DoorDash gives restaurants access to millions of delivery and pickup customers through its app, charging a commission on each order that ranges from 6% to 30% depending on the plan and order type. Restaurants receive orders through a tablet or their existing point-of-sale system, a Dasher picks up the food and delivers it, and DoorDash deposits the earnings into the restaurant’s bank account on a regular schedule. Here’s how each piece works in practice.
The Three Partnership Plans
DoorDash offers three tiers: Basic, Plus, and Premier. All three include delivery and pickup through the DoorDash app, no activation fees, and a free trial period. The differences come down to commission rates, delivery radius, and marketing perks.
Basic charges 15% commission on delivery orders. It covers the smallest delivery area of the three plans, which means fewer customers will see your restaurant when browsing. You can expand that reach by paying for optional marketing add-ons, but the base plan keeps costs low.
Plus charges 25% on delivery orders and opens up a larger delivery radius. The bigger draw is access to DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription program for frequent customers. DashPass members tend to order more often and spend more per order, so this tier is designed for restaurants that want higher volume even at a higher commission rate.
Premier carries the highest delivery commission (around 30%) but includes the largest delivery area, full DashPass exposure, and several built-in extras. DoorDash runs ads for your restaurant automatically at no additional cost, provides a free professional photo shoot with a $200 credit toward extras, and offers a discount on its Commerce Platform Pro package. Premier also comes with a Growth Guarantee: if your restaurant receives 20 or fewer orders in a month, DoorDash refunds your delivery commissions for that period.
Pickup orders are charged at 6% across all three plans. That rate includes payment processing, so there are no separate credit card fees on orders placed through the DoorDash app or website.
How You Receive and Manage Orders
When a customer places an order, it needs to reach your kitchen. DoorDash supports three main ways to make that happen.
The most common method is a tablet running DoorDash’s Order Manager app. You can use a tablet provided by DoorDash (for a rental fee) or download the app onto your own Android tablet for free. Orders appear on screen with item details, and you confirm or adjust them in real time. You can also rent a Bluetooth printer to automatically print receipts as orders come in.
If your restaurant already uses a point-of-sale system, DoorDash can integrate directly with many major POS providers. Orders flow straight into your existing register or kitchen display, which means your staff doesn’t need to monitor a separate device. You can check whether your POS is compatible through DoorDash’s merchant portal or by asking your POS provider. Once confirmed, you submit an integration request and DoorDash handles the setup.
Email is also an option, though DoorDash recommends it only for restaurants with low internet connectivity or very low order volume. You’d need a computer near your register to check incoming orders promptly.
How Delivery Gets Done
By default, a Dasher (DoorDash’s independent delivery driver) is assigned to your order automatically. The Dasher receives a notification, drives to your restaurant, picks up the food, and delivers it to the customer. You don’t manage the driver, handle delivery logistics, or pay the Dasher directly. DoorDash handles all of that, and the cost is built into your commission rate.
If you already have your own delivery drivers, DoorDash offers a Self-Delivery option. You use your in-house team to fulfill DoorDash orders at a reduced commission of 15%, and you keep the delivery fees and tips customers pay. Customers see a note at checkout that your business delivers its own orders. When your drivers aren’t available, such as outside your delivery hours or beyond your usual radius, you can fall back on DoorDash’s Dashers for a flat fee of $6.00 per delivery. This hybrid setup lets you control the delivery experience while still tapping into DoorDash’s customer base.
What You Pay and What You Keep
Your primary cost is the commission on each order. On a $50 delivery order under the Basic plan at 15%, DoorDash keeps $7.50 and you receive the remaining $42.50. Under Plus at 25%, DoorDash’s cut rises to $12.50. Pickup orders at 6% would cost you $3.00 on that same $50 order.
All commission rates include credit card processing, so there are no separate transaction fees on orders placed through the DoorDash app. There are also no termination fees if you decide to leave the platform, and no flat monthly subscription charges unless you’re renting a DoorDash tablet.
DoorDash deposits your earnings directly into your bank account. The restaurant keeps the full menu price minus the commission. Tips left by customers for Dashers go to the Dasher, not the restaurant, unless the order is fulfilled through Self-Delivery.
Commission-Free Orders Through Your Own Website
Every DoorDash merchant automatically gets access to a product called Online Ordering (formerly Storefront) at no extra cost. This is a commission-free ordering system you embed directly on your restaurant’s website. Customers visiting your site can place pickup or delivery orders without ever opening the DoorDash app.
You pay zero commission on these orders. The only cost is a standard payment processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per order. There are no monthly fees, no setup charges, and no delivery fees from DoorDash’s side. On a $50 order, you’d pay about $1.75 in processing instead of $7.50 or more in marketplace commission.
The other major advantage is customer data. Orders through the DoorDash app don’t share customer contact information with you. Online Ordering does. You get access to names, email addresses, zip codes, and other details through DoorDash’s Report Builder, which you can use for your own marketing, loyalty programs, or customer outreach.
Orders placed through Online Ordering arrive the same way your regular DoorDash orders do, whether that’s on your tablet, through your POS integration, or by email. Delivery is still handled by Dashers if the customer chooses delivery over pickup.
Getting Started
Signing up is free. You fill out an application on the DoorDash merchant site, choose your plan, upload your menu, and set your store hours and prep times. DoorDash reviews the application and, once approved, your restaurant goes live on the platform. If you’re using a DoorDash tablet, it ships pre-loaded with the Order Manager app. If you’re integrating with your POS, the technical setup happens during onboarding.
You can adjust your menu, pricing, hours, and plan tier at any time through the Merchant Portal. Most restaurants start on Basic or Plus to test the economics before deciding whether the higher commission tiers generate enough additional volume to justify the cost.