Every time a regular orders your food through a delivery app, a slice of that ticket goes to the app. On some plans it's close to a third. Commission-free online ordering means guests order straight from your website or app, and you keep the whole subtotal.
You still pay card processing, and you'll usually pay a monthly fee for the software. But nobody takes a percentage of your sales.
What the delivery apps charge in 2026
Here's what the big three charge restaurants on their marketplace plans, based on DoorDash's own October 2026 comparison and other published breakdowns:
| App | Delivery commission | Pickup commission |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus), 30% (Premier) | 6% |
| Uber Eats | 20% (Lite), 25% (Plus), 30% (Premium) | 7% to 10% |
| Grubhub | 5% to 20% marketing fee, plus 10% if Grubhub drivers deliver | Varies by plan |
Uber Eats raised its Lite plan from 15% to 20% in March 2026. Rates change, so check your own merchant contract.
The lower tiers sound cheaper, but they usually come with a smaller delivery area and less visibility in the app. Most busy restaurants end up on the middle or top plan.
The math on one order
Take a $40 order.
- On a delivery app at 25%: the app keeps $10. You get $30, before card fees.
- On your own site: you keep the full $40, before card fees.
That's $10 back on a single order. Now scale it up.
The math on a month
Say you do 300 online orders a month and your average order is $35. That's $10,500 in online sales.
- At a 25% commission, the app takes $2,625 a month.
- On DinerMagnet Growth, you pay $199 a month and no commission.
- That's $2,426 a month you keep, or about $29,000 a year.
Want to try your own numbers? The savings calculator on our pricing page lets you move the sliders for order count, ticket size and commission rate.
Should you quit the delivery apps?
Probably not, at least not right away. Delivery apps are good at one thing: putting you in front of people who've never heard of you. That's worth something.
What doesn't make sense is paying 25% on your regulars, the people who already know your food and would happily order direct if you made it easy. The smart move for most restaurants is:
- Keep the apps for discovery. Let new guests find you there.
- Move repeat guests to your own site. Put a card in every delivery bag with your website and a reason to order direct, like a free drink or loyalty points.
- Make direct ordering easier than the app. Saved cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, reorder in two taps.
- Stay in touch. When someone orders direct, you get their email and phone number. Use it. A simple "we miss you" text after 30 days brings people back. Our marketing tools send that automatically.
What to look for in a commission-free system
Not every "no commission" platform is the same. A few things to check:
- Per-order fees. Some platforms skip the commission but add a flat fee per order, or charge the guest a "service fee." Neither is a dealbreaker, but know what you're signing up for.
- Your own domain. Ordering should live on your restaurant's website address, not a page on someone else's site.
- Guest data. You should own the email and phone number of everyone who orders.
- It works with your POS. You shouldn't have to replace your counter setup. DinerMagnet orders arrive on a kitchen tablet, so your current POS stays as it is.
- Pickup, delivery and catering. All three from one menu. For delivery, you can use your own drivers or on-demand couriers.
How DinerMagnet does it
DinerMagnet's online ordering runs on your own website and branded app, with zero commission on every plan. Starter is $0 a month plus $0.99 per order, and you can pass that fee to the guest. Growth ($199) and Pro ($349) have no per-order fees at all. Card payments go through Stripe at its standard rates, straight to your bank.
You can watch a real order go from the guest's phone to the restaurant's screen on our online ordering page, or click through the live demo.
If you're still picking a platform, read our comparison of the best restaurant website builders. And if food costs are squeezing your margin too, here's how to calculate your food cost percentage.
FAQ
Is commission-free online ordering really free?
The commission is free. You'll still pay card processing, and usually a monthly software fee or a small flat fee per order. Compared with a 15% to 30% commission, that's a lot less for most restaurants.
How much does DoorDash take from restaurants?
On its marketplace plans in 2026, DoorDash charges 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus) or 30% (Premier) on delivery orders, and 6% on pickup orders.
Can I offer delivery without DoorDash or Uber Eats?
Yes. You can use your own drivers, or a platform that dispatches on-demand couriers for each order. You set the delivery area and fee.
Will guests actually order from my website?
Your regulars will, if it's as easy as the app. Give them a reason to switch, like a loyalty reward, and remind them with a card in the bag and the occasional text.