The food is the small part. Menu markups, delivery fees, service fees and tip can add 30-50% to a Grubhub order - here's how each layer works and how to trim it.
Grubhub's prices are rarely just the menu prices. Many restaurants list higher prices on delivery apps than in-store, and on top of that Grubhub adds a delivery fee, a percentage-based service fee and the expected tip. The convenience is real, but the gap between the in-restaurant bill and the delivered total is often larger than people expect.
| What you're buying | Typical price | How Grubhub compares |
|---|---|---|
| Menu markup vs in-store | 0 - 20%+ higher per item | Set by the restaurant to offset app commissions; varies a lot, so some places are barely marked up and others are steep. |
| Delivery fee | $0 - $8 per order | Distance- and demand-based; waived on many orders with a Grubhub+ membership. |
| Service fee | Roughly 10 - 15% of the subtotal | A percentage charge that grows with your order size, separate from the delivery fee. |
| Small-order fee | $2 - $4 under a minimum | Triggered on small baskets - bundling avoids it. |
| Tip | 15 - 20% customary | Goes to the driver; not optional in spirit, and a real part of the total cost. |
A Grubhub total is built in layers. First, the restaurant's delivery menu prices, which are frequently higher than what you'd pay walking in, because restaurants pad them to offset the app's commission. Then Grubhub adds a delivery fee that varies with distance and demand, a percentage-based service fee, sometimes a small-order fee, and finally tax and tip.
Add it up and a meal that costs a certain amount in the restaurant can land 30-50% higher delivered. None of the layers is hidden, but they're shown separately at checkout, which makes the cumulative markup easy to underestimate until you reach the final screen.
The fees hit hardest on small orders, where flat delivery and small-order fees are spread across a tiny subtotal, and at peak times when demand-based delivery fees rise. Long distances from the restaurant also push the delivery fee up.
You pay the least when you order during off-peak hours, bundle a larger order to dilute the flat fees, or choose pickup, which strips out the delivery and service fees entirely and sometimes the menu markup too.
Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats all use a similar fee structure, but the menu prices, delivery fees and active promos differ by restaurant and by day. The same order can be cheapest on a different app than you'd guess, and a first-order or restaurant promo can flip the math entirely.
Before checking out, it's worth comparing the same restaurant's all-in total across apps. FindPrices helps you spot when another option - or simply ordering pickup - is meaningfully cheaper than the Grubhub total in front of you.
FindPrices compares the exact product across retailers while you shop, so you only pay full price when it really is the best price.
Compare Pricing Now - It's FreeMany restaurants set higher prices on delivery apps to offset Grubhub's commission, then Grubhub adds delivery and service fees on top. Between the menu markup and the fees, a delivered order can run 30-50% above the in-store bill.
Not consistently. All three use similar fee structures, so the cheapest option depends on each restaurant's menu pricing, the current delivery fee and any active promos. Compare the same order across apps, since the winner flips frequently.
Typically a delivery fee, a percentage-based service fee, sometimes a small-order fee, plus tax and tip. The delivery fee varies with distance and demand, and the service fee grows with your order size, so larger orders dilute the flat fees but raise the percentage one.
It can be if you order delivery often, since it waives delivery fees on eligible orders and may lower service fees. Add up how many orders you place a month against the membership cost - occasional users usually don't break even.
Choose pickup. Ordering ahead and picking up yourself removes the delivery and service fees, and you often pay the restaurant's regular menu prices rather than the marked-up delivery ones.
Yes. Delivery fees are demand-based and rise during the lunch and dinner rushes and in bad weather. Ordering off-peak keeps the delivery fee - and sometimes the wait - lower.
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