DoorDash is the largest delivery platform in the United States by market share, and for most restaurants, it represents the highest single cost of third-party delivery operations. Understanding exactly what DoorDash charges — and where the gaps between your contracted rate and your actual payout appear — is essential for protecting your margins. This guide breaks down every fee DoorDash applies to restaurant orders, from base commissions to the less visible charges that increase your effective cost per order.
Most restaurant operators know their contracted commission percentage but underestimate the total cost. When you add payment processing, marketing fees, DashPass subsidies, refund adjustments, and promotional charges, the effective rate is consistently higher than what appears in the partnership agreement. Knowing where each dollar goes is the first step toward identifying overcharges and recovering lost revenue. If you want to verify your actual effective rate order-by-order, our DoorDash reconciliation guide shows you exactly how. If you also use Uber Eats, see our companion guide on Uber Eats fees for restaurants.
What DoorDash Charges Restaurants
DoorDash applies several categories of fees to restaurant orders. The following table summarizes every charge that can appear on your DoorDash payout statement:
| Fee Type | Typical Range | Applied To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Commission | 15% – 30% | Order subtotal | Varies by plan (Basic, Plus, Premier) |
| Pickup Commission | 6% – 15% | Order subtotal | Lower rate since no delivery logistics |
| Payment Processing | 2.5% – 3.0% | Total transaction | Covers credit/debit card processing |
| Marketing Fees | Variable | Per campaign | Sponsored listings, promotions |
| DashPass Adjustments | Variable | Per eligible order | Reduced delivery fee subsidy charges |
| Refund Deductions | Variable | Per refunded order | Customer refunds charged back to restaurant |
| Error Adjustments | Variable | Retroactive | Corrections to previous payout periods |
| Tablet Fee | $6 – $10/week | Flat rate | For DoorDash-provided merchant tablet |
DoorDash Commission Breakdown by Plan
DoorDash structures its restaurant partnerships into tiered plans. Each plan determines the base commission rate and the set of features available to the restaurant:
| Plan | Delivery Commission | Pickup Commission | Delivery Radius | DashPass Eligible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 15% | 6% | Smaller | No |
| Plus | 25% | 6% | Larger | Yes |
| Premier | 30% | 6% | Largest | Yes |
The Basic plan at 15% provides the lowest commission but limits the restaurant’s delivery radius and excludes it from DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription program. Restaurants on the Basic plan typically see lower order volumes because they appear to fewer customers.
The Plus plan at 25% is the most common tier. It provides a larger delivery area and includes DashPass eligibility, which gives the restaurant access to DoorDash’s most active customer segment. DashPass subscribers order more frequently and spend more per order on average.
The Premier plan at 30% offers maximum visibility, the largest delivery radius, and priority placement in the DoorDash marketplace. This plan is designed for restaurants that want to maximize order volume and are willing to pay a higher commission to achieve it.
Key takeaway: Higher-tier DoorDash plans increase your commission rate but may generate enough additional order volume to improve total revenue. The decision depends on your food cost margins and capacity. Calculate your effective rate — including all fees, not just the base commission — before choosing a plan.
DoorDash Marketing and DashPass Fees
Beyond the base commission, DoorDash charges for marketing and promotional programs. These fees can significantly increase the effective cost per order:
Sponsored listings. Restaurants can pay for higher placement in DoorDash search results and category pages. Sponsored listings are typically charged as a percentage of order value (often 5–10% on top of the base commission) or as a fixed cost per click. These charges appear as a separate line item on the payout statement.
DashPass subsidies. DashPass is DoorDash’s subscription program that offers customers free delivery on eligible orders. When a DashPass subscriber orders from your restaurant, DoorDash waives the customer delivery fee but may pass a portion of that subsidy cost to the restaurant. The exact amount varies and is not always clearly documented in the partnership agreement.
Promotional programs. DoorDash periodically runs customer promotions (“$5 off your next order,” “free delivery this weekend”). When your restaurant participates, the promotional discount is often split between DoorDash and the restaurant. Your share of the promotional cost appears as a deduction on the payout statement.
For a deeper analysis of all the charges that can appear on delivery platform statements, see our guide to hidden delivery fees most restaurants miss.
DoorDash Payment Processing Fees
DoorDash charges a payment processing fee on every transaction to cover the cost of credit and debit card processing. This fee is typically 2.5% to 3.0% of the total transaction amount and is applied separately from the commission.
Payment processing fees are a cost of doing business on any platform that handles customer payments, but the rate DoorDash charges may be higher than what restaurants pay through their own point-of-sale payment processing. For a restaurant processing $30,000 per month in DoorDash orders, the difference between a 2.5% platform processing fee and a 2.0% independent processor costs an additional $150 per month.
