver with your own fleet, you win twice here: you drop Glovo's commission and Glovo's delivery cost at the same time.
WhatsApp as a direct channel
The most underrated one. Your customers already have it open all day. An order over WhatsApp pays no one a commission and leaves the customer's number in your contacts.
It won't replace the site for high volume, but for the neighbourhood regular who already knows you it's direct and free. A "Order on WhatsApp" button on your Google listing and your Instagram converts more than you'd think.
Google Maps pointing to your site, not to Glovo
When someone searches "food delivery near me", your Google listing can show two buttons: "Order on Glovo" or "Order now" (your site). If you don't set yours up, Google only shows the platform's.
- Go into your Google Business Profile
- Under "Orders", set your site's URL as the primary option
- Lower the priority of third-party options or remove them if you can
It's a different click for the customer, but that click saves you the 15-30% commission. Well worth it.
The flyer inside the Glovo bag
This is where Glovo works for you. Every order that leaves via Glovo carries a small card inside:
- A big QR code to your ordering site
- A code for the second order: "DIRECT10 → 10% if you order on our site"
- A short line: "Next time, order direct. Same dish, no Glovo in the middle."
Cost: ~€0.05 per card at an online printer. If just 1 in 20 customers uses it, you've already paid for it 10 times over.
The strategy, in order
Don't change everything at once. The order that works in real restaurants:
- Month 1: set up the ordering site and the WhatsApp button. Without this, you have nowhere to send people.
- Month 1-2: fix your Google listing so it points to your site. It's free and it's the fastest lever.
- Month 2 onwards: a flyer in every Glovo bag and a discount tied to creating an account. This is where you start moving customers from Glovo to your channel.
- Month 3 onwards: with the emails you've captured, an automatic reminder at 30 days. It runs on its own.
What to measure
Three numbers at month's end and you're set:
- Direct orders vs Glovo orders. A realistic goal: shift 10-15 points towards direct in 6 months.
- Repeat rate on your site: what % order again. Below 20% something's off (price, timing or experience).
- Real savings: direct orders × average ticket × (Glovo % − 5%). That's the money you kept yourself.
What doesn't work
- Deleting yourself from Glovo overnight. You lose the new customers who discovered you there. Reduce the weight, don't cut it off at the root.
- Giving away 20% the first time. You give up margin with no guarantee they return. Better a 10% tied to creating an account and leaving their details.
- Lowering your price inside the Glovo app to look cheaper. Their terms restrict it and you're taking a risk. The discount goes on your channel, not theirs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drop Glovo entirely?
You can, but rarely all at once. Glovo brings you new customers who didn't know you. The profitable play is to stay on Glovo so people discover you, then take the following orders to your own site, where you pay no commission.
How much commission does Glovo charge a restaurant?
In Spain it usually runs from 15% to 30% per order depending on who delivers. If you deliver with your own fleet and use Glovo only for visibility, you pay less. If Glovo delivers, that's when you hit the high end.
Is it legal to add a discount so people order direct instead of via Glovo?
Yes. Slipping a card with a discount code inside your own bags is your commercial decision. Publishing lower prices inside the Glovo app itself is different — their terms do restrict that.
Do I need an expensive website to sell without Glovo?
No. You need an ordering page that works on mobile, takes payment online and keeps the customer's details. That's what SnackStack does for €19.99/month, well below what a single week of Glovo commissions costs you.
Want us to set it up for you?
SnackStack builds your ordering site, the WhatsApp, the Google listing pointing to what's yours and the automatic emails. Setup included, limited slots each month.