If you're a restaurant owner evaluating third-party delivery platforms, understanding grubhub fees for restaurants is essential before signing up. Grubhub operates on a commission-based model, taking a percentage of every order you fulfill, and those percentages add up fast. With margins already razor-thin in 2026, knowing exactly what you're paying for (and what you're giving up) can make or break your delivery strategy.
| Plan | Commission Rate | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ~15% | Marketplace listing, self-delivery |
| Plus | ~20, 25% | Grubhub delivery drivers included |
| All-Access | ~25, 30% | Full delivery + marketing tools |
| Processing Fee | ~3.05% + $0.30 | Applied to all orders across plans |
How Grubhub's Commission Structure Works
Grubhub does not charge upfront fees to list your restaurant. Instead, it earns revenue through a commission on every order placed through its marketplace. The rate depends on your plan and whether you use Grubhub's delivery network or handle fulfillment yourself.
The Three Plans
- Basic (~15%): Designed for restaurants with their own delivery drivers. You get a marketplace listing but handle logistics independently.
- Plus (~20, 25%): Unlocks Grubhub's driver network, so the platform handles delivery at a higher per-order cost.
- All-Access (~25, 30%): Bundles delivery with promotional and marketing features for maximum visibility.
On top of the commission, Grubhub charges a payment processing fee of approximately 3.05% plus $0.30 per transaction, regardless of plan. For a $40 order on the All-Access plan, you could realistically lose $13, $15 before accounting for food costs, labor, or packaging.
What Restaurants Are Saying
Restaurant operators who have moved away from high-commission platforms toward direct ordering solutions consistently highlight the financial relief. Reviews collected through early 2026 reflect this shift clearly:
- "Much better pricing options than other 3rd party deliveries"
- "Provides a platform that makes it easy for our customers to place pickup and delivery orders at a much lower fee"
- "A great experience at a very low partnership cost"
The pattern is consistent: restaurants that rely heavily on third-party marketplaces often find that volume gains don't compensate for the margin loss, especially once processing fees, sponsored placements, and delivery surcharges are factored in.
Delivery Options and What They Actually Cost
Grubhub offers three fulfillment models, each with different cost implications:
| Model | How It Works | Cost Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Delivery | You use your own drivers | Lower Basic commission rate, but you manage logistics, insurance, and availability |
| Grubhub Delivery | Grubhub handles fulfillment | Higher commission tier (Plus or All-Access) |
| Supplemental | Grubhub fills in when your team is unavailable | Adds flexibility but introduces variable, harder-to-predict costs |
The key question is whether the incremental order volume Grubhub brings in actually offsets the commission paid. For high-volume restaurants in dense urban markets, the math can work. For smaller or independent operators, the 25, 30% cut on every order often erodes profitability entirely.
Marketing Fees and Sponsored Listings
Beyond the base commission, Grubhub offers optional promotional tools, but these come at additional cost.
- Sponsored listings: Your restaurant appears higher in search results, but you pay a per-order fee on top of your existing commission.
- Loyalty programs and promotional campaigns: Can drive volume but further compress margins.
Customer Data: The Hidden Cost of Grubhub
One cost that doesn't appear on any invoice is the loss of customer data. When a diner orders through Grubhub, that customer relationship belongs to Grubhub, not to your restaurant. You don't receive the email address, phone number, or order history of the person who just spent $45 at your establishment.
What that means in practice:
- No ability to run targeted promotions
- No re-engagement campaigns
- No loyalty program built on first-party data
Every order placed through a third-party marketplace is an order that doesn't build your own customer base. Restaurants that prioritize direct ordering, by contrast, accumulate data they can use to drive repeat business, reduce churn, and personalize marketing, all without paying a commission.
A Commission-Free Alternative Worth Considering
For restaurants looking to escape the commission cycle, Sauce offers a fundamentally different model. Rather than taking a percentage of every order, Sauce charges a flat fee and connects your direct online orders to a national network of delivery drivers, so you get logistics support without surrendering 25, 30% of your revenue on every transaction.
Critically, Sauce gives restaurants full ownership of their customer data, including emails and phone numbers. The platform also includes SEO tools, Google My Business optimization, AI-powered customer retention features, and POS integrations, making it a full-stack solution rather than just a delivery connector.
If you're comparing platforms, it's worth reading about DoorDash fees for restaurants and Uber Eats fees for restaurants to get the full picture. For practical strategies, this guide on how to avoid delivery app fees is a useful starting point.
Is Grubhub Worth It for Your Restaurant?
The answer depends on your volume, market, and margin structure. Grubhub can deliver incremental orders and marketplace visibility, but the cost is real and multi-layered. Between base commissions of 15, 30%, payment processing fees, optional sponsored placements, and the ongoing loss of customer data, grubhub fees for restaurants represent a significant and often underestimated drag on profitability. Before committing to any plan, model out the true per-order cost against your average ticket size and decide whether the volume justifies the margin you're giving up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Grubhub's commission rates for restaurants in 2026?
Grubhub offers three plans: Basic at roughly 15% for self-delivery restaurants, Plus at 20–25% which includes Grubhub's driver network, and All-Access at 25–30% which bundles delivery with marketing tools. All plans also carry a payment processing fee of approximately 3.05% plus $0.30 per transaction.
Do restaurants keep customer data from Grubhub orders?
No. When a customer orders through Grubhub, the platform retains the customer's email, phone number, and order history. This means restaurants cannot run targeted promotions, re-engagement campaigns, or build loyalty programs using first-party data from those orders.
What delivery options does Grubhub offer and how do they affect cost?
Grubhub provides three fulfillment models. Self-delivery keeps you on the lower Basic commission but requires managing your own drivers. Grubhub Delivery handles fulfillment at a higher Plus or All-Access rate. Supplemental delivery fills gaps when your team is unavailable but introduces variable and harder-to-predict costs.
Is there a commission-free alternative to Grubhub for restaurant delivery?
Sauce offers a flat-fee model instead of per-order commissions. It connects restaurants' direct online orders to a national driver network while letting them keep full ownership of customer data, including emails and phone numbers, along with SEO tools, AI-powered retention features, and POS integrations.