Wondering how much DoorDash fees may be costing your restaurant beyond the contracted commission?
Estimate Your Revenue DiscrepanciesExample: Total DoorDash Cost Per Order
A restaurant on DoorDash’s Plus plan (25% commission) receives a delivery order with a $40 subtotal.
Commission (25%): $40 × 0.25 = $10.00
Payment processing (2.5%): $40 × 0.025 = $1.00
Marketing fee (sponsored listing): $1.50
Total deductions: $12.50
Restaurant receives: $27.50 out of $40.00
Effective rate: 31.3% — not 25%.
A restaurant processing 600 delivery orders per month at an average order value of $35 on the Plus plan:
Monthly gross delivery revenue: 600 × $35 = $21,000
Commission (25%): $5,250
Payment processing (2.5%): $525
Marketing fees: ~$280/month
Refund adjustments: ~$180/month (estimated 1.5% refund rate)
Total deductions: $6,235
Effective rate: 29.7%
The restaurant is paying 4.7 percentage points above its contracted rate — approximately $987 per month in fees beyond the 25% commission.
Common DoorDash Fee Misunderstandings
The contracted rate is the total cost. Restaurant operators frequently treat the commission percentage as the total cost of using DoorDash. In practice, payment processing, marketing, refund deductions, and promotional charges add 3–8 percentage points to the effective rate. Always calculate total deductions, not just the base commission.
DashPass orders cost the same as regular orders. DashPass subscribers receive benefits that may change the fee structure applied to their orders. Depending on your plan and agreement, DashPass orders can carry slightly different economics than standard orders. Monitor DashPass order deductions separately.
Refunds only affect the customer. When DoorDash issues a refund to a customer, the restaurant often absorbs part or all of the refund amount. This appears as a payout deduction, reducing the restaurant’s net revenue for the period. Restaurants cannot always contest these refund deductions. For more detail on how refund adjustments work, see our analysis of delivery refund adjustments and our DoorDash-specific breakdown of DoorDash refund deductions.
Error adjustments always balance out. DoorDash applies retroactive corrections to previous payout periods. While some error adjustments add money back, others create additional deductions. These adjustments can be difficult to trace because they reference transactions from prior periods. For a systematic approach to catching these, see our guide on how to reconcile DoorDash payouts.
DoorDash vs. Other Delivery Platforms
| Feature | DoorDash | Uber Eats | Grubhub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery Commission Range | 15% – 30% | 15% – 30% | 15% – 30% |
| Pickup Commission | 6% – 15% | 6% – 15% | 5% – 10% |
| Payment Processing | 2.5% – 3.0% | 2.5% – 3.0% | 2.5% – 3.0% |
| Subscriber Program | DashPass | Uber One | Grubhub+ |
| U.S. Market Share | Largest | Second | Third |
| Payout Schedule | Weekly | Weekly | Weekly |
DoorDash’s fee structure is broadly similar to Uber Eats and Grubhub in terms of commission ranges and payment processing rates. The key differentiator is market share: DoorDash controls the largest share of U.S. delivery orders, meaning restaurants often have less negotiating leverage with DoorDash than with smaller platforms competing for merchant supply. For a comprehensive comparison across all platforms, see our guide on how delivery platform commissions work, and for a full audit checklist see how to audit delivery platform fees.
Estimate how much delivery fee discrepancies may be costing your restaurant.
Try the Delivery Reconciliation CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
DoorDash charges between 15% and 30% commission depending on the partnership plan. The Basic plan starts at 15%, Plus is 25%, and Premier is 30%. These rates apply to the order subtotal. Additional fees for payment processing, marketing, and refund adjustments increase the effective rate by 3% to 8% above the base commission.
DoorDash deducts commissions, payment processing fees, refund adjustments, marketing charges, and error corrections before issuing your payout. Payouts also batch multiple days of orders, making direct comparison to daily POS totals difficult. Calculating total deductions as a percentage of gross revenue reveals the true cost per payout period.
DashPass is DoorDash’s customer subscription program offering free delivery on eligible orders. Restaurants on Plus or Premier plans are DashPass-eligible, which can increase order volume from subscribers. However, DoorDash may pass a portion of the delivery fee subsidy cost to the restaurant, which appears as an additional payout deduction.
High-volume restaurants, multi-location chains, and those willing to sign exclusivity agreements can often negotiate lower rates. Enterprise agreements for chains with 10+ locations may include custom pricing. Independent single-location restaurants are typically offered the standard tiered plans with limited negotiating room.
DoorDash charges a reduced commission on pickup orders, typically ranging from 6% to 15%. Since no delivery logistics are involved, the platform charges only a marketplace fee. If a significant portion of your DoorDash orders are pickup, your blended effective rate will be lower than the delivery-only commission.