Printed Cup Carriers for Takeaway and Delivery

Where two cup carriers earn their keep

Two drinks is the most common takeaway order after one. A carrier stops the customer juggling both cups, a phone and car keys at the same time.

Carriers also matter more as distance grows. A drink walked to the next building can survive in a hand, but a drink in a delivery bag or a car footwell needs support.

If your takeaway trade leans towards cars and couriers, carriers will get used every hour. If it is mostly people on foot, a smaller stock may be enough.

• Drive-through and roadside coffee kiosks
• Cafés that take delivery app orders
• Juice and smoothie bars selling drinks in pairs
• Dessert shops pairing a shake with a coffee
• Petrol station and travel hub coffee counters

Two carrier styles in our photos

The upright style has a tall centre panel with a hand hole, with one cup either side. It is quick to pick up from a counter and keeps the drinks close together.

The wrap-over style uses a curved band that loops above the cups and holds them from the top. It gives a wide, smooth face that is ideal for a large logo, as in the mock-up marked Your Brand.

You can order one style or split an order across both. We prepare a separate proof for each so you can compare them before printing.

Mixing hot and cold drinks

A carrier often holds a latte next to an iced drink with a dome lid and a straw. The cold cup is taller, so the carrier has to leave enough height for the dome.

Tell us both cup sizes when you order and whether any drinks use domed lids. If you sell shakes in the same carrier, our printed milkshake cups for dessert bars can be quoted in matching sizes.

Straws are the other thing to plan for. A long straw poking above the handle can catch on a bag, so we check the height on the proof.

Sizing the carrier to your cups

The slots must suit the widest point of the cups you use, which is usually the rim. A carrier sized for 8oz cups will not take a 16oz cup at all.

Many cafés pick one carrier size that fits their 12oz and 16oz cups, as those cover most takeaway orders. Our UK paper cup size guide lists typical uses for each size if you are still choosing cups.

If your 8oz trade is busy too, a second, smaller carrier is often worth it. Small cups in a large carrier slide around on the journey.

1. List every cup size that goes out in pairs
2. Note which cups use dome lids or straws
3. Send the cup make or a photo of the base code
4. We size the carrier and show it on your proof

Using the front face for branding

A carrier has more flat space than any cup, and it is seen in car parks, offices and on doorsteps. That makes it one of the cheapest places to put a logo in front of new people.

Use the front for the logo and the back for something useful, such as a menu link or a loyalty offer. A pattern like the dotted kraft design in our photos fills the space without crowding the logo.

Keep the message short, because people glance at a carrier rather than read it. A logo, one line and a web address are usually plenty.

Artwork that prints well on kraft

Our carriers are mostly kraft brown card, which gives a warm, natural base. Black and dark brown inks print crisply, and bright colours look a little more muted than on white.

If your logo uses white, we print a solid ink panel first so it stays visible. You can send AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG files, and we fix sizing and bleed on the proof.

Fine lines thinner than a hairline can soften on card. Bolder strokes and larger type stay sharp from the counter to the doorstep.

Carriers, holders and sleeves together

Carriers are for pairs of drinks that travel. For groups of four or six, our four and six cup holders are the better fit.

A hot drink in a carrier can still be uncomfortable to hold once it comes out, so some cafés add a sleeve. Order them together and we check every piece against the same cup size.

Matching print across the set also makes a pair of drinks look like a proper order. It is a small detail that customers notice when the carrier comes out of a bag.

Ordering printed carriers

Every carrier order begins with free design help and a digital proof, which we revise until it is right. Printing starts after your approval.

When you are ready, send your carrier details for a quote and we reply with a written price.

1. Pick the upright or wrap-over style
2. Give us your cup sizes and lid types
3. Upload your logo or full artwork
4. Approve the proof
5. Receive tracked delivery after 4 to 6 working days of printing

Mistakes that cause spills

A carrier that fits badly can be worse than none at all. These are the problems we help customers avoid at the proof stage.

Most of them are caught by checking the proof with a real cup in hand. Ten minutes at the counter now saves a lot of wet bags later.

• Sizing for small cups when most pairs are large
• Forgetting the height of dome lids and straws
• Sending carriers out with unlidded hot drinks
• Printing key text on the fold where the card bends
• Choosing the wrap-over style for very tall cold cups without checking clearance

Carriers for delivery apps and drive-through lanes

Delivery drivers often put a carrier straight into an insulated bag, so a slim footprint matters. The wrap-over style tends to slide in and out more easily.

At a drive-through window, the upright style is quicker to pass into a car because the handle faces the driver. You can browse the wider range of lids, sleeves and carriers to plan the rest of your takeaway kit.

Whichever lane you serve, put the lid on before the cup goes into the carrier. It is the simplest way to stop drips on the card and in the bag.

Stock, delivery and any problems

Carriers stack flat, as the first photo shows, so a box of them fits on a shelf under the counter. Pull a small pile at the start of each shift so staff are not hunting for them at the rush.

Tracked delivery takes 2 to 3 working days and is free anywhere in the UK. Anything else is answered on our common cup questions page, and misprints reported with photos within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.