Matching your restaurant prices with delivery platform prices seems straightforward, but it's costing you serious money. Platforms like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Thuisbezorgd take their commission directly from your selling price. Your customers don't notice, but your profit margin takes a hit.
Why identical pricing destroys your margins
Delivery platforms extract their commission from every sale. That's typically 15% to 30% of whatever you charge customers. Keep your restaurant prices the same, and you're essentially paying this commission out of your own pocket.
💡 Example:
Your pasta sells for €16.50 in-house:
- Selling price excl. VAT: €15.14
- Ingredient costs: €4.50
- Food cost: 29.7%
- Margin: €10.64
Same pasta via delivery (25% commission):
- Commission: €3.79
- Net receipt: €11.35
- Margin after commission: €6.85
Commission eats €3.79 from every dish sold.
Restaurant vs delivery cost breakdown
Your cost structure shifts dramatically between dine-in and delivery. Restaurant service requires staff, utilities, and table turnover management. Delivery swaps those for commission fees and packaging costs.
- Restaurant: Wait staff, utilities, table maintenance, dishwashing
- Delivery: Platform commission, packaging materials, no front-of-house labor
- Reality check: Commission typically exceeds the labor savings
⚠️ Note:
Packaging adds another layer of expense. Just €0.50 per order bumps your food cost by 2-3% on a €16 dish.
Commission rates that platforms actually charge
Platform fees aren't just the headline commission rate. Based on real restaurant P&L data, total platform costs often hit 35% once you factor in payment processing, marketing fees, and promotional discounts.
💡 Actual commission breakdown:
- Thuisbezorgd: 13-15% base + marketing spend
- Uber Eats: 15-30% depending on your contract terms
- Deliveroo: 15-35% based on service level
- Hidden costs: payment processing, promotional fees, advertising
Real total cost often reaches 35% of gross sales.
Annual profit impact from equal pricing
The damage becomes clear over a full year. A restaurant pulling €100,000 in delivery sales with 25% average commission hands over €25,000 to platforms.
💡 Annual impact calculation:
Restaurant generating €500,000 yearly, with €150,000 from delivery:
- 25% commission cost: €37,500 annually
- With 30% food cost baseline: €11,250 margin loss
- That's 2.3% of total business revenue gone
€37,500 less profit from identical pricing strategy.
Why operators stick with equal pricing anyway
Restaurant owners often choose price parity despite the margin hit. Their reasoning makes sense operationally, but rarely financially.
- Operational simplicity: Single menu system across channels
- Customer perception: No visible price discrimination
- Administrative ease: Fewer pricing variables to manage
- Volume theory: More orders might offset lower margins
⚠️ Note:
Volume only helps if your fixed costs actually drop. Same rent, same base staff, same utilities means less profit per order.
Smart pricing strategy for delivery channels
Successful restaurants typically price delivery items 15-25% above their dine-in rates. This approach maintains margin integrity while covering platform fees and additional costs.
- Calculate true break-even: Commission plus packaging plus hidden fees
- Implement gradual increases: Don't shock customers with sudden jumps
- A/B test pricing levels: Monitor volume response to different price points
- Transparent communication: Explain delivery cost factors to customers
A food cost calculator can help you track different pricing strategies per platform and measure what each channel actually contributes to your bottom line.
How do you calculate the right delivery price? (step by step)
Calculate total commission and costs
Add up all costs: platform commission, payment fees, packaging and any marketing costs. This gives you the total percentage you lose per order.
Determine your desired net receipt
Decide how much you want to receive net per dish. This should be at least equal to your restaurant price minus the costs you save with delivery (service staff, dishwashing).
Calculate your delivery price
Divide your desired net receipt by (100% - total costs%). This gives you the minimum selling price for the delivery platform to maintain the same margin.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual platform costs monthly, not just the base commission rate. Platforms regularly introduce new fees or adjust existing rates. Review your delivery pricing every 90 days to maintain target margins.
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
Do customers accept higher prices on delivery platforms?
Most customers expect delivery to cost more than dining in. Restaurants routinely charge 15-25% premiums without significant pushback. Transparency about delivery costs helps customer acceptance.
How much higher should my delivery prices be?
Industry standard runs 15-25% above restaurant prices. This typically covers commission and packaging costs while preserving your margin. Test different levels to find your sweet spot.
Should I calculate commission on VAT-inclusive prices?
Platforms charge commission on the full customer-facing price including VAT. But you need to calculate your actual margin on the VAT-exclusive amount you receive.
What if competitors keep prices identical across channels?
Your competitor is likely sacrificing profit per order. Focus on your own unit economics rather than matching unprofitable pricing strategies.
Can I set different prices for each delivery platform?
Absolutely. Each platform has different commission structures and fee schedules. Uber Eats might charge 25% while Thuisbezorgd takes 15%, so adjust accordingly.
How should I explain price differences to customers?
Be direct about delivery economics - commission fees and packaging costs drive the difference. Most customers understand this explanation, especially if you post it clearly on your website.
📚 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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