Delivery app fee caps by US city: where the law limits what apps charge restaurants
Updated October 20, 2026
Last updated: 20 October 2026. We list a place only after reading its law on the city's own code or regulator page.
Seven US cities cap the fees that delivery apps such as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub can charge restaurants: New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington DC and Portland, Oregon. All seven use 15% of the order as the line: a 15% cap on the delivery fee, or in Philadelphia on all fees together (10% delivery plus 5% other). All but Seattle and New York let an app charge more if it also offers a capped plan, so in most of these cities the cap is a guaranteed option rather than a ceiling on every bill.
In short
- The 15% line: six cities cap the delivery fee at 15% of the order's purchase price; Philadelphia caps delivery at 10% and all other fees at 5%.
- Extra caps: New York adds 5% for a basic listing, 3% for card processing and up to 20% for optional extras; Philadelphia splits its 15% into 10% delivery and 5% everything else; Portland caps takeout at 4% and DC caps non-delivered orders at 5%.
- The opt-out: in five cities an app may charge more if it also offers every restaurant a package at the capped rate. Seattle never lets delivery itself go above 15%; New York caps each fee type separately.
- Pickup and your own drivers fall under different rules in each city; check your city's page.
- The caps don't apply to your own ordering page, where Menuthere charges no commission at all.
Which cities cap delivery app fees?
| City | Law | Delivery cap | Other caps | Can an app charge more? | In force since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | NYC Admin. Code §20-563.3 | 15% | 5% basic service; 3% card processing; up to 20% for an optional enhanced service | Only the enhanced service, and only if the app also sells basic service at 5% or less | Current caps since June 2025 |
| San Francisco | Police Code §5302 (Article 53) | 15% | None | Yes, if the app offers every covered restaurant "core delivery service" at 15% or less | Cap since 21 Dec 2020; opt-out since 31 Jan 2023 |
| Seattle | Seattle Municipal Code ch. 7.30 | 15% for delivery anywhere in city limits | None | Only for services beyond delivery; delivery itself stays at 15% | 30 Nov 2022 |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia Code §9-5104 | 10% | 5% for all other fees (15% in total) | Yes, if the app offers a capped delivery-and-marketing option you can return to on 30 days' notice | Agreements made or renewed after 30 Nov 2021 |
| Minneapolis | Minneapolis Code ch. 353 | 15% | No fees you haven't agreed to | Yes, if the app offers a delivery option at 15% or less | Ordinance of 10 Dec 2021 |
| Washington DC | D.C. Code §48-654 | 15% | 5% on orders the app doesn't deliver | Yes, if the app offers every restaurant "core delivery service" at 15% or less | 10 Mar 2023 |
| Portland, OR | Portland City Code ch. 7.27 | 15% (orders under $10: up to $1.50) | 4% takeout; card fees passed on at cost only | Yes, if the app offers 15% delivery and 4% takeout options to every restaurant | 1 Mar 2023 |
Each cap is a percentage of the order's purchase price. In Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC and Portland the law defines that as the menu price of the order, not counting tax or tips.
What a cap means on a $30 order
The national plan rates are DoorDash 15% to 30%, Uber Eats 20% to 30% and Grubhub 15% to 30% with its own drivers (US rates side by side). Here is the most an app can take on a $30 delivery order on the capped option each law guarantees:
| City | Most an app can charge on the capped option | Where the money goes |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | $6.90 (23%) | $4.50 delivery + $1.50 basic service + $0.90 card processing |
| San Francisco | $4.50 (15%) | All fees together, on the core delivery service |
| Seattle | $4.50 (15%) | Delivery services; anything above is only for extra services |
| Philadelphia | $4.50 (15%) | $3.00 delivery + $1.50 everything else |
| Minneapolis | $4.50 (15%) | Delivery commission |
| Washington DC | $4.50 (15%) | All fees together, on the core delivery service |
| Portland, OR | $4.50 (15%), plus card processing at cost | Delivery; a $8 order can be charged up to $1.50 |
Against the top national plans (30%, or $9.00 on the same order), the capped option saves a restaurant $4.50 an order, or $1,350 a month at 300 delivery orders. The trade-off is reach: the capped plans usually show you to fewer customers or charge them more for delivery. Work out your own numbers with the delivery app loss calculator.
