No. Standard business use car insurance does not cover food delivery. Business use covers driving for your job, like travelling to meetings or between work sites. Delivering takeaways for money is hire and reward (H&R) use. The law says your insurance has to cover the way you are using the car, so H&R has to be on your policy.
Zego covers food delivery for car drivers in two ways. Zego's pay-as-you-go or 30-day H&R cover sits on top of the car insurance you already have, as long as it includes social, domestic and pleasure (SD&P) cover. Zego's pay-as-you-go cover is charged by the minute, with a one-hour minimum. Zego's 30-day or annual Combo policy covers delivery work and personal driving together.
When you’re looking to get started with fast food delivery work, sorting out the insurance you need is an important part of the process. If you already have some form of insurance in place, you may wonder whether your existing policy protects you for working as a food delivery driver.
In this post, we look at what business use covers, why it won't cover fast food delivery work, and how to check your policy before your first order.
What's the difference between business use and hire and reward?
Feature | Standard business use | Hire and reward (H&R) |
|---|---|---|
Driving for your job, such as to meetings or between work sites | Yes | Only if your policy also includes business use |
Delivering food or parcels for payment | No | Yes |
Paid delivery work for Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat | No | Yes |
What is business use and what does it cover?
Business use covers driving your car for work. That means travelling between several places of work, driving to meetings, or making work trips during the day. If you drive for your job like this, you need business use on your policy.
Carrying food or goods for someone else in exchange for payment is hire and reward driving, not business use. It makes no difference whether you deliver for Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat or a local takeaway. A business use policy won't cover it unless H&R is listed on the policy.
If you deliver without H&R cover, your policy won't cover damage to your own car while you're delivering. If your insurer has to pay someone else's claim, it can come to you for the money. You can also be penalised for driving without the right insurance. GOV.UK says that even if the vehicle is insured, you can get a £300 fixed penalty and six penalty points if you're not correctly insured to drive it. If it goes to court, that can become an unlimited fine and a driving ban.
So are you covered for food delivery work under a business insurance policy?
This will depend on the type of business use policy you have. If it includes hire and reward (H&R) cover for carrying food or parcels in exchange for payment, then you should be fine to work as a delivery driver. But many business use policies (including class 3 business insurance) don't include H&R cover, so you'll only be insured for commercial driving or using your vehicle for business use.
So, before you start making any deliveries, always check to make sure that your insurance covers you for hire and reward work.
How to check your policy before your first delivery
- Find the part of your certificate of motor insurance that lists the uses the car is covered for.
- Look for 'hire and reward' or 'carriage of goods for hire and reward'. Either one means paid deliveries are covered.
- 'Food delivery' or 'fast food delivery' also means you're covered. 'Courier use' may only cover parcels, so if that's all it says, ask your insurer to confirm in writing that takeaway delivery is included.
- If it says 'excluding hire and reward', or shows business use and nothing else, you're not covered for deliveries.
The same list tells you whether you have SD&P, which you need before you can add Zego's H&R cover. If the wording isn't clear, ask your insurer to confirm in writing before you log on to a delivery app.
What cover do you need for food delivery work?
To work as a food delivery driver, you need both social, domestic and pleasure (SD&P) cover and hire and reward (H&R) cover. SD&P covers your personal driving. H&R is the cover that protects you while you carry food or parcels for payment.
If you already have business use cover
You may not need to replace it to start delivering. Zego's pay-as-you-go and 30-day H&R cover is for delivery work only. It sits on top of the car insurance you already have, and your level of cover matches that policy.
That works as long as your existing policy includes SD&P cover. Check the uses listed on your certificate before you buy, and ask us if you're not sure your policy qualifies.
What food delivery insurance options are available?
Zego's Combo delivery insurance covers your food delivery work and your personal driving in one policy. For cars, choose 30-day or annual cover, on Third Party Only or Fully Comprehensive. Scooter riders can get Combo cover too.
If you're just getting started, or you deliver part-time, pay-as-you-go delivery insurance may suit you better. Zego's pay-as-you-go H&R cover is charged by the minute, with a minimum of one hour, and your cover pauses when you're not working. You'll need to work with one of Zego's delivery partners and have your own SD&P cover in place. Car drivers can also buy H&R-only cover for 30 days.
Zego's delivery insurance is accepted by the major platforms, including Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat.
How do you get started with a quote?
Download the Zego Delivery app and get a quote for pay-as-you-go cover. It only takes a minute. If you're looking for 30-day or annual insurance, click the button below.
Looking for delivery insurance?
For more information, visit our car delivery insurance or scooter delivery insurance pages. If you have any questions, let us know and we'll be happy to help.
Last Updated: 2nd October 2026
