A delivery app markup is the extra you pay on DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub versus ordering in-store. In 2025, two US studies put that gap at roughly 66% to 83% for chain meals. However, only part of it comes from higher menu prices. The rest comes from fees, taxes, and tips.

This guide breaks down each part and then compares the three apps. It also shows how restaurants and analysts can measure markups with real menu data.

What Is a Delivery App Markup?

A delivery app markup has several layers. So it helps to split it into parts before you compare apps:

• Menu price markup: the app price of an item minus its in-store price.
• Service fee: a platform fee, often based on order size or distance.
• Delivery fee: a per-order fee that varies by restaurant and distance.
• Other fees: for example, small order, long distance, or regulatory fees.
• Tax and tip: sales tax rises with the subtotal, and you may also add a tip.

Restaurants usually set their own menu prices on these apps. For example, DoorDash says it “doesn’t require delivery prices to match in-store prices”. Similarly, Uber Eats has said that “Merchants set their own prices”.

Fees, by contrast, come from the platform. DoorDash, for instance, lists a service fee, delivery fee, small order fee and long distance fee, among others. As a result, the full delivery app markup mixes restaurant pricing and platform pricing.

How Big Is the Delivery App Markup? What Studies Show

In 2025, two large studies tracked delivery app markup across the three biggest US apps.

Self Financial: McDonald’s in 100 Cities

Self Financial priced four McDonald’s meals in the 100 largest US cities on April 1, 2025. It also included tax, service and delivery fees, other charges, and a 15% tip.

On average, the meals cost $36.95 in-store but $62.36 through the apps. As a result, the average markup was 68.8%. Food alone cost $41.38 to $41.60 on the apps, compared with $34.21 in-store. So, by our calculation, the menu markup alone is about 21%.

Interestingly, the total markup fell from 93.8% in 2023. In-store prices rose 23.7% since 2023, while delivered costs rose only 7.8%. Even so, city gaps were wide, from 42.8% in Anchorage to 237.8% in New Orleans.

LendingTree: Five Chains in 10 Cities

Meanwhile, LendingTree compared delivered and pickup prices for five chain meals in 10 large cities. The chains were Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Starbucks, and Taco Bell.

Overall, it found that delivery cost 79.5% ($9.30) more than pickup, on average. In fact, the average meal rose from $11.71 at pickup to $21.00 delivered. For example, the markup reached 92.2% in Atlanta and 89.1% in New York, according to KJRH’s report on the study.

Both studies ranked DoorDash highest and Grubhub lowest. Still, the gaps between apps were small, at under $2 per order in both.

Why Restaurants Raise Menu Prices on Delivery Apps

The main reason is commission. Each app takes a share of every delivery order, so many restaurants raise app prices to protect their margins.

Restaurant Commissions on Each App

• DoorDash: delivery commissions are 15% on Basic, 25% on Plus and 30% on Premier. Pickup costs 6% when pickup prices match in-store prices.
• Uber Eats: Since March 11, 2026, the Lite plan costs 20%, up from 15%. Plus stays at 25%, or 30% on Uber One orders, while Premium stays at 30%.
• Grubhub: Restolabs, a direct-ordering company, reports marketing commissions of 5%, 15%, and 20%. Delivery and card processing come on top, so check Grubhub’s current rate card.

For example, a restaurant on a 25% plan keeps $15 of a $20 item before other costs. So a modest delivery app markup can win back part of that gap.

Markups Can Cost Sales

Even so, markups have a price. DoorDash studied more than 4,500 restaurants for a month in 2023. It found that marked-up restaurants “can see up to 37% fewer sales and up to 78% lower reorder rates”.

In another test, restaurants with markups above 20% cut prices by 10%. As a result, DoorDash estimated volume gains of up to 15% in one month and 21% over 12 months. In addition, its Most Loved program requires menu markups of 10% or less.

DoorDash vs Uber Eats vs Grubhub: Delivery App Markup Compared

No app is always cheapest, because restaurants set menu prices and fees change by order. Still, the table below compares the main cost drivers in 2025 and 2026.

Memberships cut delivery and some service fees. However, they do not remove the menu part of a delivery app markup, because restaurants set those prices.

