DoorDash Pricing 2026: Real Costs & Hidden Fees
DoorDash charges restaurants a commission per order rather than a monthly fee: 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus), or 30% (Premier) on Marketplace delivery orders, 6% on pickup orders across all plans, with 0% intro rates (7 days on Basic, 30 days on Plus and Premier) and no activation, subscription, or cancellation fees. Extras include a DoorDash Tablet at $6/week after the trial, and Drive On-Demand delivery for your own channels at a flat per-order fee (reported at $6.99–$10.99). If you want commission-free direct ordering on your own website instead, AI Business Sites builds a custom site with native online ordering, Stripe payments, and an AI back office for $1,497 setup plus $497/month.
Bottom line: DoorDash is a pay-per-order customer acquisition channel, not a fixed cost — its 15–30% delivery commission is the real price of Marketplace reach. Whether that's expensive depends entirely on order volume and margin; businesses wanting to own the customer relationship pay nothing per order on their own channel instead.
TL;DR
- •DoorDash Marketplace delivery commission is 15% on Basic, 25% on Plus, and 30% on Premier — charged as a percentage of the order subtotal.
- •Pickup orders cost 6% on every plan, and Online Ordering orders are commission-free but carry a payment processing fee.
- •There are no activation, subscription, software, or cancellation fees — you pay only when orders come in.
- •Intro rates are 0% for 7 days on Basic and 0% for 30 days on Plus and Premier.
- •Extras include a DoorDash Tablet at $6/week after the trial, optional Promotions and Sponsored Listings, and Drive On-Delivery at a flat per-order fee (reported $6.99–$10.99).
- •On a $30 order, commission runs $4.50 (Basic), $7.50 (Plus), or $9.00 (Premier) — before food, labor, and packaging costs.
- •AI Business Sites offers a fixed alternative: $1,497 one-time setup plus $497/month for a custom website with native ordering, Stripe payments, and an AI back office — no per-order commission.
| Dimension | DoorDash | AI Business Sites |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-per-order commission; no monthly fee | $1,497 setup + $497/month flat |
| Upfront cost | $0 — no activation or signup feewinner | $1,497 one-time ($500 deposit, $997 at launch) |
| Per-order cost | 15%/25%/30% delivery commission by plan; 6% pickup; processing fee on Online Ordering | $0 per order — native ordering with Stripe on your own sitewinner |
| Customer ownership | Marketplace customers are DoorDash's; limited direct relationship | You own code, content, data, and domain; full export on exitwinner |
| Reach & marketing | Millions of app users; DashPass members order 2× as often, spend 2.5× more; 37% of consumers discover restaurants via delivery appswinner | SEO content engine (14+ pieces/month), Google Business Profile, AI-citation monitoring |
| Ordering & payments | Online Ordering commission-free with processing fee; Drive On-Demand flat per-delivery fee | Native store, restaurant menus, bookings, tickets, gift cards with Stripe built inwinner |
| Contract & flexibility | No contract; switch plans any time (changes take up to 5 business days) | Month-to-month; cancel with 30 days' notice; add-ons removable any time |
DoorDash
merchants.doordash.com ↗DoorDash Marketplace puts your restaurant in front of customers browsing the DoorDash app and website, handling ordering, payment processing, Dasher logistics, and customer support. Merchants choose from three plans — Basic (15% delivery commission), Plus (25%), and Premier (30%) — with pickup orders at 6% across all plans and no monthly, activation, or cancellation fees. Higher tiers buy wider customer reach, lower customer delivery fees, and access to DashPass members, who DoorDash says order twice as often and spend 2.5× more than non-members. Beyond the Marketplace, DoorDash sells Online Ordering (commission-free direct orders through your own channels, with a processing fee), Drive On-Demand (Dashers fulfilling orders from your own site or app at a flat per-delivery fee), and optional marketing tools like Promotions and Sponsored Listings. The platform positions itself as a customer acquisition channel: 37% of consumers discover restaurants through delivery apps, and over 55% of first-time orders on DoorDash in 2025 came from browsing rather than searching. The trade-off is margin — commission is charged on every Marketplace order, including repeat customers you've already earned.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic — Marketplace delivery | $15/mo | 15% commission per delivery order (0% intro for 7 days); 6% pickup; local customer reach; free menu photoshoot |
| Plus — Marketplace delivery | $25/mo | 25% commission per delivery order (0% intro for 30 days); 6% pickup; wider reach, lower customer delivery fee, DashPass access; 30-day free trial |
