Should You Mark Up Menu Prices on DoorDash and Uber Eats?
DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub all allow it. Covering a 30% commission takes a 43% markup, and DoorDash ties markups to up to 37% fewer sales. Full math.
Updated Sep 21, 2026
TLDR
Chains already do it: a Gordon Haskett Research Advisors check of 25 brands found delivery-app menu prices averaged 19% above in-store in March 2023, up from 10% in July 2020. DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub all let you set your own app prices and none require a match, though DoorDash says it can remove stores for extreme levels of price inflation. To net the same dollars after commission, divide the in-store price by (1 minus the rate): an $18 item becomes $21.18 at 15%, $24.00 at 25% and $25.71 at 30%, before the service and delivery fees the customer also pays. DoorDash's own 2023 study of more than 4,500 restaurants tied markups to up to 37% fewer sales and up to 78% lower reorder rates. The workable answer is a modest app markup plus a direct channel at menu price.
TLDR
Chains already do it: a Gordon Haskett check of 25 brands found delivery-app prices averaged 19% above in-store in March 2023, up from 10% in 2020. DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub all let you set your own app prices, though DoorDash can remove stores for "extreme levels of price inflation". To net the same dollars after commission, divide the in-store price by (1 minus the rate): an $18 item becomes $21.18 at 15%, $24.00 at 25% and $25.71 at 30%, before the customer's service and delivery fees. DoorDash's own study of 4,500+ restaurants tied markups to up to 37% fewer sales and 78% lower reorder rates. The workable answer is a modest app markup plus a direct channel at menu price.
Yes, all three major apps allow markups, but fully covering a 30% commission takes a 43% markup, high enough to cost you orders, so a modest markup plus a direct channel usually wins.
This guide is for an independent owner deciding what to charge on DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub: what each platform allows, what chains charge, the math per tier, what the customer sees, the risks, and how to set channel prices in each portal, Toast and Square. The rates themselves are in delivery app commission rates for 2026.
Do restaurants charge more on DoorDash and Uber Eats?
Most large restaurant brands do charge more on delivery apps: a Gordon Haskett Research Advisors check of 25 chains in March 2023 found app menu prices averaged 19% above in-store, and 23 of the 25 brands carried some premium. Only BJ's Restaurants and Papa John's priced the apps the same as the store.
The Food On Demand write-up of that study compared three to five items per brand across DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats:
| Segment (March 2023, 25 chains) | Average app premium over in-store |
|---|---|
| Quick service | 26% |
| Fast casual | 22% |
| Casual dining | 11% |
| All 25 brands | 19% (up from 10% in July 2020) |
| Highest single brands | Chipotle and Chick-fil-A at 30%, Wendy's at 29%, Portillo's and McDonald's at 27% |
The premium nearly doubled in under three years, and the biggest markups sit with the brands that have the most pricing power. There is no equivalent published study for independents. The closest signal is DoorDash's own guidance, which studies restaurants that "marked up items by more than 20%", so markups that size are common enough to measure. Do the math below instead of borrowing a chain's number.
Is it allowed to mark up prices on delivery apps?
All three major U.S. apps allow it: DoorDash says it does not require delivery prices to match in-store, Uber Eats dropped its price parity requirement in 2021, and Grubhub's Merchant Terms are silent on parity, though your signed Marketplace Agreement controls. Here is what each platform's own pages say, checked September 2026.
| Platform | What its own pages say | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | "DoorDash does not require delivery prices to match in-store." | May remove stores for "extreme levels of price inflation"; consistent pricing "may rank higher on the app homepage"; markups over 10% fail Most Loved per its 2024 guidance |
| Uber Eats | Dropped the pricing parity requirement in 2021; recommends consistent pricing but does not require it | A Menu Markup metric feeds your monthly success score; the 7% pickup fee needs proof that pickup prices match in-store, otherwise pickup is 10% |
| Grubhub | Merchant Terms (effective December 17, 2024) have no parity clause; its FAQ says "Prices on Grubhub reflect your restaurant prices" | Your signed Marketplace Agreement overrides the public terms; a 2022 Pennsylvania settlement makes Grubhub tell customers in-app prices may be higher |
DoorDash. Its September 2023 menu pricing post says: "While we encourage menu prices that more closely reflect in store, DoorDash does not require delivery prices to match in-store." It also reserves the right to remove merchants for "extreme levels of price inflation" without defining extreme. The merchant learning center, updated July 2024, adds: "Restaurants with consistent pricing may rank higher on the app homepage," and "Menu markups must be no higher than 10% to qualify for Most Loved."
