DoorDash Commission Rate for Restaurants

DoorDash controls the largest share of the U.S. food delivery market, and for most restaurants operating on the platform, the commission rate is the single biggest cost of third-party delivery. But DoorDash does not charge a flat commission — it uses a tiered plan structure where the rate you pay depends on the level of exposure, delivery radius, and subscriber access you choose. Understanding how these tiers work, what each one actually costs once all fees are included, and whether your current plan is the right fit for your margins is critical for restaurant profitability.

This guide breaks down the DoorDash commission rate structure for 2026, covering all three plan tiers, pickup commission rates, DashPass’s impact on your effective cost, enterprise negotiation strategies, and how DoorDash’s rates compare to other delivery platforms. If you want to verify that the rate DoorDash is actually charging matches your agreement, our step-by-step DoorDash reconciliation process shows you how to check every order.

DoorDash Commission Rate by Plan Tier

DoorDash structures its restaurant partnerships into three tiered plans. Each tier determines the base delivery commission rate, the pickup commission rate, the delivery radius customers can order from, and whether the restaurant is eligible for DashPass subscriber orders:

These commission rates are applied to the order subtotal — the total price of food and beverages before taxes, tips, and customer-facing delivery fees. Tips go directly to the driver and are not included in the commission calculation.

How Each DoorDash Plan Works

Basic (15% commission). The Basic plan offers the lowest commission rate but comes with significant tradeoffs. Your restaurant appears to a smaller geographic area of customers, which directly limits the number of potential orders you receive. Basic plan restaurants are also excluded from DashPass, meaning you miss the platform’s most active and highest-spending customer segment. This plan works best for restaurants that want marketplace exposure without paying a premium — typically those with strong direct ordering channels that use DoorDash as a supplementary source of orders.

Plus (25% commission). The Plus plan is the most common tier among DoorDash restaurant partners. It provides a meaningfully larger delivery radius and includes DashPass eligibility. DashPass subscribers order more frequently and tend to have higher average order values than non-subscribers, so access to this pool of customers can significantly increase order volume. For most restaurants, the Plus plan represents the balance point between commission cost and order generation.

Premier (30% commission). The Premier plan is designed for restaurants that want maximum visibility and the largest possible delivery radius. Premier restaurants receive priority placement in the DoorDash marketplace, appear first in search results, and reach the widest geographic area. This plan makes sense for restaurants with high food margins that can absorb the 30% commission while benefiting from the volume increase that top-tier placement provides.

DoorDash Pickup Commission Rate

DoorDash charges a reduced commission on pickup orders because no delivery logistics are involved. The platform provides marketplace visibility and order processing, but the customer picks up the food directly from the restaurant. Pickup commissions are approximately 6% across all three plan tiers, making pickup orders significantly more profitable on a per-order basis than delivery orders.

Some restaurants actively encourage pickup orders through DoorDash as a strategy to reduce their blended commission rate. If 30% of your DoorDash orders are pickup at 6% commission and 70% are delivery at 25% commission, your blended rate is approximately 19.3% rather than the full 25% delivery rate.

How DashPass Affects Your Commission

DashPass is DoorDash’s customer subscription program that offers subscribers free delivery on eligible restaurant orders. Restaurants on the Plus and Premier plans are DashPass-eligible, while Basic plan restaurants are not. DashPass does not change your base commission rate, but it affects the economics of each order in two ways:

Increased order volume. DashPass subscribers order more frequently than non-subscribers and tend to have higher average order values. Access to this customer segment can increase your total DoorDash revenue even though the per-order commission remains the same.

Delivery fee subsidies. When a DashPass subscriber orders from your restaurant, DoorDash waives the customer’s delivery fee. Depending on your partnership agreement, DoorDash may pass a portion of that subsidy cost to the restaurant as an additional payout deduction. This charge is separate from the base commission and can be difficult to track because it is not always labeled consistently on payout statements.

For a deeper look at how all delivery platform commissions are structured, see our guide on how delivery platform commissions work.

Negotiating Your DoorDash Commission Rate

DoorDash’s published plan rates are not the only option for every restaurant. Several factors can create room for negotiation:

Volume. Restaurants processing more than 200 delivery orders per week through DoorDash have more leverage to negotiate reduced rates. DoorDash earns more total revenue from high-volume partners, which makes the platform more willing to offer a lower per-order rate to retain them.

Multi-location agreements. Restaurant groups with 5 or more locations can negotiate enterprise agreements that include custom commission rates below the standard tiers. Chains with 10 or more locations frequently secure rates 3–5 percentage points below published rates.

Exclusivity. DoorDash may offer reduced commission rates in exchange for exclusivity — meaning the restaurant agrees not to list on competing platforms like Uber Eats or Grubhub. This is a significant concession and should only be considered if DoorDash represents the dominant delivery channel in your market.

Market competition. In markets where DoorDash competes aggressively with Uber Eats or regional platforms for restaurant supply, representatives may proactively offer reduced rates to win or retain listings.

To understand why commission rates vary and how platforms adjust them over time, see our analysis of why delivery commission rates change.

Example: True Cost of a DoorDash Order

Common Mistakes with DoorDash Commission Rates

Treating the plan rate as the total cost. The most common mistake restaurant operators make is treating the 15%, 25%, or 30% commission as the complete cost of using DoorDash. In reality, payment processing, marketing fees, DashPass subsidies, refund deductions, and promotional charges add 3–8 percentage points to the effective rate. Your contracted commission rate is just the starting point.

Staying on the wrong plan. Many restaurants default to the Plus plan without analyzing whether the additional order volume justifies the higher rate. If your restaurant is in a dense urban market with strong organic demand, the Basic plan at 15% may generate nearly the same volume as Plus at 25%. Conversely, a suburban restaurant with limited walk-in traffic may benefit significantly from Premier’s maximum reach.

Ignoring pickup as a commission reducer. Restaurants that promote pickup through DoorDash can meaningfully reduce their blended commission rate. At 6% commission, pickup orders are four times more cost-efficient than delivery orders on the Plus plan. If you can shift even 20% of DoorDash volume to pickup, your effective rate drops measurably.

Not tracking DashPass deductions separately. DashPass subsidy charges are not always labeled clearly on payout statements. Restaurants that do not isolate and track these charges may not realize how much DashPass is adding to their per-order cost. Monitor your payout statements line by line for DashPass-related deductions.

Skipping refund deduction review. DoorDash automatically charges back customer refund costs to restaurant payouts, but not every refund is the restaurant’s responsibility. Delivery errors, platform failures, and fraudulent refund claims can generate deductions that are disputable. For a breakdown of how these work and how to identify ones worth challenging, see our guide on DoorDash refund deductions explained.

DoorDash Commission Rate vs. Competitors

DoorDash’s commission rates are broadly competitive with Uber Eats and Grubhub. The key differentiator is market share: DoorDash’s dominance in most U.S. markets means restaurants have less leverage to negotiate rates compared to smaller platforms competing for merchant supply. However, DoorDash’s larger customer base also means higher potential order volume, which can offset the commission cost for restaurants with strong margins.

If you suspect your effective commission rate is higher than your contracted rate, our DoorDash payout reconciliation guide walks through how to check every order against your agreement and document discrepancies for dispute.