Delivery platforms charge 25-35% commission on your order value, which can drastically lower your profit margin. Many restaurant owners forget to include these costs in their cost price calculation and unknowingly lose money. You need to calculate exactly how platform commission impacts your bottom line and adjust prices accordingly.
What is platform commission and why does it affect your margin?
Delivery platforms like Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats charge commission on every order. This commission comes on top of your normal costs and directly reduces your profit margin.
💡 Example:
You sell a pasta for €16.00 via a delivery platform:
- Order value: €16.00
- Platform commission 30%: €4.80
- Your revenue: €11.20
You lose €4.80 per order to commission.
This means you don't receive €16.00, but only €11.20. Your food cost calculation must therefore be based on this lower amount.
How do you calculate your new food cost with platform commission?
The formula is adjusted because your actual revenue is lower:
Actual food cost % = (Ingredient costs / (Selling price - Platform commission)) × 100
💡 Example calculation:
Pasta carbonara via delivery platform:
- Menu price: €16.00
- Platform commission 30%: €4.80
- Actual revenue: €11.20
- Ingredient costs: €4.50
Food cost: (€4.50 / €11.20) × 100 = 40.2%
Without the platform, this would have been 28.1%!
⚠️ Note:
A food cost of 40%+ means you're likely running a loss on this dish. After deducting staff, rent and other costs, there's nothing left.
Strategy 1: Raise prices for delivery platforms
Most restaurants raise their prices on delivery platforms to compensate for the commission. Here's how to calculate the necessary increase:
New price = Desired revenue / (1 - Commission%)
💡 Example price increase:
You want to receive €16.00 at 30% commission:
- Calculation: €16.00 / (1 - 0.30) = €16.00 / 0.70
- New platform price: €22.86
- Price increase: €6.86 (43%)
Now you receive your desired €16.00 per order again.
Strategy 2: Accept higher food cost, save on other expenses
Some restaurants accept a higher food cost for delivery because they save on:
- Service: No serving costs, less staff needed
- Dishwashing: Disposable packaging means less dishwashing
- Dining room costs: No tables, chairs, dishes breaking
- Energy: Less lighting and heating in the dining room
💡 Cost shift:
What you pay extra vs. what you save:
- Extra: 30% platform commission + €0.50 packaging
- Savings: €2.00 service + €0.30 dishwashing + €0.20 energy
- Net difference: can still be profitable
Don't forget packaging costs
Besides platform commission, packaging costs add up and further increase your food cost:
- Containers: €0.15 - €0.40 per unit
- Bags: €0.05 - €0.15 per order
- Cutlery: €0.10 - €0.20 per set
- Napkins and sauces: €0.05 - €0.10
⚠️ Note:
Add packaging costs to your ingredient costs. A pasta costing €4.50 + €0.35 packaging actually costs you €4.85 per portion.
Analyzing real restaurant P&L data reveals delivery profitability
Based on real restaurant P&L data from 150+ establishments, delivery remains profitable if your total costs (food + packaging + commission) stay below 65-70% of your order value. Above that threshold, it becomes difficult to cover your fixed costs.
💡 Break-even check:
Pasta at €22.86 on delivery platform:
- Platform commission 30%: €6.86
- Ingredients + packaging: €4.85
- Total direct costs: €11.71
- Percentage: 51% of order value
This leaves 49% for staff, rent and profit - that can work.
How do you calculate the impact of platform commission? (step by step)
Calculate your actual revenue
Subtract the platform commission from your menu price. At €20 menu price and 30% commission, you receive €14. This is the amount you need to work with.
Add up all costs
Add ingredient costs + packaging costs together. Don't forget anything: containers, bags, cutlery, napkins. These are your total direct costs per order.
Calculate your actual cost percentage
Divide your total costs by your actual revenue and multiply by 100. If this comes out above 65%, then raise your prices or adjust your concept.
✨ Pro tip
Calculate commission impact on your top 8 delivery items every 90 days, focusing on dishes with ingredient costs under €6. These lower-cost items typically absorb platform fees better than premium preparations.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I charge different prices for delivery and pickup?
Yes, that's standard practice now. Most restaurants charge 20-40% higher prices on delivery platforms to compensate for commission costs. Customers expect this price difference by now.
What if my competitors are cheaper on the platform?
Check if they're running at a loss or have a different cost structure entirely. Sometimes it's smarter to be selective about which dishes you offer via platforms rather than competing on price alone.
Can I deduct platform commission from my VAT?
Absolutely - platform commission counts as a legitimate business expense that you can deduct. Keep all settlement statements from the platforms as documentation for your accounting records.
How do I handle fluctuating commission rates between platforms?
Monitor your contracts closely since platforms can adjust rates with notice periods. Build a 2-3% buffer into your pricing calculations to account for potential rate increases without constantly repricing your menu.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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