Uber Eats. Uber Eats told Restaurant Dive in September 2021 it had removed the parity requirement from merchant contracts. Its Menu Markup metric compares "a representative basket of your frequently ordered items" with in-store prices monthly for your success score, and the US pricing page states: "A 7% Pickup Fee is conditioned on submission of proof that pricing for in-app pickup is the same as in-store. Without validated in-store pricing your Pickup Fee will be 10%."
Grubhub. The public Grubhub Merchant Terms, effective December 17, 2024, say nothing about matching in-store prices, and a signed Marketplace Agreement controls if the two conflict, so read yours. Grubhub's FAQ says it "would never alter your prices without your explicit permission", and it confirms that different prices on Grubhub and on a Toast POS menu are fine. In 2022 Pennsylvania's attorney general found Grubhub sometimes charged more than the restaurant would have without saying so; Grubhub agreed to disclose in-app that prices may be higher and paid $125,000 to food banks.
One more reason to read the contract: in Davitashvili v. Grubhub, a consumer class action against Grubhub, Postmates and Uber, the plaintiffs allege "no-price competition clauses" under which "the restaurants agreed not to charge lower prices off-platform". The Second Circuit ruled on arbitration in March 2025 and the case continues; allegations, not findings, but the clause that binds you is the one you signed.
How much should you mark up to cover the commission?
To net the same dollars as an in-store sale, divide the in-store price by one minus the commission rate: a 15% commission needs a 17.6% markup, 25% needs 33.3%, and 30% needs 42.9%, before the customer's service and delivery fees. DoorDash's pricing page confirms the base: "You pay a percentage of each order's subtotal".
The formula: app price = in-store price divided by (1 minus commission rate).
| Item (in-store price) | 15% commission | 25% commission | 30% commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12 sandwich, appetizer or side | $14.12 (+17.6%) | $16.00 (+33.3%) | $17.14 (+42.9%) |
| $18 pizza or entree | $21.18 (+17.6%) | $24.00 (+33.3%) | $25.71 (+42.9%) |
| $30 family platter or steak | $35.29 (+17.6%) | $40.00 (+33.3%) | $42.86 (+42.9%) |
Check one row: $24.00 on a 25% plan pays $6.00 in commission and leaves $18.00. The common mistake is marking up by the commission rate itself: $18 plus 25% is $22.50, and 25% of $22.50 is about $5.63, so you keep about $16.87 and stay more than a dollar short on every order.
Two adjustments. A delivery order skips the server, the table turn and the dish pit, so netting the full in-store price is one target, not the only one; Uber Eats makes that argument in its own menu pricing article, and if you know your food cost percentage and packaging cost you can price to protect the contribution after those lines instead. And pickup is a separate menu: DoorDash recommends matching pickup to in-store, Uber Eats charges 10% instead of 7% if you do not, and pickup commissions are a fraction of delivery commissions, so a pickup markup rarely pays. Run your plan and ticket size through the DoorDash fee calculator before choosing a percentage.
What do customers see when you mark up?
The customer sees your app price plus a service fee, a delivery fee, tax and a tip, and DoorDash says its service fee is usually a percentage of the subtotal, so every dollar of markup also raises the fee on top of it. The item price is the only line you control, and the one the customer compares to your menu.
Here is the stack on the $18 pizza. DoorDash's consumer fee page lists a service fee, a delivery fee "that varies by merchant", and possible small order, long distance and regulatory fees, and a June 2023 post says service fees "typically are a percentage of your subtotal for most restaurant orders". The fee lines below are an illustration only; real fees vary by market, plan and DashPass status.
| Line (example only) | In-store | App, no markup | App, 30% tier markup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item price | $18.00 | $18.00 | $25.71 |
| Service fee (example: 15% of subtotal) | $0.00 | $2.70 | $3.86 |
| Delivery fee (example: $3.99) | $0.00 | $3.99 | $3.99 |
| Total before tax and tip | $18.00 | $24.69 | $33.56 |
| Versus the in-store price | 0% | +37% | +86% |
The customer never sees your commission. They see a $33.56 pizza that was $18 on your wall last week. Whether they care is the question, and the only published data comes from the platforms:
- DoorDash, internal 2023 study. Per its merchant learning center: "According to an one-month long internal 2023 study of more than 4,500 restaurants on DoorDash, restaurants that mark up their menu prices can see up to 37% fewer sales and up to 78% lower reorder rates." Note the "up to"; no median is published. The same page estimates that stores marked up over 20% that cut prices 10% would gain "up to 15%" volume in a month and "up to 21%" in a year.
