DoorDash can be a powerful discovery engine and an expensive one. Its commission depends entirely on which plan you’re on, and many operators default to a higher tier without realizing what it costs them each month. This free calculator makes it clear: enter your order value, monthly volume, and plan, and see exactly what DoorDash charges, what you keep, and how much you’d need to raise delivery prices to break even against your dine-in margin.
DoorDash commissions run 15% to 30% of each delivery order depending on your plan, plus a payment processing fee, so the total adds up quickly on a busy month. Knowing the real number is the first step to using DoorDash as a customer-acquisition tool instead of a margin drain.
Unlock your monthly fees, what you keep, and the markup to offset it.
DoorDash charges a commission on each delivery order based on your plan: 15% on Basic, 25% on Plus, and 30% on Premier. Pickup orders are just 6% across all plans. On top of commission, there’s a payment processing fee of roughly 2.9% plus $0.30 per order, and an optional tablet rental. So your real cost per delivery order sits a bit above the headline commission rate.
They trade commission for reach. Basic is the cheapest at 15% but gives the least visibility and a smaller delivery radius. Plus, at 25%, adds access to DashPass; DoorDash’s loyal, high-frequency subscriber base and a wider delivery area. Premier, at 30%, adds the largest delivery area, automatic ads run on your behalf, and a Growth Guarantee that refunds your commission in a month where you get 20 or fewer orders. Most new merchants start on Plus and adjust from there.
DashPass is DoorDash’s customer subscription program; members pay a monthly fee for lower delivery and service fees, and they tend to order more often and spend more. Access to DashPass customers is included with the Plus and Premier plans, not Basic. It doesn’t add a separate charge beyond your plan’s commission, it’s one of the reasons the higher tiers cost more, since you’re paying for exposure to that higher-value audience.
Several levers: don’t default to a higher tier than you need, start on Basic and measure before upgrading; push pickup orders, which are only 6%; and use DoorDash’s commission-free Storefront (online ordering on your own site) for repeat customers, where you pay only processing. Many restaurants also raise their DoorDash menu prices to offset the commission, and treat the platform as a way to acquire customers they then convert to direct ordering.
Most restaurants do, because selling at your dine-in price on a 25–30% commission often means losing money after food, labor, and packaging. DoorDash lets you set delivery-specific menu prices, so you can mark up to offset the commission without touching your in-house prices. This calculator shows the markup needed to fully offset the fee; many operators land between that figure and their dine-in price to stay competitive while protecting margin.
No standard monthly subscription, activation, or cancellation fee, the core cost is the per-order commission, so your total scales directly with volume. The main add-ons are the payment processing fee on every order, an optional tablet rental (around $6 a week), and any marketing like Sponsored Listings you choose to run. You can switch plans anytime in the Merchant Portal.