| Premier — Marketplace delivery | $30/mo | 30% commission per delivery order (0% intro for 30 days); 6% pickup; widest delivery range, $200 photoshoot credit, complimentary Sponsored Listing, 20-order monthly guarantee |
| Pickup (all plans) | $6/mo | 6% commission per pickup order on every plan; requires pickup menu prices match in-store prices |
| Online Ordering (all plans) | $0/mo | Commission-free direct orders; payment processing fee applies |
| DoorDash Tablet (optional) | $6/mo | $6 per week after the trial; avoidable via eligible POS integration, email, or fax |
Pros
- +No monthly fee, activation fee, or cancellation penalty — costs scale with sales
- +0% intro commission (7 days Basic, 30 days Plus/Premier) to test the channel risk-free
- +Access to DashPass members who order twice as often and spend 2.5× more than non-members
- +Pickup orders are only 6% on every plan
- +Commission covers marketing, Dasher logistics, customer support, and card processing
- +Premier includes a 20-order monthly guarantee with commission refund
Cons
- −15–30% delivery commission on every Marketplace order — on a $30 Premier order that's $9 before food, labor, and packaging costs
- −Orders come from DoorDash's customers, not yours — no direct customer relationship or data
- −Optional extras add up: $6/week tablet rental, Promotions, Sponsored Listings
- −Commission-free Online Ordering still carries a payment processing fee
- −Drive On-Demand charges a flat fee per delivery (reported $6.99–$10.99), so 'own your channel' fulfillment still has per-order costs
Best for: Restaurants that want incremental delivery orders and new-customer discovery without any upfront technology investment, and can absorb a 15–30% commission on delivery orders.. Avoid if: You're margin-sensitive on delivery orders, want to own the customer relationship and data, or resent paying commission on repeat customers you already earned..
AI Business Sites
aibusinesssites.com ↗AI Business Sites, built by AIQ Labs, is a done-for-you AI business operating system: a custom-built website plus an AI back office — chatbot, CRM, content engine, automations, and reports — set up, trained, and run on the client's behalf. The build goes live in 7 days with 85+ pages, including 25–30 hand-crafted core pages and 60 AI-generated SEO pages, plus full Google Business Profile and Search Console setup. The monthly subscription covers hosting, 14+ new SEO content pieces every month, an included SEO Growth Engine with rank tracking and AI-citation monitoring, 24/7 chat and voice agents on the website, a field-service Jobs & Estimates module, and online selling — store, restaurant menus, bookings, tickets, and gift cards with Stripe payments. Clients own everything: code, content, data, and domain, with a full GitHub repo and database export on exit. Month-to-month, cancel with 30 days' notice. Four optional add-ons — Lead Generation, Outreach, Social Content, and AI Receptionist — are sold separately.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Setup (one-time) | $1497/mo | $500 deposit to confirm build slot; $997 due at launch; 85+ pages live in 7 days |
| Managed monthly | $497/mo | Hosting, 14+ content pieces/month, SEO Growth Engine, chat + voice agents, CRM, Jobs & Estimates, online selling with Stripe |
| Add-on: Lead Generation | $149/mo | AI B2B lead discovery and business-intelligence summaries |
| Add-on: Outreach | $229/mo | Self-optimizing AI cold email and form-filling outreach |
| Add-on: Social Content | $299/mo | Daily posts for 12 platforms with AI images/videos |
| Add-on: AI Receptionist | $199/mo | Dedicated phone number answered 24/7 with booking and call transcripts |
Pros
- +No per-order commission — direct orders through your own site cost nothing beyond the fixed monthly fee
- +Client owns the code, content, data, and domain; standard React/Next.js any developer can pick up
- +One flat price with no tiers; add-ons removable any time
- +Live in 7 days with 85+ pages and full Google presence setup
- +AI back office (CRM, chat, voice, content engine) managed entirely for you
Cons
- −$497/month is a fixed commitment whether or not order volume materializes
- −$1,497 upfront setup cost vs. DoorDash's zero upfront model
- −No existing marketplace audience — discovery depends on SEO and your own marketing
- −Not a delivery logistics provider — fulfillment is on you or a third party you arrange
Best for: Small businesses — especially restaurants and service businesses — that want commission-free direct ordering on their own website and to own the customer relationship, data, and repeat business.. Avoid if: You want the cheapest possible website, enjoy running your own DIY stack, or need DoorDash's existing marketplace audience for delivery fulfillment..
