Grubhub was one of the first major delivery platforms in the United States and remains a significant channel for restaurant delivery orders, particularly in urban markets on the East Coast. While Grubhub’s market share has declined relative to DoorDash and Uber Eats, many restaurants still generate substantial order volume through the platform. Understanding how Grubhub’s fee structure works — and where it differs from competitors — is essential for managing delivery profitability across multiple platforms.
Grubhub’s marketplace model charges restaurants a combination of commission fees, marketing premiums, delivery charges, and processing costs. As one operator put it: “You will never be able to reconcile” — and Grubhub’s split-fee model is a big reason why. The effective rate a restaurant pays is almost always higher than the base commission, and the gap between the contracted rate and the true cost can be significant. This guide breaks down every Grubhub fee that affects your payout. To verify what Grubhub is actually charging you, the same reconciliation approach used for DoorDash works here — see our step-by-step reconciliation guide for the full workflow.
What Grubhub Charges Restaurants
Grubhub applies several categories of fees to restaurant orders. The following table summarizes every charge that can appear on your Grubhub payout statement. For a line-by-line explanation of how each of these appears on your actual statement, see our guide on how to read a Grubhub statement.
| Fee Type | Typical Range | Applied To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace Commission | 15% – 25% | Order subtotal | Covers app listing and customer access |
| Delivery Commission | 5% – 10% | Order subtotal | Added when Grubhub handles delivery |
| Pickup Commission | 5% – 10% | Order subtotal | Lower rate for pickup-only orders |
| Payment Processing | 2.5% – 3.0% | Total transaction | Credit/debit card processing |
| Marketing Premiums | Variable | Per campaign | Sponsored listings, search placement |
| Grubhub+ Adjustments | Variable | Per subscriber order | Loyalty program subsidy sharing |
| Promotional Costs | Variable | Per promotion | Discount cost sharing with platform |
| Refund Deductions | Variable | Per refunded order | Customer refund chargebacks |
Grubhub Marketplace Commission Structure
Grubhub’s commission model differs from DoorDash and Uber Eats in one important way: Grubhub has historically separated marketplace fees from delivery fees more explicitly than its competitors.
The marketplace commission covers the cost of listing the restaurant on the Grubhub app, processing customer orders and payments, and providing the customer support infrastructure. This fee applies to all orders — delivery, pickup, and dine-in (where available).
The delivery fee is an additional charge applied only when Grubhub dispatches a driver. This separation means restaurants can more clearly see what they pay for the marketplace versus what they pay for delivery logistics.
| Order Type | Marketplace Commission | Delivery Fee | Total Commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grubhub Delivery | 15% – 20% | 5% – 10% | 20% – 30% |
| Restaurant Delivery | 15% – 20% | 0% | 15% – 20% |
| Pickup | 5% – 10% | 0% | 5% – 10% |
This separation gives restaurants more visibility into cost components but also creates more line items on the payout statement, which can make reconciliation more complex. For a step-by-step process for verifying all four fee layers, see our guide on how to reconcile Grubhub statements.
Key takeaway: Grubhub’s split between marketplace and delivery fees provides more transparency than bundled commission models, but it also means your total commission on a delivered order is the sum of two separate charges. Always add both to calculate your true delivery cost.
Grubhub Marketing Premiums
Grubhub’s marketing premium system is one of the platform’s most distinctive — and potentially expensive — fee structures. Unlike DoorDash and Uber Eats, which offer marketing as optional add-on campaigns, Grubhub has historically tied marketplace visibility more closely to marketing spend.
Sponsored search results. Restaurants can pay for higher positioning in Grubhub search results and category pages. Sponsored listings are charged as a percentage of order value on orders attributed to the listing. This can add 5–15% to the cost of those specific orders.
Loyalty program integration. Restaurants can participate in Grubhub’s loyalty and rewards programs to drive repeat orders. Participation typically requires funding a portion of the reward value, which appears as a payout deduction.
