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Verified 13 September 2026

Uber Eats, Bolt Food, Glovo, Yum and ordering direct

By Michael Mwangi · Kenyan restaurants and fast food hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Kenyan restaurants and fast food.

The apps differ less on food than on fees and recourse. Ordering direct from a chain is usually cheaper, because aggregators add delivery and service charges and do not always use in-store menu prices. The bigger difference is who you argue with when an order is wrong.

The three costs stacked into a delivery order

  1. The food. On an aggregator this is not always the in-store price; menus are often marked up to absorb commission.
  2. The delivery fee. Usually distance-based, sometimes discounted or waived on promotions or subscriptions.
  3. The service fee. A percentage the platform takes from you on top of what it takes from the restaurant.

Who you complain to is the part people miss

If you order through Uber Eats, Bolt Food, Glovo or Yum, your contract is with the platform. A missing item, a cold delivery or a wrong order is resolved under their refund policy, on their timeline, and the restaurant will usually and correctly tell you so. If you order direct, the restaurant owns the problem. For a cheap order that difference is academic; for a large family order it is the whole thing.

How each takes payment

All of them take M-PESA and cards in-app, and several support paying on delivery. Paying in-app is normal, but where an app offers cash or M-PESA on delivery it is worth considering for a large order, for the same reason it is worth it in grocery: the money moves when the food does.

A note on promotions

Free-delivery promotions and subscription tiers change the arithmetic often enough that a blanket "app X is cheapest" claim would be wrong within a month. The durable advice is to check the total at checkout on two routes before a large order, rather than to trust any ranking, including one you read here.

About this page

paybillke is an independent payments directory and is not affiliated with any restaurant or delivery brand. Checked 13 September 2026. Outlet till numbers belong to individual branches and change, so use the number shown at the counter or pay inside the ordering app.

Frequently asked

Which food delivery app is cheapest in Kenya?

It changes with promotions, so check the total on two routes before a large order. Ordering direct from the chain is usually cheaper than any aggregator.

Why is the app menu more expensive than the restaurant?

Aggregator menus are often marked up to absorb the commission the platform charges the restaurant.

Who refunds a wrong delivery order?

Whoever took your money. On an aggregator that is the platform under its refund policy; ordering direct, it is the restaurant.

Can I pay for food delivery on arrival?

Several apps support cash or M-PESA on delivery. It is worth using for a large order.

Do restaurants have paybills for delivery?

No. You pay inside the ordering app, or Buy Goods on the outlet till if you collect.