- DoorDash, complaints. "Marked-up menu prices are one of the top customer complaints DoorDash receives" (September 2023 post).
- Uber Eats, third-party survey, January 2025. Per its menu pricing article: "43% of online food delivery consumers have said they regularly check for price differences", respondents said a 12% markup "would be reasonable", and when prices exceed expectations "only 22% said they'd still follow through with their order." Uber's help page rounds the tolerance to "around 10%".
So 10% to 12% is what customers say they accept; the 33% to 43% that fully covers a 25% or 30% plan is three to four times that, on top of fees that already add a third to the bill. The platforms have a reason to discourage markups (cheaper orders mean more orders), but the chains point the same way: strong brands run big premiums, everyone else stays lower.
What are the risks of marking up delivery app prices?
The four risks that actually bite are price gaps between the app and your own website, review complaints, promotions calculated on the inflated price, and sales tax charged on a higher subtotal. Each has a simple control.
Your own website and in-store prices
Keep in-store, phone, pickup and your own website at one price and let the app be the only channel that costs more. If your own site is marked up too, you have thrown away the strongest line in your marketing: "same price as in the restaurant when you order from us". Put it on the bag insert and your Google Business Profile; how to get more direct orders has the rest.
Reviews and complaints
DoorDash says marked-up prices are among its top complaints, and Pennsylvania's attorney general went after Grubhub over undisclosed differences. Customers who feel tricked leave one-star reviews, and ratings feed Most Loved. Either stay inside the 10% to 12% band customers call fair, or say on your own channels that delivery-app prices include the platform's fees.
Promotions that stack on marked-up prices
App promotions are funded by you and calculated on the app price. DoorDash's promotions guide says "Cost includes the customer discount (% or $ off) or delivery fee ($4.99) plus the DoorDash Marketing Fee", with a minimum subtotal and max discount you set. On the $18 pizza priced at $24.00 for a 25% plan, 20% off gives back $4.80: the customer pays $19.20, still above your in-store price, and you fund the $4.80 plus the marketing fee. Model every promotion at the marked-up price.
Sales tax on marked-up prices
Sales tax is charged on what the customer pays, so a marked-up subtotal means more tax on every order. Who remits it depends on your state. DoorDash's marketplace facilitator FAQ says that in facilitator jurisdictions "DoorDash is generally responsible for setting tax rates on merchant menu items" and remits state-level sales tax directly; Grubhub's sales tax remittance page lists the states where it remits for restaurants, and elsewhere you remit. The tax is not your money, but the split changes how marketplace sales appear on your returns, and DoorDash says it cannot give tax advice, so ask your accountant.
Should you absorb the commission, mark it up, or send the order direct?
Absorb the commission if the apps are a small discovery channel, mark up if a large share of your sales runs through them, and move repeat customers to a direct channel either way, since that is the only option that removes the fee rather than shifting it.
| Option | How it works | Who it suits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absorb the commission | One price everywhere; the 15% to 30% comes out of your margin on app orders | Apps are a small slice of sales; high-margin menus (pizza, beverages, bakery); apps used mainly as advertising | Every app order is a thin or negative-margin order |
| Mark up to cover it | Raise app prices 10% to 43% depending on tier and how much you want back | A large share of sales on the apps; strong local pull; menus where a few dollars goes unnoticed (platters, catering trays) | Lost volume (up to 37% fewer sales per DoorDash), Most Loved eligibility, the 10% Uber pickup fee, complaints, promotions and tax on the higher price |
| Move the customer direct | Keep app prices modest, then convert repeat customers to your own website or phone line, where there is no commission | Any restaurant with repeat customers; the only option that ends the fee instead of moving it | Needs a real direct channel, a bag insert and a reason to switch; check the flat fees that replace commission |
Most owners combine the second and third rows: a moderate app markup so first orders are not losers, and in-store prices on the direct channel so repeat orders are commission-free. Before signing with any direct platform, read the hidden cost of zero commission platforms.
How to set marketplace prices in your POS or menu manager
If your app menus sync from a POS, change prices in the POS; DoorDash's help page says "If your menu is synced through a POS system, price changes must be made in your POS." Otherwise use each portal. Paths as documented on each help page, checked September 2026.
DoorDash Merchant Portal. Per DoorDash's price editing article: Menu Manager, then the pencil icon next to the item under the Overview tab, update the price, Save Changes. Its pricing guide confirms you "can set separate prices for the delivery and pickup menus on DoorDash", and the portal includes a tool that projects how a markup affects sales.
