The Price of a Meal: Uber Eats Commissions Breakdown

Partnering with third-party delivery platforms has become the go-to move for restaurants. But it comes with a cost of nearly “30% in commissions on each food order! Almost one-third of your earnings are gone before you even see it," a frustrated restaurant owner points out. 

On the flip side, the platform offers undeniable benefits like running promotions on the platform which could boost orders by up to 50%. So it's really all about finding the right balance. 

With such mixed experiences, understanding how much each platform costs you is key. In this blog post, we’ll break down Uber Eats' pricing structure and share tips on how to find the perfect balance between cost and convenience.

Breaking Down the Cost of an Uber Eats Order?

Imagine a customer places a $50 order through Uber Eats. Here’s what the costs look like:

What do restaurants pay?

• Commission fees -  For using their platform and handling deliveries. ( Don’t worry, we’ll share tips to reduce these fees later)
• Delivery fees - While customers usually cover these, restaurants bear a flat percentage fee for self-delivery orders.
• Marketing costs - For using Uber Eats’ marketing campaigns or promotions.
• Other fees - Uber Eats additional charges include peak-hour placements, order processing, pickup fees, and order error adjustment fees. 

Restaurant charges breakdown: 

* Standard marketing costs included 

What do customers pay?

• Delivery fees – Charged based on distance, restaurant, and demand, typically 15%.
• Commission fees – A percentage-based fee covering platform and support costs, typically 15%.
• Tips – Optional gratuity for delivery drivers, typically 20%. 
• Driver benefit fees – Supports driver benefits in certain locations.
• Minimum order fees – Applicable only when an order doesn’t meet the minimum amount.

Customer charges breakdown:

‍While the restaurant makes $29.60 from a $50 order, Uber Eats makes [$20.4 from the restaurant and $27 from the customer] close to $47.4 per order. This way, third-party platforms can significantly eat into your profits. 

Note: Customers pay a minimum order fee for orders below a set amount. You can choose this amount, so the fee may vary.

Now let’s understand why you pay such high prices. 

Overview of Uber Eats’ Pricing Plans & Fee Structure

You pay Uber Eats mainly for discovery—helping your restaurant reach customers far beyond your usual reach. That’s a very simple way to put it, but here’s the actual breakdown. 

So, what does this all mean for your restaurant? Uber Eats offers three pricing plans, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your needs. Here’s how they compare:  

1. Lite Plan

Your restaurant is listed in the Uber Eats app, allowing customers to search for it. However, the algorithm does not actively promote you to new customers for discovery.
Commission Fees:

• 15% for delivery orders
• 6% for pickup orders (Mainly to cover operational costs)

Ideal For:

This plan is perfect for restaurants looking to keep costs low while serving existing customers who already know and love their food. If affordability is your priority and you’re not looking for extras like marketing boosts or increased visibility, this is the plan for you!

Quick Commission Impact Calculation Example:
Approx. Value of One Order = $50
Approx. Number of Orders in a Day = 10
Total Revenue = $500‍

You can take a commission-free route with Uber Direct where you only pay a fee for delivery and customers can directly order from your website, app, or phone. 

2. Plus Plan

Your restaurant is easier to discover in the app. Frequent Uber Eats users enjoy $0 delivery fees and discounts, encouraging repeat orders and customer loyalty.
Commission Fees: 

• 25% fee for delivery orders
• 6% fee for pickup orders

Ideal For:
This plan is ideal for restaurants aiming to reach new customers and take advantage of Uber One’s perks to increase order volume and build loyalty.

Quick Commission Impact Calculation Example:
Approx. Value of One Order = $50
Approx. Number of Orders in a Day = 10
Total Revenue = $500

3. Premium Plan

Your restaurant is featured more prominently in the Uber Eats app and members ordering from you get Uber One benefits ($0 delivery fees and discounts). Plus, 0% fees for the first six months till you don’t hit 20 orders, and ad matching up to $100 per month to maximize your marketing efforts. 

Commission Fees: 

• 30% fee for delivery orders
• 6% fee for pickup orders

Ideal For:
This plan is ideal for restaurants willing to tap into premium customer segments while receiving personalized promotional support to drive sales and visibility.  

Quick Commission Impact Calculation Example:
Approx. Value of One Order = $50
Approx. Number of Orders in a Day = 10
Total Revenue = $500

Note: An even smarter move would be to set up an in-house ordering system and save your profit margins from being eaten away. 

Explaining the Different Fees 

To optimize your restaurant’s profitability, you need to understand where your money goes. Here’s a complete Uber Eats cost breakdown to help you plan better.

What Restaurants Pay

1. Commission Fees

Uber Eats charges a 15–30% commission per order, depending on your plan. This covers access to their delivery network, customer base, tech tools (like menu management and order tracking), payment processing, and 24/7 support. While it helps boost visibility and streamline operations, high commission fees can cut into your profits, especially if Uber Eats is a major revenue source for your restaurant.

2. Delivery Fees

Uber Eats charges customers a delivery fee on each order, which varies based on location, driver availability, and platform demand. 

