Deliveroo cofounder and CEO Will Shu. Deliveroo Deliveroo's food delivery couriers have been protesting in London after the company told them it is introducing changes to the way in which they are paid.

Deliveroo has traditionally paid cyclists and moped riders by the hour but now it wants to pay them per delivery. Deliveroo riders claim this will result in many of them earning less than minimum wage.

The startup, which has raised $475 million (£366 million) from investors, saw more than 40 riders protest outside its headquarters just off Tottenham Court Road on Thursday.

Deliveroo UK managing director Dan Warne addressed the protestors on the street, saying: "We're happy to speak with each and every one of you. We have a team upstairs that do that."

He spoke to drivers for less than five minutes before stepping back inside Deliveroo's office after being heckled by a number of the company's couriers.

Deliveroo's office in Central London. Google Maps

Under the changes, set to be rolled out next week, Deliveroo riders will be paid £3.75 per delivery instead of the £7 an hour plus £1 per delivery that they have received up until now in London (they're paid less outside the capital).

The wider roll out of the new payment structure comes after a number of trials, which Deliveroo claims were successful.

"What we have seen from previous trials that we have been running in other parts of London is that riders have reacted positively to the trial, and fees rise to more than twice what they were over a lunch or dinner, compared to the old payment model," the company told The Guardian.

Delivery couriers sign up to work for Deliveroo on a "self-employed" basis which means that Deliveroo is under no obligation to pay them the "national living wage," which stands at £7.20 per hour.

One Deliveroo rider at the protest on Thursday said: "What they do is not fair because we have many spendings. We are paying for our insurance, we are paying for our [vehicle] service, we are paying for motorcycle oil. Many things.

"The average rider does 20 drops a day. That means the average rider goes home with 60-70 [pound] and maybe 50 clears after spendings," he added, pointing out that riders have to pay 26% tax on top of that.

Deliveroo couriers were also spotted in what appeared to be another protest in West Hampstead, North West London, on Thursday morning.

Business Insider contacted Deliveroo but did not immediately hear back.