Food Delivery Commission Calculator: Platform Cut and Restaurant Net
Work out the commission a food delivery platform takes from a restaurant on each order, and what the restaurant actually keeps — before food cost even comes out.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Platform commission | Net to restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| 25% of $40 | 10 | 30 |
| 30% of $25 | 7.5 | 17.5 |
| 15% of $60 (pickup tier) | 9 | 51 |
| 28% of $80 (large order) | 22.4 | 57.6 |
How This Calculator Works
Enter the platform commission rate (DoorDash/Uber Eats/Grubhub charge 15% to 30%) and the order total. The calculator multiplies the two to give the platform commission and shows the net to the restaurant before food cost.
The Formula
Percentage of an Amount
Amount is the base value, Percentage is the rate applied to it
Worked Example
On a $40 order at a 25% commission rate, the platform takes $10 and the restaurant nets $30 — before food cost. If food cost is 30% of the order ($12), the restaurant's actual margin on that $40 delivery order is just $18, versus $28 on the same order made in-house. Delivery platforms can turn a profitable dine-in order into a break-even or loss delivery order.
Key Insight
Food delivery commission is the single biggest threat to restaurant margins in the delivery era. A restaurant running a healthy 15% dine-in net margin can hit negative margins on delivery orders once a 25% to 30% platform commission stacks on top of food cost and labor. Survival strategies: raise delivery menu prices 15% to 25% to offset commission, push customers to direct ordering (own website/app), or use the cheaper pickup-only commission tier. Many restaurants treat delivery as marketing rather than profit.
Platform commission tiers (2024)
DOORDASH (largest U.S. share ~65%).
Basic: 15% commission. Substantial — limited marketing visibility, lower placement.
Plus: 25% commission. Substantial promotional placement + DashPass eligibility.
Premier: 30% commission. Substantial top placement, guaranteed orders for new restaurants.
+ Marketplace facilitator sales tax handling.
+ Optional: pickup commission 6% (much lower than delivery).
UBER EATS (~25% U.S. share).
Marketplace: 15% (pickup) to 30% (delivery, full service).
Lite: ~15-20%.
Plus/Premium: 20-25%.
Promoted listings additional.
GRUBHUB (~10% U.S. share).
Basic: 15%.
Plus: 20%.
Premium: 25-30%.
Additional 2-5% for delivery (vs marketplace-only).
SLICE (pizza-focused).
Pizzeria-favorable structure. Flat fees $1-$2/order + small %.
Substantial alternative for pizza shops.
TOAST + SQUARE Direct.
Restaurant POS integration. Direct ordering via restaurant's own app/website.
Lower fees (~3-6%).
Substantial growing — restaurants want customer ownership.
Substantial: Many restaurants now require minimum order for delivery + inflated menu pricing.
NET RESTAURANT typical $20 order. 25% commission = $5. Restaurant receives $15.
$5 customer delivery fee paid to platform (not restaurant).
$2 service fee paid by customer (platform).
Total customer pays ~$27 + tip. Restaurant gets $15 of $27. ~56% of total.
Substantial — economics challenging for restaurant.
Strategic responses — menu pricing, channel diversification, direct
MENU INFLATION strategy.
Restaurants inflate platform menu prices 15-25% vs in-store.
Example. $20 in-store burger → $24-$25 on DoorDash.
25% commission on $25 = $6.25. Restaurant nets $18.75. ~Same as in-store.
Substantial — common practice but customer-unfriendly.
FTC investigations 2023-2024 ongoing about price transparency.
PICKUP PROMOTION.
Pickup commission 6% DoorDash. Substantial savings vs delivery 15-30%.
Encourage pickup via website + signage.
Substantial customer education.
DIRECT ORDERING.
Toast, ChowNow, BentoBox, Square Online substantial direct online ordering.
3-6% processing only. Substantial savings.
Customer ownership — build email list, loyalty program.
Substantial requires marketing investment to drive traffic.
MARKETPLACE OPT-OUT.
Some restaurants delist from platforms entirely.
Substantial volume drop initially but margin substantially better.
Substantial brand-strong restaurants succeed.
PLATFORM NEGOTIATION.
High-volume restaurants substantial leverage.