As a restaurant owner, you have two main options for handling delivery:

Self-delivery 

With self-delivery, you retain full control over the delivery process. This option is ideal for smaller restaurants with a local customer.  

You pay a 15% fee on self-delivery orders

While you handle deliveries, your restaurant will still appear on the home screen, in search results, and under store categories. Plus, Uber One members can enjoy their benefits when ordering from you, encouraging repeat customers. And if your delivery staff is unavailable or you need to deliver farther away, you can tap into Uber's delivery network for a 25% fee. This gives you the flexibility to scale up during busy times.

Uber Eats delivery 

If you don’t want the hassle of managing deliveries but also want to serve customers that are farther away, go for the Uber Eats delivery fleet. You can even use it as a backup for when your delivery staff isn’t available. 

However, the platform charges around 15-25% delivery fees on top of commission fees based on the order’s distance, time, and demand. 

Pro tip: If you’re looking to save on delivery costs, encourage customers to choose pickup orders with a 6% marketplace or offer self-delivery with a flat 15% fee. You can even opt for a direct online ordering system to go for a commission-free route.

3. Processing Fees 

If you're using Webshop or Uber Direct, you'll only incur a 2.5% + $0.29 order processing fee. There are no extra charges for website maintenance, delivery fulfillment, or order management and support.

Now that you are quite clear on the specific calculations, let’s figure out the associated factors that increase your charges. 

4. Marketing Costs 

If you want to take visibility to the next level, sponsored listings can help. They place your restaurant at the top of the app’s home feed so that it’s easily visible to customers as they scroll. They work on a pay-per-click model, so you’ll be charged each time a user clicks on your restaurant’s page from the ad. 

While this can drive more orders, the extra costs can also reduce your per-order profit. So, regularly monitor your campaign’s data and evaluate whether the increase in orders outweighs the marketing expenses.

Now that we know how much the platform charges restaurants, let’s examine the charges from a customer’s perspective. 

What Customers Pay 

1. Commission Fees

Uber Eats typically charges a 15% Commission fee of the order subtotal to the customers. This fee covers platform-related costs, including customer support, transaction processing, and delivery logistics.

While you don’t pay these fees, they can still affect your sales indirectly.

For example, this customer orders an $18 item, but after adding all the Commission fees, the total comes to $37.50. 

Source 

In this example, the customer isn’t paying for delivery, but if delivery charges were added, the total cost could increase significantly. Such high costs may make customers hesitant before ordering from your restaurant or going for platforms with lower fees, which can impact your profits.

However, Commission fees don’t apply to restaurant orders that opt for self-delivery.  

Note: The Uber Eats Commission fee does not include VAT (Value Added Tax) and depending on your agreement, you may be required to pay some amount of Commission fee. 

2. Delivery Fees 

Customer pay these fees based on the location. They pay less for nearby restaurants and they’ll always know how much before selecting a restaurant. Typically, the fee starts at a minimum of 15% and varies depending on factors like distance, order size, and time of day, customers will see this fee added to their total at checkout. 

3. Driver Benefit Fees

Uber Eats charges customers a driver benefit fee, which helps cover things for them like the driver's healthcare and insurance. 

Under Prop 22, drivers are guaranteed at least 120% of the local minimum wage for their active time on the platform, plus a per-mile compensation for vehicle expenses. As of 2025, the per-mile rate is $0.36. 

4. Tipping Drivers 

Tips are intended for the drivers. While customers can tip any amount based on their satisfaction, typically customers pay a tip of around 20% of the order value to ensure they’re fairly compensated. 

5. Minimum Order Fee

Uber Eats charges a minimum order fee to customers. The amount varies for restaurants and you get to decide it. 

3 Factors That Impact Your Total Order Cost

Uber Eats provides access to a broad network of diners, but it’s important to keep an eye on the factors that can impact your profit margins.

3 Tips to Manage and Reduce Uber Eats Fees

With these three simple tips, you can keep more of your hard-earned revenue while still benefitting from the platform's reach. 

Is Uber Eats the Right Choice for Your Restaurant?

Given Uber Eats' extensive reach and valuable perks, start by testing the waters with the Lite or Plus plan. As your restaurant grows, you can gradually transition to a Premium plan when you’re ready to scale. 

However, to truly maximize profitability, consider adopting a hybrid approach. Use Uber Eats to extend your reach, while also investing in a direct ordering system like RestoLabs for loyal customers. It’ll help you regain control over your profit margins: 

• Eliminating third-party commission fees, saving up to 30% per order
• Gathering valuable customer data to run targeted marketing campaigns and loyalty programs
• Use your drivers or connect with third-party delivery Commissions when needed
• Offering QR code ordering for a hassle-free in-restaurant experience

Take Cristina Ramirez, the owner of the Houston outlet of the franchise Great Wraps, as an example. With no tech background, she was initially skeptical about implementing an online ordering system. However, after partnering with Restolabs, within a year, the sales went from zero to 20% of total transactions. 

A hybrid strategy where you use Uber Eats for lead generation, and an ordering platform for your loyal customer base is hence a strategic decision for better profitability. Schedule a demo today to experience how Restolabs helps you maximize profits.