---
title: 🗺️ Dispatch deliveries - What delivery radius should I set?
description: Your delivery radius controls how far customers can be from your location and still select delivery.
---

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# 🗺️ Dispatch deliveries - What delivery radius should I set?

## Your delivery radius controls how far customers can be from your location and still select delivery.

### **What is a delivery radius?**

A larger radius may allow more customers to order, but it can also make deliveries slower and more difficult to fulfil. Longer journeys can take more time to assign to a courier and can increase the risk of food arriving in poor condition.

The right radius depends on:

- What you are delivering.
- How quickly it needs to arrive.
- Traffic and road conditions in your area.
- Courier availability.
- Your preparation time and delivery time slots.

### **Recommended radius for managed delivery**

If your orders are delivered by Slerp’s integrated courier partners, use the following as a starting point:

| Order type | Suggested radius |
| --- | --- |
| Hot food | Up to 2.5 miles |
| Ambient food or products that do not need to stay hot | Up to 4 miles |
| Friday to Sunday, 18:00–20:00 | Up to 2.5 miles is recommended because demand is usually higher |

A radius of up to 4 miles may be available, but this does not mean that every location should use the full distance. Start with an area your team and courier partners can serve reliably, then adjust based on delivery performance and product quality.

### **Consider driving time, not only miles**

Distance alone does not tell you how long a delivery will take. A three-mile journey through a busy town centre can take longer than a five-mile journey on clear roads.

When deciding where to deliver, consider:

- Traffic at your busiest times.
- Difficult roads, bridges, or one-way systems.
- Parking and access at the customer’s address.
- Areas that regularly cause delays.
- Whether the product can stay hot, chilled, or in good condition during the journey.

As a general guide, hot food works best within roughly 2.5 miles or around 15 minutes of driving time. Ambient products may be suitable for a larger area, provided your packaging and delivery process can support the longer journey.

### **Match the radius to the time slot**

Your time slot and delivery radius need to work together.

- Use a **30-minute time slot** for short, local deliveries, generally up to around 2 miles or 15 minutes of driving time.
- Use a **1-hour time slot** for larger areas, longer journeys, or locations affected by heavier traffic.

A longer time slot gives the courier more time to collect, drive, park, and reach the customer. It also gives your team more flexibility if preparation or handover takes longer than expected.

For more information, see:

[Delivery with Slerp Courier Partners](https://support.slerp.com/knowledge/delivery-with-slerp-courier-partners?hsLang=en)

### **Set or update your delivery area**

You can manage delivery areas separately for same-day and pre-order deliveries.

To update a delivery area:

1. Log in to the [Slerp Controls Dashboard](https://controls.slerp.com/).
2. Select **Locations**.
3. Select the location you want to update.
4. Select **Settings**.
5. Choose **Same-day orders** or **Pre-orders**.
6. Select **Delivery**.
7. Find the **Delivery Zone** or delivery radius setting.
8. Adjust the radius or map area.
9. Select **Save**.

For a more precise area, use a custom delivery zone rather than a simple circle. You can draw or adjust the map to exclude areas that are difficult to reach, such as rivers, motorways, large parks, or roads with poor access.

See **[Custom Delivery Radius](https://support.slerp.com/knowledge/custom-delivery-radius?hsLang=en)** and **[Setting a delivery zone for pre-order deliveries](https://support.slerp.com/knowledge/setting-a-delivery-zone-for-pre-order-deliveries?hsLang=en)** for more guidance.

### **Review your radius during busy periods**

Courier availability can change during the day. A radius that works well at lunchtime may create delays during an evening peak.

During busy periods, consider:

- Reducing the radius temporarily.
- Using a longer delivery time slot.
- Increasing preparation time before orders are offered to a courier.
- Keeping the delivery zone smaller when your team is short-staffed.

If you have multiple locations, avoid creating overlapping delivery zones unless there is a clear operational reason. Overlapping zones can make it less clear which location should fulfil an order.

### **⚠️ Signs that your radius may be too large**

Review your radius if you regularly see:

- Longer courier assignment times.
- Orders arriving late.
- Customers reporting that food is cold or damaged.
- Couriers declining or struggling with longer journeys.
- Staff spending too long preparing orders for collection or dealing with delivery queries.

A smaller, reliable delivery area usually provides a better customer experience than a larger area that is difficult to serve consistently.

### **Related delivery guidance**

- [Delivery with Slerp Courier Partners](https://support.slerp.com/knowledge/delivery-with-slerp-courier-partners?hsLang=en)
- [Delivery with Uber Direct](https://support.slerp.com/knowledge/delivery-with-uber-direct?hsLang=en)
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- [How to use Activity Mode](https://support.slerp.com/knowledge/changing-your-preparation-time?hsLang=en)
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