Uber Eats Manager. Per Uber's menu pricing article: Menu, select the item, change the price, Save. Price lists for different order types are edited separately, so check pickup as well as delivery.
Grubhub for Restaurants. Per Grubhub's menu overview: Menu, select the item, update Base price on the Info and Modifiers tab, save. Changes go live on the marketplace automatically.
Toast. Toast's third-party ordering pricing article starts with a deep copy of your menu so in-store pricing stays untouched. For DoorDash and Uber Eats: Takeout & delivery, then Third party ordering, then the platform's Menu settings, then Edit, and apply a percentage increase on the base price ("Price increases do not apply to modifiers for DoorDash and Uber Eats"). For Grubhub and the rest, use the Price Editor tool on the copied menu; a menu shared between Skip and another platform gets the increase twice, so copy first.
Square. Square's DoorDash integration sets price increases "separately by pickup or delivery", with rounding and an option to raise modifier prices; its Uber Eats integration adjusts prices "by a set dollar amount or percentage". Item price changes in Square sync to the app with the override still applied.
Before you flip the switch:
- Write down the commission tier and chosen markup per platform, with the formula result beside it.
- Leave pickup at the in-store price on every app, and confirm in-store, phone and your own website still match.
- Re-run every live promotion at the new app price and set a max discount, then print the direct price on the bag insert.
Where DirectOrders fits
The third row of the decision table needs a direct channel, and that is what DirectOrders is: commission-free online ordering for independent restaurants on a branded website, for a flat monthly fee ($249 per month for Pro, $349 for Pro plus Voice AI phone ordering with 500 minutes included) with a 14-day free trial. Your menu on it is your in-store menu at in-store prices, and the customer data is yours, so customers you convert off the apps can be reached by SMS and email. It works alongside Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed and Revel. See DirectOrders vs DoorDash for the side by side.
Sources
All checked September 2026.
- DoorDash, "How Strategic Menu Pricing Helps Merchants, Consumers and Dashers" (September 4, 2023)
- DoorDash Merchant Learning Center, "How Menu Pricing Could Impact Your Sales" (updated July 2024)
- DoorDash Merchant blog, "How to Set Pricing for Delivery and Pickup Orders" (March 30, 2023)
- DoorDash Help, editing an item price in the Merchant Portal
- DoorDash Merchant pricing page
- DoorDash Help, "What fees do I pay on Caviar and DoorDash?"
- DoorDash, "Making Our Platform Even More Transparent and Affordable" (June 28, 2023)
- DoorDash Help, "How to Use Promotions on DoorDash"
- DoorDash, "US Merchant Marketplace Facilitator FAQ"
- Uber Eats US merchant pricing
- Uber Help, "How is the Menu Markup metric calculated"
- Uber Eats, "Why Menu Pricing Matters for Success" (April 2025)
- Restaurant Dive, "Uber Eats, Postmates deploy tiered pricing structures" (September 13, 2021)
- Grubhub Merchant Terms (effective December 17, 2024)
- Grubhub FAQ, "Will Grubhub change our menu prices?"
- Grubhub FAQ, different pricing on Grubhub vs. Toast POS menu
- Grubhub Help Center, "Getting started with your Grubhub Menu"
- Grubhub, "Sales Tax Remittance"
- CBS Philadelphia, Pennsylvania settlement with Grubhub (November 2022)
- Second Circuit, Davitashvili v. Grubhub, Nos. 23-521 and 23-522 (March 13, 2025)
- Food On Demand, "Study Shows Rising Delivery Price Premiums" (April 19, 2023), reporting Gordon Haskett Research Advisors
- Toast Support, "Set Different Menu Prices for Third-Party Ordering Integrations"
- Square Support, "Set up your DoorDash integration with Square"
- Square Support, "Set up Uber Eats integration with Square"
Bottom line
You can mark up on DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, and the chains do it at an average of about 19%. Fully covering a 25% or 30% commission takes a 33% to 43% markup, three to four times the 10% to 12% customers say they tolerate, and DoorDash's own study links markups to up to 37% fewer sales. Keep pickup, phone, in-store and your own website at one price, put a moderate markup on delivery-app menus if you need it, and treat every repeat customer as someone to move to a direct channel where the menu price is the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. DoorDash's September 2023 menu pricing post says it does not require delivery prices to match in-store and that restaurants make their own pricing decisions. The trade-offs are visibility and eligibility: consistent pricing may rank higher on the homepage, markups above 10% can disqualify a store from Most Loved under DoorDash's 2024 guidance, and DoorDash reserves the right to remove merchants for extreme levels of price inflation.
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