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DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub commission: what restaurants actually pay

Platform fees go beyond the headline commission rate. Here is what you actually pay on each order and how to calculate your true take-home.

Every delivery platform quotes a commission rate, but the actual cost of each order is higher once payment processing fees, marketing program charges, and tablet or software fees are included. Understanding what you actually pay — not just the headline rate — is the starting point for knowing whether delivery is profitable for your restaurant.

DoorDash

DoorDash uses a tiered commission structure based on which plan you choose:

Basic plan: 15% commission. Restaurants appear in search results but with limited visibility.

Plus plan: 25% commission. Adds DashPass eligibility (DashPass is DoorDash's subscription program) and expanded delivery radius.

Premier plan: 30% commission. Full marketing features including promotions and priority placement.

On top of commission, DoorDash charges a payment processing fee of approximately 6% (exact rate in contract terms). Most restaurants on Premier pay an effective rate of 30 to 36% of each order.

Additional costs: if you run DoorDash promotions (discounts, free items), you typically split the cost 50/50 with DoorDash. Your share comes out of your revenue.

Uber Eats

Uber Eats fees vary by contract and market:

Delivery fee split: Uber Eats typically charges 15 to 30% commission depending on your contract tier and whether you use their delivery drivers or your own.

Own delivery: if you use your own drivers and just use the Uber Eats marketplace for ordering, the commission is lower (around 15%).

Payment processing: typically included within the commission rate.

Restaurants using Uber Eats advertising (Sponsored Listings) pay additional costs per click or impression, which can add materially to effective per-order cost if not monitored.

Grubhub

Grubhub's pricing is contract-based and varies by market and volume:

Base commission: typically 15 to 25%.

Delivery fee: if Grubhub provides delivery, there is an additional delivery fee charged to you (not always the same as the customer-facing delivery fee).

Marketing fee: optional, but Grubhub sales reps often push for an additional marketing contribution (5 to 10% of orders) in exchange for better placement.

Grubhub has faced criticism for adding fees that were not clearly communicated upfront. Review your actual remittance reports regularly and compare to your contracted rate.

How to calculate your true take-home

For any single order, true take-home = order subtotal minus commission minus payment processing minus your share of any promotions minus any other contracted fees.

Example: $20 order on DoorDash Premier (30% commission, 6% payment processing).

Commission: $6.00. Payment processing: $1.20. You keep: $12.80 — 64% of the order value before food and packaging cost.

If your food and packaging cost on the order is $6.00 (30%), your delivery gross profit is $12.80 minus $6.00 = $6.80 (34% delivery margin).

What to do when delivery margins are too thin

Raise delivery prices 10 to 20% above dine-in to recover some commission cost.

Remove low-margin items from your delivery menu.

Renegotiate your contract tier. Restaurants with growing delivery volume have leverage.

Reduce your participation in platform promotions if your share of the cost is not driving profitable incremental orders.

Frequently asked questions

Can I negotiate commission rates? Yes. Most platforms will negotiate, especially if you have volume or are considering leaving. Having a competing offer from another platform strengthens your position.

Are delivery platform fees tax deductible? Yes, they are a business expense. Consult your accountant for specifics.

Do delivery fees charged to customers come to me? No. Delivery fees charged to customers go to the platform (and often to the delivery driver). You receive the order subtotal minus commission — not the delivery fee.

Is it worth being on multiple platforms? It depends on your market. More platforms means more exposure and more orders, but also more commission spend. Calculate profitability per platform separately before deciding to add or remove one.

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