Costs02/15/2026
Delivery App Costs: DoorDash, Uber Eats & Self-Delivery
How 15-30% commission fees eat into your profit margins
15-30% DoorDash Commission(of selling price)15-30% Uber Eats Commission(of selling price)$0.25-0.75/order Packaging Cost(containers, bags, extras)5-12% Real Net Margin(actual delivery profit)
Commission Rates by Platform (2025-2026)
DoorDash15-30%Largest US platform. Basic plan 15%, Plus 25%, Premier 30% (with marketing and DashPass visibility).
Uber Eats15-30%Similar tier structure. Lite 15%, Plus 25%, Premium 30%. Strong in metro areas.
Grubhub15-25%Competitive rates but smaller market share. Better for established restaurants with loyal customers.
Direct ordering (own website/app)3-5%Payment processing fees only. Requires building your own ordering system and managing delivery logistics.
Self-delivery (own drivers)$3-6/orderLowest cost option but requires managing drivers and insurance. Limited delivery radius of 3-5 miles.
True Delivery Profitability — Hidden Costs Add Up
15-30%
App Commission
Platform fee charged on the order subtotal (excludes delivery fee paid by customer). This is the single biggest cost.
30-40%
Food Cost
Same as dine-in. But delivery portions are often larger — customers expect "value for the delivery fee" they paid.
$0.25-0.75/order
Packaging
Containers + bags + sauce cups + napkins + utensils. Soup and noodle dishes cost more (multiple compartments, leak-proof packaging).
5-12%
Actual Net Margin
Example: $18 order → app takes $4.50, ingredients $6, packaging $1 → $6.50 left (36%). After labor and utilities = ~5-12%.
Worked Example: A $16 Bowl Order on DoorDash
Selling price on app$16.00Many restaurants mark up 10-20% on app vs. dine-in price.
DoorDash commission (25%)-$4.00App takes 25% × $16. Restaurant receives $12.00.
Ingredient cost-$5.25Food cost at 33%. Target: keep ≤35% for delivery orders.
Packaging-$0.75Bowl + lid + bag + sauce cup + utensils + napkin.
Packing labor-$0.503-5 minutes per order to assemble. Need a dedicated packer when volume exceeds 40 orders/day.
Net profit$5.50= 34% of selling price. After utilities and overhead → realistic margin around 12-18%.
Delivery Traps — Common Costly Mistakes
Selling at dine-in prices on apps = guaranteed loss
With 15-30% commission and the same price, you're handing over your entire margin. Solution: mark up 15-20% on apps, adjust delivery portions, or create a separate delivery-only menu.
Running app promotions without doing the math
30% discount + free delivery promo + 25% app commission = you're losing money on every single order. Before running any deal, calculate: (discounted price - commission - COGS - packaging) — is it still positive?
Over-dependence on delivery platforms
If the app changes fees (even a 3-5% increase), tweaks the algorithm to hide your restaurant, or restructures — your revenue can drop 50-70% overnight. Keep delivery at ≤40% of total revenue.
Forgetting to cost packaging
Packaging at $0.50/order × 60 orders/day = $30/day = $900/month. Many restaurants ignore this cost entirely, so their "food cost" looks fine on paper but they're actually losing money.
Smart Delivery Strategies
- >Create a delivery-specific menu: Keep only 10-15 items (not your full 30-50 item menu). Choose dishes that travel well (won't get soggy, spill, or lose heat), have high margins, and are easy to pack.
- >Mark up app prices by 15-20%: Most customers accept this for the convenience. All major platforms allow different pricing from dine-in — use this feature.
- >Build delivery combos: Bundle an entree with a side and a drink. Push average order value from $14 to $22. Commission percentage stays the same, but absolute profit per order increases significantly.
- >Switch to self-delivery when volume justifies it: At 40-60+ orders/day within a 3-mile radius, hiring a dedicated driver ($15-18/hr) is much cheaper than app commissions. Take direct orders via your website, Google ordering, or phone.
- >Know when to pause delivery: If net margin drops below 5% after all costs, or delivery volume is hurting dine-in quality (kitchen overwhelmed) — pause the apps and focus on in-store customers.
Delivery is a powerful revenue channel — but only when you price it correctly. Many restaurants are "busy" with 50-100 delivery orders a day yet still losing money, because each order only nets $1-2 after all fees. Plug your delivery numbers into F&B Validator to see whether this channel is truly profitable for you.
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