If DoorDash or Uber Eats keeps a quarter of every delivery order, the commission is one of the biggest costs on each ticket. You do not have to leave either app to change that. The most dependable fix is smaller: keep the marketplace for new customers, and make your own ordering page the easy choice for the people who already know you.
This guide covers how marketplace commissions work, what each app publishes today, and the practical steps that lower the bill. Every rate below comes from the marketplace's own pricing page, linked where it appears, and is current as of October 30, 2026. Rates change, so check the page before you decide anything.
How marketplace commissions work
A marketplace charges a percentage of each order's subtotal, not a flat fee. DoorDash's own pricing page describes it that way, and the rate depends on the plan you pick. Higher-priced plans buy more visibility in the app, not a better price per order.
The commission pays for real things: being listed and found, a driver, customer support and, DoorDash says, card processing. So a 25% commission is not 25% wasted. It is the price of an introduction plus a courier.
That framing is the useful one. The commission is worth paying on an order you would not have received otherwise. It is hard to justify on an order from a customer who already knows you and would happily order direct, but used the app because it was the first thing on their phone. Most of the savings in this guide come from moving that second kind of order.
What DoorDash and Uber Eats charge
As of October 30, 2026, DoorDash's merchant pricing page lists three plans. Delivery orders cost 15% on Basic, 25% on Plus and 30% on Premier. Pickup orders cost 6% on every plan. There is no monthly or activation fee.
As of October 30, 2026, Uber Eats' merchant pricing page lists a 20% marketplace fee on Lite, 25% on Plus and 30% on Premium. Pickup is 7% when your in-app prices match in-store prices, and 10% when they do not. A self-delivery plan is 15%.
Here is what those rates cost on $1,000 of order subtotals:
| Where the order comes from | Commission | Cost per $1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash delivery, Basic | 15% | $150 |
| DoorDash delivery, Plus | 25% | $250 |
| DoorDash delivery, Premier | 30% | $300 |
| DoorDash pickup, any plan | 6% | $60 |
| Uber Eats delivery, Lite | 20% | $200 |
| Uber Eats delivery, Plus | 25% | $250 |
| Uber Eats delivery, Premium | 30% | $300 |
| Uber Eats self-delivery | 15% | $150 |
| Uber Eats pickup, matching in-store prices | 7% | $70 |
| Your own TableSpring page, any order type | 0% | $0 |
Read the last row carefully. TableSpring takes no commission, but card payments still carry Stripe's processing fee, and delivery on your own page means your own drivers. The marketplace rows include the courier. The calculator at the end of this guide leaves processing out on both sides for the same reason.
Two details move the numbers. Uber Eats says Uber One orders on its Plus plan carry an additional 5%. And a restaurant in a city with its own fee rules may pay less than the table shows, as the New York section below explains.
Pick the plan that matches what you actually use
The plans differ mostly in reach. DoorDash describes Basic as the lowest fee. Plus adds a wider delivery radius, lower delivery fees for customers and access to DashPass members. Premier adds the widest range, a sponsored listing and a rebate guarantee. Uber Eats' Lite plan covers discoverability when someone searches for your store and is not eligible for Uber One. Plus and Premium add lower delivery fees for customers, ads and offers visibility, and Uber One participation.
The practical question is whether the extra reach brings orders you would not otherwise get. If most of your marketplace orders come from people who already know you, the cheapest tier costs less per order and loses you little. If you are new or building awareness, a higher tier can earn its rate.
To find out, pull your last three months of statements and add up commission by order. Then try the cheaper tier for a few weeks. DoorDash notes that plan changes go through the Merchant Portal and can take up to five business days, and suggests giving a plan two to three weeks before you switch.
Use pickup and self-delivery where they exist
Pickup is the cheapest marketplace order. DoorDash charges 6% on every plan, and Uber Eats charges 7%. Both rates come with a condition: DoorDash requires pickup menu prices to match in-store prices, and Uber Eats requires proof of the same, or the rate is 10%.
Uber Eats also lists a self-delivery plan at 15%, where your own staff deliver the order. It lets you use Uber's drivers for farther trips or when your staff is busy, at 25%. DoorDash's pricing page does not list a self-delivery plan, so ask your DoorDash representative before assuming one exists for you.
