At a Glance: Where Your $30 Delivery Order Goes
| Cost Layer | Amount | % of Order |
|---|---|---|
| Platform deductions (25% effective) | $7.50 | 25% |
| Food cost (30%) | $9.00 | 30% |
| Packaging | $2.50 | 8% |
| Channel labor | $1.00 | 3% |
| Your contribution | $10.00 | 33% |
At 25% effective take rate. At 35%, contribution drops to $7.00 per order.
Delivery sales can rise while delivery profit falls. The gap usually comes from modeling commission only and ignoring the full variable stack.
This guide is built for operator decisions: first map the cost stack, then run order-level math, then set channel actions.
1) Context: What Delivery Profit Actually Depends On
Margin on third-party delivery is driven by five controllable variables:
| Variable | Why it matters | Typical operator range |
|---|---|---|
| Effective platform take rate | Biggest deduction after food cost | 15% to 35% |
| Food cost percentage | Plate economics baseline | 25% to 35% |
| Packaging per order | Fixed cost that hurts low AOV orders | $1.50 to $5.00 |
| Channel labor per order | Expo, bagging, remakes, handoff | $0.50 to $2.50 |
| Promo funding rate | Often hidden in “growth” campaigns | 0% to 20% |
Published commission tiers are only the starting point. Use statement-level deductions to calculate true take rate.
2) Table: Published 2026 Plan Benchmarks (US)
| Platform | Published delivery tiers | Pickup structure shown publicly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | 15% / 25% / 30% | 6% pickup (partnership plans) | Marketplace tiers by plan |
| Uber Eats | 20% / 25% / 30% | 7% parity-verified pickup, otherwise 10% | Self-delivery and Webshop shown separately |
| Grubhub | Marketing commission packages (commonly 5% / 15% / 20%) | Varies by setup | Delivery and processing components may apply separately |
Use these as benchmark inputs, then replace with your signed terms and statement deductions.
3) Formula: Real Delivery Contribution
Net delivery contribution per order =
Order subtotal
- Platform deductions (commission + processing + adjustments)
- Food cost
- Packaging
- Channel labor
- Promo fundingEffective take rate = Platform deductions / Order subtotalRequired app price =
(Food cost + Packaging + Channel labor)
/ (1 - Effective take rate - Target contribution margin)If any denominator is 0 or negative, return 0 and fix assumptions before repricing.
4) Worked Example: $30 Order at 25% Effective Take Rate
Assumptions:
- Order subtotal: $30.00
- Effective take rate: 25%
- Food cost: 30%
- Packaging: $2.50
- Channel labor: $1.00
- Promo funding: 3%
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Net after platform | 30.00 x (1 - 0.25) | $22.50 |
| Less food cost | 22.50 - 9.00 | $13.50 |
| Less packaging | 13.50 - 2.50 | $11.00 |
| Less channel labor | 11.00 - 1.00 | $10.00 |
| Less promo funding | 10.00 - 0.90 | $9.10 |
| Contribution margin | 9.10 / 30.00 | 30.3% |
The same menu item can look healthy at topline and still underperform once promo and handling load are included.
5) Interpretation: What Usually Breaks First
| Signal | Operational meaning | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Low-ticket orders lose money | Packaging + labor too large versus subtotal | Minimum order floor or bundle-first menu |
| High order count, weak cash | Effective take rate drift | Tighten plan mix and promo rules |
| Delivery margin far below dine-in | Channel pricing parity is too strict | Delivery-specific pricing model |
| Promo-attributed orders rise, retained dollars fall | Demand purchased at negative contribution | Pause or narrow promo audience |
6) Action: 7-Day Delivery Margin Reset
- Export last 30 days payout statements by platform.
- Compute effective take rate by platform and top 20 SKUs.
- Identify bottom 5 SKUs by delivery contribution dollars.
- Reprice or bundle those SKUs using the required app price formula.
- Set a minimum order threshold where packaging ratio is acceptable.
- Split weekly reporting: dine-in vs pickup vs third-party delivery.
- Keep only promotions that increase retained dollars, not just order count.
7) Governance: Monthly Decision Cadence
- Week 1: Recompute fee stack and AOV by platform.
- Week 2: Reprice underperforming delivery SKUs.
- Week 3: Audit refund/remake root causes.
- Week 4: Rebalance platform plan tiers and promo budget.
Consistency beats one-time repricing.
Related Guides
- DoorDash vs Uber Eats vs Grubhub: Real Take Rate (2026)
- Uber Eats 15% Self-Delivery? Real Cost Is 25%+ (2026)
- DoorDash Real Take Rate: Why Your 30% Tier Costs 40%
- Same Prices for Delivery and Dine-In? Here’s the Loss