Substantial 5-10% commission reductions possible.
Substantial promotional credits negotiate.
MULTI-PLATFORM PRESENCE.
DoorDash + UberEats + Grubhub + own.
Substantial reach but management complexity.
Aggregator tools (Olo, Bbot, Cuboh) substantial consolidation.
MARKETING CO-INVESTMENT.
Platforms offer marketing programs (DoorDash Promotions, Uber Boost).
Substantial 25-50% restaurant-funded discount. Volume lift potential.
Substantial test before committing.
Food delivery platform commission rates (2024)
Reference commission tiers by platform.
| Platform / Tier | Commission rate |
|---|---|
| DoorDash Basic | 15% delivery |
| DoorDash Plus | 25% delivery |
| DoorDash Premier | 30% delivery |
| DoorDash Pickup | 6% |
| Uber Eats Marketplace | 15-30% delivery |
| Grubhub Basic | 15% + 2-5% delivery surcharge |
| Grubhub Plus/Premium | 20-30% |
| Slice (pizza-focused) | $1-2/order + small % |
| Toast/Square Direct (own POS) | 3-6% |
| Direct website (ChowNow, etc.) | $50-$200/month + 0-3% |
| Marketplace facilitator sales tax | Handled by platform |
Net restaurant typically receives 65-80% of menu price after commission. Menu inflation 15-25% common practice to offset (FTC scrutiny). Pickup substantially lower commission (~6%). Direct ordering via Toast/Square substantial savings (3-6%) but requires marketing investment to drive traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is food delivery commission calculated?
Multiply the order total by the platform commission rate. A 25% commission on a $40 order is $10 to the platform, $30 to the restaurant before food cost.
What commission do the major platforms charge?
DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub charge tiered rates: ~15% for pickup or basic plans, ~25% for standard delivery, up to ~30% for premium plans with enhanced marketing placement. Payment processing and ad fees may stack on top.
Should I raise delivery prices to offset commission?
Most restaurants do — typically 15% to 25% markup on the delivery menu versus dine-in. This is legal and common (platforms allow restaurant-set prices). The risk: visibly higher prices can reduce delivery order volume.
Is direct ordering cheaper?
Much. Own-website ordering (via Toast, Square, ChowNow, or similar) costs 3% to 10% all-in versus 25% to 30% platform commission. The challenge is driving customers to direct ordering when the platforms own the discovery and convenience. Many restaurants insert flyers in delivery bags to encourage direct reorders.
Why do restaurants accept high commissions?
Platform reach and convenience drive incremental orders that wouldn't otherwise happen. For restaurants with excess kitchen capacity, even break-even delivery orders contribute to fixed-cost coverage. The danger is treating delivery as core profit rather than incremental volume.
When is this calculator unreliable?
Less reliable when tier choice differs (Basic 15% vs Plus 25% vs Premier 30% substantial visibility/order-volume tradeoff), when marketing/promotion participation absorbs additional % (DoorDash Promotions, Uber Boost), when free-delivery promotions reduce restaurant net, when tablet rental fees apply, when chargebacks/cancellations not modeled, or when marketplace facilitator sales tax varies by state. Net restaurant typically 65-80% of menu price.
References & Authoritative Sources
- DoorDash — Merchant Fees & Commission Tiers · consulted June 1, 2026 · Platform
- Uber Eats — Restaurant Partner Information · consulted June 1, 2026 · Platform
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — Gig Platform Regulation · consulted June 1, 2026 · Federal regulator
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Methodology & Review
Food delivery commission = order subtotal × commission rate. Major platforms 2024: DoorDash 15-30% (Basic, Plus, Premier tiers); Uber Eats 15-30%; Grubhub 15-30%. Plus delivery fee charged to customer, service fee. Net restaurant typically receives 65-80% of menu price. Restaurants often inflate delivery menu 15-25% to offset. RELIABILITY: Reliable for documented platform agreement + invoice. Less reliable when (a) tier choice (Basic 15% vs Premier 30%) substantial; (b) marketing/promotion participation absorbs additional %; (c) free-delivery promotions; (d) tablet rental fees; (e) chargebacks/cancellations; (f) marketplace facilitator sales tax handling varies state.
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