DoorDash brings restaurants new customers, and for many owners it is worth having. But every order pays a commission, and on a busy month that adds up to one of the biggest lines on the P&L. This guide explains how much DoorDash charges restaurants, plan by plan, with a worked order and a monthly example, and how to keep more of each order without losing the customers the app brings in.
DoorDash's Restaurant Plans at a Glance
DoorDash publishes three Marketplace plans for US restaurants. There is no monthly fee or signup cost; you pay a commission on each order.
| Plan | Delivery commission | Pickup commission |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 15% | 6% |
| Plus | 25% | 6% |
| Premier | 30% | 6% |
Higher plans buy a wider delivery area, more visibility in the app and extra customer guarantees. Rates are as published on DoorDash's merchant pricing page in October 2026; check the current figures for your market before you decide.
What a $50 Order Actually Costs You
Take a $50 delivery order. Here is what the restaurant keeps on each plan, and on its own ordering website:
| Channel | Fee on a $50 order | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash Basic (15%) | $7.50 | $42.50 |
| DoorDash Plus (25%) | $12.50 | $37.50 |
| DoorDash Premier (30%) | $15.00 | $35.00 |
| Your own website (4% + card processing) | $3.75 | $46.25 |
The own-website row uses a 4% platform fee plus standard Stripe card processing (2.9% + 30¢). Marketplace commissions already include card processing, so this is a like-for-like comparison. If you deliver yourself, driver costs come on top on your own site.
A Monthly Example
Say a restaurant does $6,000 a month in delivery orders through the app on the Plus plan, at an average of $30 per order (200 orders).
- On DoorDash Plus: $1,500 in commission. The restaurant keeps $4,500.
- On its own website: $45 monthly plan + $240 platform fee (4%) + about $234 in card processing = about $519. The restaurant keeps about $5,481.
That is roughly $980 a month, or nearly $12,000 a year, before you count the value of owning the customer list. Even moving a third of those orders to your own site saves a few hundred dollars every month.
Fees Customers Pay (and Why They Matter to You)
On top of what the restaurant pays, customers usually see delivery and service fees in the app, and app menu prices are often marked up to cover the commission. Those fees don't reduce your payout directly, but they raise the price of your food, and price-sensitive regulars order less often. On your own website you set the delivery fee and the prices.
How to Pay Less Without Losing Customers
- Keep the app for discovery. New customers find you there. Treat it as advertising, not as your main channel.
- Open your own ordering website. Your brand, your menu, orders straight to the POS. See how NEAPES online ordering works.
- Put a card in every app bag. "Order direct next time and get 10% off" turns app customers into website customers.
- Reward direct orders. Loyalty points on website orders give regulars a reason to skip the app.
- Use the list. Every direct customer joins your list. A text on a slow Tuesday costs far less than a 25% commission.
- Push pickup. Pickup is the cheapest order on any channel, and on your own site there is no delivery cost at all.
Is DoorDash Worth It for Your Restaurant?
For reaching new customers, often yes. For serving your regulars, usually not: they already know you, and every repeat order through the app pays a commission for a customer you already earned. The strongest setup for most independent restaurants is both: the app for discovery, your own website for everyone who comes back. Compare the numbers on our DoorDash alternative page, or read how your own ordering website increases profit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does DoorDash charge restaurants per order?
DoorDash's published US Marketplace plans charge 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus) or 30% (Premier) on delivery orders, and 6% on pickup orders, with no monthly fee.
What does a $50 DoorDash order cost the restaurant?
$7.50 on Basic, $12.50 on Plus and $15.00 on Premier, leaving $42.50, $37.50 or $35.00. On your own website with a 4% platform fee and standard card processing, you keep about $46.25.
Do customer fees reduce the restaurant's payout?
Not directly — delivery and service fees are paid by the customer. But they raise the total price of your food, which can make regulars order less often.
How can I reduce my DoorDash fees without losing customers?
Keep DoorDash for new customers, and move regulars to your own ordering website with a card in every bag, loyalty points on direct orders and SMS or email offers to your own customer list.
Does DoorDash charge a monthly fee?
No. DoorDash's Marketplace plans have no monthly fee or signup cost; restaurants pay a commission on each order instead.
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