Featured collections. Appearing in curated collections (“Top Rated,” “Fastest Near You”) may require additional marketing commitment. The fees for these placements vary and are negotiated as part of the partnership agreement.
For restaurants that invest heavily in Grubhub marketing, the effective commission rate on promoted orders can reach 35–40% when marketing premiums are stacked on top of the base commission and delivery fee. This makes tracking the return on marketing investment critical for maintaining profitability.
For more on how marketing fees and other hidden charges reduce restaurant payouts, see our guide to hidden delivery fees most restaurants miss.
Grubhub Delivery Structure
Grubhub offers restaurants two delivery fulfillment options:
Grubhub delivery. Grubhub dispatches a driver from its network to pick up and deliver the order. The restaurant pays the delivery fee component (5–10%) in addition to the marketplace commission. The platform handles driver management, routing, and delivery tracking.
Restaurant delivery. The restaurant uses its own drivers to fulfill delivery orders. In this case, only the marketplace commission applies — no delivery fee. The restaurant manages its own delivery logistics, including driver scheduling, routing, and customer communication for delivery status.
The choice between Grubhub delivery and restaurant delivery depends on whether the restaurant has an existing delivery operation and whether the platform’s delivery fee exceeds the restaurant’s internal delivery cost. For most independent restaurants without a delivery fleet, Grubhub’s delivery network is the practical option.
Wondering how much Grubhub fees are actually costing your restaurant?
Estimate Your Revenue DiscrepanciesExample: Total Grubhub Cost Per Order
A restaurant using Grubhub’s delivery network receives an order with a $36 subtotal. The restaurant pays an 18% marketplace commission plus a 7% delivery fee.
Marketplace commission (18%): $36 × 0.18 = $6.48
Delivery fee (7%): $36 × 0.07 = $2.52
Payment processing (2.5%): $36 × 0.025 = $0.90
Marketing premium (sponsored listing): $1.80
Total deductions: $11.70
Restaurant receives: $24.30 out of $36.00
Effective rate: 32.5% — not 25%.
A restaurant processing 350 Grubhub delivery orders per month at an average order value of $30, paying 18% marketplace commission plus 7% delivery fee:
Monthly gross delivery revenue: 350 × $30 = $10,500
Marketplace commission (18%): $1,890
Delivery fee (7%): $735
Payment processing (2.5%): $263
Marketing premiums: ~$350/month
Refund adjustments: ~$120/month
Total deductions: $3,358
Effective rate: 32.0%
The restaurant pays 7 percentage points above its base marketplace commission — approximately $735 per month in fees beyond the stated 25% combined rate.
Common Grubhub Fee Misunderstandings
The marketplace commission is the total cost. The marketplace commission is only one component of the total fee. The delivery fee, payment processing, marketing premiums, and promotional costs are all charged separately. Restaurants that track only the marketplace commission underestimate their true cost by 5–10 percentage points.
Marketing premiums are optional and small. While technically optional, Grubhub’s marketplace favors restaurants that invest in marketing. Restaurants with low or no marketing spend may see reduced visibility in search results. The marketing premium on a sponsored order can add 5–15% to the cost of that specific order, making it one of the most expensive components of the fee structure.
Grubhub+ only benefits customers. Grubhub+ is Grubhub’s loyalty subscription offering free delivery and reduced fees to customers. While it can increase order frequency for participating restaurants, the delivery fee subsidy cost may be partially shared with the restaurant. Monitor Grubhub+ order deductions separately to understand the true impact.
Refunds are always the platform’s cost. When Grubhub issues a refund to a customer, the restaurant often absorbs part or all of the refunded amount. This appears as a deduction on the payout statement. Restaurants cannot always dispute these deductions, and refund rates of 1.5–3% are common. For more on how refund adjustments work, see our analysis of delivery refund adjustments.
