Delivery apps feel like free money when the orders start rolling in. But for a lot of restaurants, DoorDash is the most expensive "employee" on the payroll — and most owners never see the real number, because it's buried inside every ticket instead of showing up as one line on a bill.
Let's pull it out into the open.
Where the money actually goes
DoorDash doesn't charge one flat fee. It layers several, and they stack:
| Fee | Typical range | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Commission on the order | 15% – 30% | You |
| Payment processing | ~2.9% + $0.30 | You |
| Marketing / promotions (optional) | +1% – 20% | You |
| Delivery & service fees | Varies | The customer |
The headline number everyone quotes is the commission — and DoorDash's standard "Plus" and "Premier" partnership tiers run around 25% and 30% respectively. Their cheapest "Basic" tier is ~15%, but it gives you the least visibility and the smallest delivery radius, so fewer orders.
On a $30 order at 30% commission, you keep about $21 — before you've paid for the food, the labor, and the packaging.
The number that actually matters: monthly bleed
A single order losing a few dollars doesn't feel like much. The problem is volume. Watch what happens across a month:
- 50 orders/week at a $28 average ticket and 25% commission
- That's ~$1,400/week in DoorDash sales
- $350/week goes to commission alone
- Over a month: ~$1,500 gone — and that's before payment processing and any promotions you've turned on
For a restaurant running on 5–10% net margins, that commission can be the difference between a profitable month and a break-even one.
Why it hurts more than it looks
Delivery orders don't just carry the commission — they carry hidden costs the app doesn't show you:
- Packaging — containers, bags, labels add $0.75–$2 per order.
- Comped mistakes — a wrong or cold delivery is often refunded on your dime.
- No tip on the food margin — the tip goes to the driver, not your kitchen.
- Price cannibalization — a delivery customer might have been a dine-in customer with a drink and dessert.
How to protect your margins
You don't have to quit the apps — you have to run them like the expensive channel they are:
- Know your real cost per order. If you don't have the number, you can't manage it. (That's exactly what the calculator below is for.)
- Menu-price for delivery. Many restaurants set delivery menu prices 15–20% higher to offset commission. It's standard practice, not gouging.
- Push direct ordering. Every order that comes through your own site or phone skips the commission entirely. Even converting 20% of app customers to direct ordering is real money.
- Turn off promotions you can't measure. "Sponsored listings" and free-delivery deals stack on top of commission fast.
- Pick the right tier. The cheapest commission tier isn't always cheapest overall once you factor order volume — run the math both ways.
The bottom line
DoorDash can absolutely grow your revenue — but "more revenue" and "more profit" are not the same thing. The apps are designed so the cost hides inside every ticket, which is exactly why it's so easy to lose track of.
Put a real number on it first. Use the free calculator below to see what DoorDash is costing your restaurant this month and this year — then decide what to change.