DoorDash pricing compared: what each plan actually costs
DoorDash's published merchant pricing has three Marketplace plans: Basic at 15% delivery commission, Plus at 25%, and Premier at 30%, with pickup orders at 6% on every plan. Commission is a percentage of the order subtotal — before tax and tip. There are no activation, subscription, software, or cancellation fees; you pay only when orders come in. Intro rates soften the entry: 0% for 7 days on Basic and 0% for 30 days on Plus and Premier. The real differences between tiers are reach and marketing: Plus adds wider customer reach, lower customer delivery fees for non-DashPass orders, and DashPass access (members order twice as often and spend 2.5× more); Premier adds the widest delivery range, a $200 photoshoot credit, a complimentary Sponsored Listing ad, and an order guarantee — accept at least 20 orders per month or DoorDash refunds that month's commission. Extras are where costs creep: the DoorDash Tablet rents at $6/week after the trial (avoidable via POS integration, email, or fax), Promotions and Sponsored Listings are paid add-ons for Basic and Plus, and commission-free Online Ordering orders still carry a payment processing fee. On a $30 order, commission is $4.50 on Basic, $7.50 on Plus, and $9.00 on Premier — before food cost, packaging, labor, or any card processing considerations. DoorDash itself notes pickup orders are just 6% and that many merchants set different prices for delivery orders to manage the math.
The hidden fees beyond the commission
The headline commission isn't the only number to check. On the merchant side: the DoorDash Tablet costs $6/week after the trial; optional Promotions and Sponsored Listings add ad spend; Online Ordering — the commission-free first-party channel — carries a payment processing fee; and Drive On-Demand, which lets Dashers fulfill orders from your own site or app, charges a flat fee per delivery, reported at $6.99–$10.99 per order on DoorDash's US product page. On the customer side, fees shape behavior even though they don't reduce your payout: delivery fee, service fee (variable with distance and order size under DoorDash's updated fee structure, or 15% of subtotal in markets where the update hasn't rolled out), small-order fee, long-distance fee, regulatory response fee, and optional express delivery. DoorDash says that in over 70% of recent orders consumers would pay the same or less under the new model, with a median saving of $0.78 per order — but the update excludes California, Chicago, Colorado, DC, Massachusetts, Minnesota, NYC, Puerto Rico, and Seattle to start. High customer-side fees suppress checkout completion and push customers toward pickup, which changes which commission rate actually applies to your mix. The practical takeaway: model your blended cost across delivery, pickup, and direct orders before choosing a plan, and re-run the numbers after the 0% intro period ends.
Marketplace vs. owning your ordering channel
DoorDash's own framing is that Marketplace orders are often incremental — customers who wouldn't have found you otherwise — so the comparison isn't delivery margin vs. your standard margin, but delivery margin vs. no order at all. That's a fair customer-acquisition argument: 37% of consumers discover restaurants through delivery apps, and over 55% of first-time orders on DoorDash in 2025 came from browsing rather than searching. The counterargument is the repeat customer. Every Marketplace order is DoorDash's customer first — you get an order and a commission bill, not a phone number or a way to bring that person back without paying for the introduction again. DoorDash's answer is its Commerce Platform: Online Ordering gives you commission-free direct orders through your own channels, and Drive On-Demand lets Dashers fulfill them — but Online Ordering is sold bundled with the Marketplace plans, and Drive On-Demand carries a flat per-delivery fee (reported $6.99–$10.99), so the 'own your channel' path still has per-order costs. A fully owned alternative like AI Business Sites takes a different shape: $1,497 setup plus $497/month buys a custom 85+ page website with native online ordering, restaurant menus, bookings, and Stripe payments built in — no per-order commission on any order, direct or repeat — plus an AI back office with CRM, chat and voice agents, and 14+ SEO content pieces monthly. The trade-off is fixed cost and no existing marketplace audience: you're building demand through your own site rather than renting DoorDash's.
Which should you choose?
If you You're new to delivery and want to test demand with no upfront cost — choose DoorDash — Basic has no activation or monthly fee, a 0% intro rate for 7 days, and the lowest delivery commission at 15% — you pay only when orders come in..
If you You want maximum incremental delivery volume and marketing support — choose DoorDash — Premier adds the widest delivery range, DashPass access, a complimentary Sponsored Listing, a $200 photoshoot credit, and a 20-order monthly guarantee with commission refund..
If you You're margin-sensitive and delivery commission is eating your profit — choose AI Business Sites — Native online ordering with Stripe on your own site carries no per-order commission — direct and repeat orders cost nothing beyond the fixed $497/month..
