If you’ve compared a restaurant’s regular menu with its listing on a delivery service, you may have wondered why are menu prices higher on food delivery apps? In some cases, the difference starts before a delivery fee or service fee is added. The price listed for the food itself may be different.
Restaurants can use different pricing for different ordering channels, so you shouldn’t automatically assume that an entrée, side, or drink will cost the same in the restaurant, on the restaurant’s own website, and through a third-party delivery app.
That makes menu pricing an important part of comparing food delivery costs. A low delivery fee isn’t necessarily a bargain if the items in your cart cost more to begin with.
Can Restaurants Charge Different Prices on Delivery Apps?
Yes. Depending on the restaurant and platform, menu prices offered through a delivery app can differ from prices available through another ordering method.
For example, DoorDash’s merchant pricing documentation explains that in-store prices do not have to match DoorDash menu prices and that merchants may have separate pricing for pickup and delivery.
This doesn’t mean every restaurant marks up its delivery menu. Some businesses keep their pricing closely aligned across ordering channels, while others use different prices for delivery, pickup, or third-party platforms.
The important point for customers is simple: don’t assume that the price you remember seeing at the restaurant is necessarily the price you’ll see in a delivery app.
If the difference matters to your budget, compare the actual menu before ordering.
Why Would a Restaurant Use Higher Delivery Menu Prices?
Accepting an order through a third-party delivery marketplace can involve a different cost structure for a restaurant than serving someone who orders directly.
Restaurants have to make their own pricing decisions based on their operating costs, margins, and the ordering channels they use. One restaurant may decide to keep prices identical everywhere. Another may decide that its delivery menu needs different pricing.
From a customer’s perspective, you don’t need to calculate the restaurant’s business costs to make a good decision. What matters is recognizing that different menu prices are possible and checking them when you’re trying to find the better deal.
Menu Markups Are Different From Delivery Fees
This distinction is easy to miss.
Suppose an item costs $12 when ordered through one channel but $14 through a delivery app. That $2 difference is part of the food subtotal. It isn’t the same thing as a separate delivery fee shown later during checkout.
Your order could then have additional charges depending on the platform and transaction.
That’s why focusing only on the advertised delivery fee can give you an incomplete picture of what an order really costs.
Our Delivery fee vs service fee guide explains how those separate charges differ.
Small Menu Price Differences Can Add Up
A modest price difference on one item may not seem important. The effect becomes easier to notice when you’re ordering several items.
Imagine that four items in a family order each cost slightly more through a delivery app. Even before the delivery fee, service fee, tax, tip, or other applicable charges are considered, your food subtotal could already be higher.
That’s why menu pricing deserves more attention on larger orders.
Instead of looking at the price of just one entrée, compare the subtotal for the complete basket you actually plan to buy.
How to Check Whether Menu Prices Are Higher
You don’t need to perform a detailed price audit every time you want dinner. A quick comparison is usually enough.
- Find the restaurant in the delivery app you’re considering.
- Choose two or three items you would realistically order.
- Check the restaurant’s direct ordering option or another available ordering channel.
- Compare the same items whenever possible.
- Look at the food subtotal before concentrating on delivery-related fees.
- Then compare the final checkout totals.
Using the same items makes the comparison much more useful. Comparing a cheap meal on one platform with an expensive meal somewhere else doesn’t tell you whether the delivery app itself is costing you more.
For a more complete process, see our Guide to comparing food delivery apps.
Don’t Stop at the Menu Subtotal
Finding identical menu prices doesn’t necessarily mean the final totals will also be identical.
Your checkout price may be affected by delivery fees, service fees, small-order charges, taxes and other applicable charges, promotions, membership benefits, and tips.
The reverse is also true. One app could have slightly higher menu prices but still produce a competitive final total because you have an eligible promotion or membership benefit.
That’s why the final checkout amount is ultimately more useful than any one price or fee.
Our guide explaining Why food delivery apps are expensive looks at the broader combination of costs that can affect an order.