Both apps also sell their own direct-ordering products. DoorDash says its Online Ordering is commission-free but carries a payment processing fee, without stating the amount. Uber Eats lists its Webshop at 2.5% plus $0.29 per order. These are worth pricing against any other direct option.
Price your delivery menu for the commission
Many restaurants charge more on delivery apps than at the counter, so the commission does not come out of the same margin. DoorDash's own pricing page says you can set different prices for delivery orders and that many restaurants do. We did not find a rule about delivery prices on Uber Eats' pricing page, but your merchant agreement is what counts, so read it. Pickup is different: both apps tie their low pickup rates to matching in-store prices, as above.
Two judgment calls, not rules. Raise prices only as far as your customers will accept, because a menu that looks 30% pricier than anywhere else loses orders. And notice that a modest gap between the app price and your own page is useful: it gives your regulars a reason to order direct.
Move your regulars to your own ordering page
This is where most of the money is. A marketplace is good at introductions. Once a customer knows you, every repeat order is a commission you can avoid by making your own page easy to reach. None of these steps asks anyone to delete an app.
- Google Business Profile. Someone who searches your name lands on your profile first. Point its order link at your own ordering page, not at a marketplace listing.
- Your website and social bios. One clear "Order online" button on your site, and the same link in your Instagram and Facebook bios.
- Receipts and bag inserts. A small card or sticker in every delivery bag with the line "Order direct next time" and a QR code. Check your merchant agreement for any rule about promotional material in marketplace orders.
- QR codes where people already look. On the counter, the window, the printed menu and takeout bags. A phone camera gets people to your page without typing anything.
- A reason to switch. A small treat on the first direct order, or a price gap between the app and your own page. Once the first direct order goes smoothly, it tends to become the habit.
Build a list you own
A marketplace order gives the app a customer. An email or text list gives you one. Ask for it with a clear opt-in at the point of order, never add people without permission, and honor every unsubscribe. A short note about a new dish or a quiet-night special reaches your regulars with no commission on the reply. TableSpring's Marketing add-on covers offers, loyalty points and email campaigns, but any tool works. What matters is that the list is yours.
If you are in New York City
New York City limits what third-party delivery apps can charge restaurants, so the rates above can overstate what a restaurant there pays. Uber Eats' own pricing page, for instance, lists a lower Lite rate for NYC: 15% on delivery orders and 5% on pickup, plus 3% for card processing.
The City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) enforces the rules. Its page for restaurants using delivery apps, updated in January 2026, lists caps by fee type, and an April 2026 DCWP flyer lists the same ones: 15% to deliver the order, 5% for basic service, 20% for enhanced service and 3% for card processing, with limited exceptions. The flyer also says DCWP is required to issue a report on the caps and asked for public comments through May 6, 2026.
We did not find a published change to those figures as of October 30, 2026, but DCWP was reviewing the caps this year. Check the current rules on DCWP's site before you rely on any number here. Even at the caps, a commission on a regular's order is still a cost you can avoid.
Where TableSpring fits
TableSpring gives you your own ordering page with no commission on any order. The free plan takes up to 100 online orders a month per location, and Unlimited orders is $29 a month if you need more. Card payments go through your own Stripe account at Stripe's published rate, so the money lands in your bank. Pickup and delivery are both supported, and delivery uses your own drivers.
It is not a replacement for a marketplace's reach. It will not send you strangers. It is the place your regulars order when you make it easy to find, which is exactly the commission you can avoid.
To see the arithmetic on your own numbers, use the commission calculator. As an illustration: suppose 120 orders a month at a $32 average ticket move off a 25% plan. That is $3,840 in subtotals and $960 in monthly commission, against $0 on the free plan, before card processing. See pricing for every plan and fee.
If you want help, we will set it up with you, free. Send your menu, or start for free and we will walk through it.
Where to start this week
- Pull three months of marketplace statements and split commission by plan and order type.
- Check whether your plan still matches how you use the app.
- Set your delivery prices on purpose, and keep pickup prices at in-store levels.
- Put your own ordering link on your Google Business Profile, your site and your bags.
- Collect emails with permission, and send something worth opening.
Keep the marketplace for introductions. Give your regulars a better way to find you.