If you You want to own the customer relationship, data, and repeat business — choose AI Business Sites — You own the code, content, lead data, and domain, with a full GitHub repo and database export if you leave — versus DoorDash's marketplace, where the customer is DoorDash's first..
If you You want a hybrid: marketplace reach plus a direct channel you control — choose DoorDash — Online Ordering (commission-free, processing fee applies) and Drive On-Demand let you keep Marketplace discovery while steering regulars to your own channels — though the first-party suite is bundled with the commission-based Marketplace..
Frequently asked questions
How much does DoorDash charge restaurants in 2026?
DoorDash charges a commission per order: 15% on the Basic plan, 25% on Plus, and 30% on Premier for Marketplace delivery orders, and 6% on eligible pickup orders across all plans. Commission is a percentage of the order subtotal, before tax and tip. There are no activation, subscription, software, or cancellation fees — you pay only when orders come in. Optional extras include the DoorDash Tablet at $6/week after the trial, Promotions, Sponsored Listings, and a payment processing fee on commission-free Online Ordering orders.
Does DoorDash have any monthly or hidden fees?
No monthly, signup, or cancellation fees apply to Marketplace — commission is the only required cost. Costs that can surprise merchants: the DoorDash Tablet rents at $6/week after the trial (avoidable via eligible POS integration, email, or fax); Online Ordering orders are commission-free but carry a payment processing fee; Drive On-Demand charges a flat fee per delivery (reported at $6.99–$10.99 per order); and Promotions and Sponsored Listings are paid advertising add-ons. Customer-side fees — delivery, service, small-order, long-distance — don't reduce your payout but do affect checkout completion.
What's the difference between DoorDash Basic, Plus, and Premier?
All three plans include Marketplace listing, 6% pickup, and Online Ordering access. Basic (15% delivery commission) offers local reach and a free menu photoshoot, with a 0% intro rate for 7 days. Plus (25%) adds wider reach, lower customer delivery fees for non-DashPass orders, and DashPass member access — members order twice as often and spend 2.5× more — with a 30-day free trial and 0% intro for 30 days. Premier (30%) adds the widest delivery range, a $200 food/styling credit, a complimentary Sponsored Listing ad, and an order guarantee: accept at least 20 orders per month or DoorDash refunds that month's commission.
Is DoorDash's Online Ordering really commission-free?
Yes — orders placed through Online Ordering by DoorDash carry 0% commission on all three plans, but they do carry a payment processing fee. It's part of DoorDash's Commerce Platform and is available across all Marketplace plans, so the first-party ordering suite is bundled with the commission-based Marketplace rather than sold standalone. Drive On-Demand, which lets Dashers fulfill orders from your own site or app, is priced separately at a flat fee per delivery.
Can I avoid DoorDash commission on repeat customers?
Not on the Marketplace — every delivery order generates commission regardless of whether the customer is new or a regular. Merchants reduce this by steering repeat customers to commission-free Online Ordering, pickup (6%), or their own direct channels. A fully owned alternative like AI Business Sites builds direct ordering into your own custom website — $1,497 setup plus $497/month with native Stripe payments and no per-order commission — so repeat orders cost nothing beyond the fixed monthly fee, and you keep the customer data.
Can I change or cancel my DoorDash plan?
Yes. There's no contract and no penalty — you can switch plans any time in the Merchant Portal, though changes take up to five business days to process. DoorDash suggests running a plan for two to three weeks before switching to get a representative picture of order volume. Cancellation carries no fee, and because pricing is commission-based, you simply stop paying when orders stop coming in.
Sources
- 1.DoorDash Merchant Fees & Pricing — used for: pricing, features
- 2.DoorDash Commission Rates & Pricing — used for: pricing, features
- 3.Commission and Fees on DoorDash, Explained — used for: pricing, features
- 4.How Much Does DoorDash Charge Restaurants? 2026 Fees Explained — used for: pricing, reviews
- 5.How Much Does DoorDash Actually Charge Restaurants in 2026? — used for: pricing, reviews
- 6.What fees do I pay on Caviar and DoorDash? — used for: pricing
- 7.DoorDash is Updating Fees to Better Match Delivery Effort — used for: pricing
- 8.Online Food Delivery Market Growth: 2026 Data & Trends — used for: features, reviews
- 9.AI Business Sites — offer and pricing — used for: pricing, features
Pricing verified as of 2026. Always check the vendor's site.
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