Compare Direct Ordering When It’s Available
If a restaurant accepts orders through its own website or app, checking that option can give you another useful comparison.
Look at the same meal through the restaurant’s direct ordering channel and the third-party delivery app. Compare both the menu subtotal and the complete checkout price.
Don’t assume direct ordering will always be cheaper, either. Available promotions, delivery options, fees, loyalty benefits, and other factors can change the result.
The goal isn’t to follow a rule that says one ordering method always wins. It’s to compare the options available for the order you’re actually placing.
Consider Pickup When the Price Difference Is Large
If the delivery total seems unusually high, check the pickup option before abandoning the restaurant altogether.
Pickup can avoid some delivery-related costs, although the exact pricing and fees depend on the ordering method. You should also consider whether driving to the restaurant is convenient and whether transportation, parking, or your time changes the value of the savings.
Our Pickup vs delivery comparison can help you evaluate the trade-off.
Promo Codes Can Change the Calculation
A higher menu subtotal doesn’t necessarily mean you should immediately rule out a delivery app.
If you’re eligible for a new-user promotion or another discount, apply it before making your final comparison. A meaningful discount could outweigh a modest difference in menu pricing.
New users can check current SDN offer pages including the Uber Eats promo code and Wonder promo code before placing an eligible first order.
Always confirm that the expected discount appears in your cart and review any applicable conditions before completing the purchase.
Don’t Spend Too Much Time Comparing Tiny Differences
Price comparisons are useful, but your time has value too.
If you’re ordering a small meal and the difference is only a few cents, opening several websites and rebuilding your cart repeatedly may not be worth the effort.
Comparing menu prices becomes more useful when you’re placing a larger order, ordering frequently, seeing an unexpectedly high subtotal, or choosing between ordering directly and using a delivery app.
You can also reserve detailed comparisons for restaurants you order from regularly. Once you understand how the available ordering options compare, future decisions become much faster.
A Simple Way to Compare Food Delivery Menu Prices
When you want to know whether you’re paying more through a delivery app, use this quick process:
- Compare the same restaurant and items.
- Check the food subtotal first.
- Look for differences in individual menu prices.
- Add applicable delivery and service charges.
- Apply any promotion you’re actually eligible to use.
- Include membership benefits you already have.
- Compare the final checkout totals.
- Check pickup or direct ordering if the difference is substantial.
This approach prevents one attractive number, such as a $0 delivery fee, from distracting you from a higher overall price.
Final Thoughts
Menu prices can be higher on food delivery apps because restaurants and merchants may use different pricing for different ordering channels. That doesn’t mean every restaurant marks up its delivery menu, and it doesn’t mean a delivery app will always produce the most expensive final order.
The safest approach is to compare rather than assume. Look at the food subtotal, applicable fees, eligible discounts, and final checkout price. For larger or unusually expensive orders, take a minute to compare the restaurant’s direct ordering or pickup options as well.
If you’re trying to reduce your overall delivery spending, our Food delivery savings guide covers additional ways to keep your costs under control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are menu prices higher on food delivery apps?
Restaurants may use different prices for different ordering channels, including delivery apps. Not every restaurant marks up its delivery menu, so compare the same items with the restaurant’s direct ordering or pickup options when the price difference matters.
Do restaurants set their own prices on food delivery apps?
Restaurants can have control over the menu prices they provide through delivery platforms, although the exact pricing arrangement depends on the restaurant and service. This is why the same meal may not always have the same listed price across every ordering channel.
Is a menu markup the same as a delivery fee?
No. A menu price difference affects the price of the food itself, while a delivery fee is a separate charge associated with having the order delivered. Both can affect the final amount you pay.
How can I tell if a delivery app is charging more for a restaurant?
Compare the same items through the delivery app and another available ordering channel, such as the restaurant’s own website or pickup menu. Check the food subtotal first, then compare applicable fees, discounts, and the final checkout totals.