Grubhub vs. Other Delivery Platforms
| Feature | Grubhub | DoorDash | Uber Eats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission Model | Split (marketplace + delivery) | Bundled (single rate) | Bundled (single rate) |
| Total Delivery Commission | 20% – 30% | 15% – 30% | 15% – 30% |
| Pickup Commission | 5% – 10% | 6% – 15% | 6% – 15% |
| Marketing Model | Tiered premiums | Ad campaigns | Sponsored listings |
| Subscriber Program | Grubhub+ | DashPass | Uber One |
| U.S. Market Share | Third | Largest | Second |
Grubhub’s split commission model provides more transparency into what restaurants pay for marketplace access versus delivery logistics. However, its marketing premium structure can make the effective rate on promoted orders significantly higher than competitors. For restaurants on all three platforms, comparing the total effective rate across each is essential for understanding which channel is most cost-efficient. For a comprehensive comparison, see our guide on how delivery platform commissions work.
Estimate how much delivery fee discrepancies may be costing your restaurant across all platforms.
Try the Delivery Reconciliation CalculatorGrubhub fees most restaurants miss
Beyond the marketplace and delivery commissions, Grubhub applies several charges that most restaurants don’t track closely:
Marketing premiums. Grubhub’s tiered visibility system charges restaurants more for higher search placement. The premium rate isn’t always clearly separated from the base commission on every payout report, making it easy to lose track of how much you’re spending on promotion.
Grubhub+ subsidy adjustments. When a Grubhub+ subscriber orders from your restaurant with free delivery, Grubhub may pass a portion of the delivery fee subsidy cost to the restaurant. This appears as a separate line item that increases your effective rate on subscriber orders.
Refund deductions without notification. Like DoorDash, Grubhub deducts refund amounts from restaurant payouts. Not all of these refunds are the restaurant’s fault, and disputing them requires matching each deduction to its original order. If you want to estimate how much Grubhub fees are costing your restaurant beyond the base commission, use our Grubhub fee calculator for a per-order breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grubhub charges a marketplace commission of 15–25% plus a delivery fee of 5–10% when Grubhub handles delivery. Total delivery commission ranges from 20% to 30%. Pickup orders carry a lower marketplace-only commission of 5–10%. Marketing premiums, processing fees, and promotional costs add 3–10% to the effective rate.
Grubhub operates a marketplace model with a split commission structure. The marketplace fee covers app listing, customer access, payment processing, and support. The delivery fee covers driver dispatch and logistics. This split gives restaurants more transparency than bundled models but adds complexity to payout reconciliation.
Grubhub deducts marketplace commissions, delivery fees, payment processing charges, marketing premiums, Grubhub+ subsidies, promotional costs, and refund adjustments before issuing payouts. These combined deductions typically add 5–10 percentage points above the base marketplace commission. Calculate total deductions divided by gross revenue to see your true effective rate.
Marketing premiums are additional fees restaurants pay for higher visibility on Grubhub. Options include sponsored search results, featured collection placement, and loyalty program participation. These fees are charged on top of the base commission and can add 5–15% to the cost of promoted orders.
Grubhub+ offers subscribers free delivery and reduced service fees. Participating restaurants may see increased order volume from subscribers, but Grubhub may share a portion of the delivery fee subsidy with the restaurant. This appears as an additional deduction on the payout statement separate from the base commission and delivery fee.
Grubhub deducts marketplace commission, delivery fees (if applicable), payment processing (2.5%), marketing premiums, Grubhub+ subsidy adjustments, refund deductions, and error corrections before depositing. The combined effect is typically 28–38% of gross order revenue — significantly more than the base commission percentage alone.
Yes. If your effective commission rate exceeds your contracted rate, or if you’ve been charged for marketing programs you didn’t opt into, you can file a dispute through Grubhub’s merchant support. Document specific order IDs, expected amounts, and actual charges. Having POS records to back up your claim significantly improves dispute outcomes.