Which caps have ended?
Many cities passed emergency caps in 2020 and 2021 that ended with the COVID-19 emergency. Chicago's caps expired on 31 October 2021, according to the city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Philadelphia's and Portland's temporary caps were replaced by the permanent laws above.
Uber Eats also lists a lower 15% Lite delivery rate in New Jersey, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Spokane, Alameda County and Beverly Hills. That may reflect local rules, but we haven't read a law in force in those places yet, so they aren't in the table.
What to do if an app charges more than the cap
- Check your plan. In five of the seven cities the cap doesn't apply if you chose a higher-priced package; ask the app for the capped option in writing.
- Compare your statement with the cap. Use the purchase price (menu price, before tax and tips), not the total the customer paid.
- Report it to the city. Each city page lists the office that enforces the law.
The cap limits what apps take. Your own ordering page takes nothing. give regulars a commission-free way to order. More:.
Frequently asked questions
Which US cities cap delivery app fees?
New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington DC and Portland, Oregon have caps in force in October 2026. Six cap the delivery fee at 15% of the order and Philadelphia caps all fees at 15% together; New York, Philadelphia, Portland and DC also cap other fees.
Does the 15% cap mean DoorDash can never charge more than 15%?
Not in most of these cities. In San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington DC and Portland an app may charge more if it also offers every restaurant a capped option. In Seattle delivery itself can't cost more than 15%, and in New York each fee type has its own cap.
Is the cap a percentage of the total the customer pays?
No. It is a percentage of the order's purchase price. Six of the seven laws define that as the menu price, without tax or tips.
Did Chicago's delivery fee cap end?
Yes. Chicago's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection said its third-party delivery fee cap rules would expire on 31 October 2021, and we found no later cap.
Do the caps apply to orders from my own website?
No. They limit what third-party delivery apps charge. Orders from your own ordering page carry no app commission, only your card processing fee.
Sources (7)
- San Francisco Police Code §5302: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_police/0-0-0-51752 (read 20 Oct 2026; "Added by Ord. 234-20 … Eff. 12/21/2020; amended by Ord. 164-22 … Eff. 8/28/2022"). SF OEWD FAQ (15 Nov 2022): https://www.sf.gov/reports--november-2022--frequently-asked-questions-delivery-service-regulations (read 20 Oct 2026).
- Seattle Municipal Code chapter 7.30: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT7COPR_CH7.30FODEPL (read 20 Oct 2026). Seattle Consumer Protection Division memo (December 2022; "took effect on Nov. 30, 2022"): https://seattle.gov/documents/Departments/FAS/RegulatoryServices/food-delivery-platforms/fas-cpd-food-delivery-platforms-cap.pdf (read 20 Oct 2026).
- Philadelphia Bill No. 210670 (certified copy; passed 9 Dec 2021, signed 18 Jan 2022): https://files.amlegal.com/pdffiles/Philadelphia/210670.pdf (read 20 Oct 2026). Bill No. 200344 (definitions): https://files.amlegal.com/pdffiles/Philadelphia/200344.pdf. City guidance (23 Aug 2023): https://www.phila.gov/2023-08-23-guidance-on-maximum-delivery-fee-that-all-third-party-delivery-platforms-can-charge-food-businesses (read 20 Oct 2026).
- Minneapolis Code of Ordinances chapter 353 (Ord. No. 2021-058, 12-10-21): https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT13LIBURE_CH353THRTDESE (read 20 Oct 2026).
- Code of the District of Columbia, Title 48 chapter 6A (§§48-651 to 48-656; D.C. Law 24-292, 10 Mar 2023): https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/titles/48/chapters/6A/index.full.html (read 20 Oct 2026).
- Portland City Code chapter 7.27: https://www.portland.gov/code/7/27 (read 20 Oct 2026). Ordinance 191126 (passed 4 Jan 2023, effective 1 Mar 2023): https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/ordinance/passed/191126 (read 20 Oct 2026).
- Chicago BACP, Third-Party Delivery Regulations industry notice (5 Aug 2021): https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/bacp/general/COVID-19/ThirdPartyDeliveryRegulations_IndustryNotice_8-5-21.pdf (seen in search results 20 Oct 2026: "all Third-Party Food Delivery Service Fee Cap regulations will expire on October 31, 2021").