Sources: DashPass, Uber One and Grubhub+ with Prime.

Rules on Delivery Fees and Menu Markups

So far, the main US actions have targeted fees and disclosure. Here are the key ones:

• Grubhub settlement: in December 2024, the FTC and Illinois’ attorney general settled with Grubhub for $140 million. Grubhub pays $25 million, based on its inability to pay more. It must also disclose all mandatory delivery costs.
• Uber Eats disclosure: in June 2021, Uber Eats agreed with the Pennsylvania and DC attorneys general to show a notice. It says menu prices may be higher than at the restaurant.
• NYC caps: since 2021, the city has capped app fees to restaurants at 15% for delivery and 5% for marketing. Then, in June 2025, the apps settled their lawsuit, and the deal lets them occasionally charge more.
• FTC junk fees rule: this rule took effect on May 12, 2025. However, it covers only live-event tickets and short-term rentals.

In short, these actions deal with fees and notices, not with the delivery app markup on menu items itself. Still, rules change often, so check local laws before you publish price comparisons.

How to Measure Delivery App Markup Step by Step

Published studies give a national picture. However, your own delivery app markup depends on your menu, cities, and plans. So here is a simple method:

1. Pick a fixed basket. Choose the same items, sizes, and add-ons for every store.
2. Record in-store prices. Use the restaurant’s own website, pickup menu, or menu board.
3. Collect app prices. Capture each item on DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub for the same store and time.
4. Note the fees. Then add service, delivery, and other fees at checkout, both with and without a membership.
5. Split menu and fee markups. Divide the app item total by the in-store total, then subtract one. For example, $41.38 against $34.21 is about 21%.
6. Repeat by city and ZIP code. Markups vary widely, from 42.8% to 237.8% across cities in Self Financial’s study.
7. Track it over time. Prices and fees change, so collect data weekly or even daily.

This method mirrors DoorDash’s own approach, which compares the totals of matching items on both menus. Measured this way, the delivery app markup becomes a number you can manage. For instance, restaurants can check price parity, while brands can audit franchise pricing.

How FoodSpark Helps Track Delivery App Markup

Collecting prices by hand across three apps and many ZIP codes takes time. Instead, FoodSpark collects public menu data from DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. So you can measure delivery app markup at scale.

• Menu and price fields: item names, sizes, add-ons, prices, discounts and promotions, per FoodSpark’s Uber Eats data page.
• Location detail: city, state, postal code, and coordinates for each store.
• Delivery details: delivery fees where the app shows them.
• Formats: CSV, JSON, XML, REST API, or webhook. You can also send data to AWS S3, BigQuery, Snowflake or Google Sheets.
• Refresh: one-time, weekly, daily, or hourly updates.

FoodSpark collects publicly available data only. In addition, it does not scrape personal or identity-related information.

To get started, see the DoorDash and Grubhub data services and competitor price monitoring. You can also read our DoorDash vs Uber Eats vs Grubhub comparison. Then check food data API pricing for a free 100-row sample.

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How Big Is the Delivery App Markup?

The studies used chain meals. Want the markup for your own menu? Get a free 100-row sample.

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Delivery App Markup: FAQs

What is a delivery app markup?

It is the extra you pay on a delivery app compared with buying in-store. It includes higher menu prices, platform fees, extra tax and any tip.

How much more does food cost on DoorDash than in-store?

In Self Financial’s 2025 McDonald’s study, DoorDash orders cost 71.1% more than in-store, including fees and a 15% tip. Meanwhile, LendingTree found DoorDash delivery cost 83.3% more than pickup.

Which app has the lowest delivery app markup?

Grubhub had the lowest total markup in both 2025 studies. However, the gap between the three apps was under $2 per order.

Do restaurants set their own prices on delivery apps?

Yes. DoorDash and Uber Eats both say restaurants set menu prices. In fact, DoorDash does not require them to match in-store prices.

Does DashPass or Uber One remove the markup?

No. Memberships cut delivery fees and some service fees. However, restaurants still set menu prices, so menu markups remain.

How can restaurants track delivery app markup?

Compare a fixed basket across the apps and in-store prices by store and ZIP code. For example, FoodSpark can supply this data, starting with a free 100-row sample.