Packaging fee: charging for takeout containers the right way
Updated October 20, 2026
A packaging fee is a charge a restaurant adds to takeout and delivery orders to cover containers, lids, bags and cutlery. It is usually a small amount per order, such as $0.75, or per item. Dine-in guests don't pay it, because their food comes on plates.
In short
- Per order is simple; per item tracks real container use; per dish fits a few bulky items like soups or whole cakes.
- Price it from your real cost: containers, lids, bags and napkins for a typical order.
- Show it before checkout. In California, a mandatory fee must be shown wherever prices are shown.
- On Menuthere a packaging charge applies to takeout and delivery only, never to dine-in, on every plan.
Three ways to charge for packaging
| Method | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Once per order | One amount on every takeout or delivery order | Small menus, similar orders | Under-charges big family orders |
| Per item | An amount for each item in the cart | Menus where every item needs its own container | Drinks and dips counted like mains |
| Different for some dishes | A set amount, with your own amount on chosen dishes | Soups, curries, cakes, party trays | More set-up |
The cost math
A typical takeout order at a noodle shop uses:
| Item | Cost each | Per order |
|---|---|---|
| Two soup containers with lids | $0.32 | $0.64 |
| One side container | $0.15 | $0.15 |
| Bag, napkins, chopsticks | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| Packaging cost | $0.99 |
Charging $0.50 per order leaves the shop covering half; $1.00 per order covers it. Per item at $0.35 charges $1.05 for the three containers. (Illustrative supplier prices; use your own invoices.) Some restaurants build packaging into takeout prices instead; on your own ordering page you can do either.
Disclosure: show it before the customer pays
- California. Since July 1, 2024, California's junk-fee law (SB 478, amended by SB 1524) lets restaurants charge a mandatory fee only if it is "clearly and conspicuously displayed wherever prices are shown," according to the California Attorney General. A packaging fee every takeout customer must pay is a mandatory fee.
- Elsewhere, rules vary by state and city. A clear line on the bill and a note on the menu ("$0.75 packaging on takeout orders") avoid complaints anywhere.
- Packaging laws on containers and bags (for example bans on some foam containers) also vary by place; check your city's rules.
How Menuthere handles packaging fees
- One setting. Under Parcel settings, enter the Amount and choose Once per order, For each item or Different for some items. A line under the setting shows a worked example with your amount.
- Per dish. With Different for some items, search a dish and type its own amount; the Priced filter shows the ones you've set. Dishes left blank use the main amount.
- Takeout and delivery only. The charge applies to takeaway and delivery orders. Dine-in and table QR orders are never charged.
- Clear on the bill. Customers see Packaging Charge as its own line. It's also added to bills you make on the counter POS.
- On every plan. Help: packaging (parcel) charges.
- Make the packaging work for you. A QR code sticker on the bag brings the next order to your own page; see reorder QR for takeout packaging.
What it doesn't do: the packaging charge can't be set differently for takeout and delivery; both get the same rule. There's no per-category amount; set dish amounts one by one.
Add a clear packaging charge to takeout and delivery, never to dine-in. 0% commission.
Related terms
- Service charge: another line on the bill, and the rules for showing it.
- Price parity: one price on every channel.
- Delivery zone: the delivery fee, charged separately.
FAQs
What is a restaurant packaging fee?
It is a charge added to takeout and delivery orders to cover containers, lids, bags and cutlery. It is usually a small fixed amount per order or per item, and dine-in guests don't pay it.
Is it legal for restaurants to charge a packaging fee?
Generally yes, if it is disclosed clearly. In California, a mandatory restaurant fee must be clearly and conspicuously displayed wherever prices are shown, under the state's junk-fee law in force since July 1, 2024. Rules differ elsewhere, so check your state and city.
Should I charge packaging per order or per item?
Per order is simplest and works when most orders are similar. Per item follows real container use, which suits menus where every dish needs its own box. A per-dish amount suits a few bulky items such as soups or cakes.
Do dine-in orders pay a packaging charge on Menuthere?
No. Menuthere adds the packaging charge to takeaway and delivery orders only. Dine-in and table QR orders are never charged.
Can different dishes have different packaging charges?
Yes. On Menuthere, choose Different for some items, give chosen dishes their own amount, and the rest use the main amount.
Sources (2)
- Menuthere help: Packaging (parcel) charges, updated 6 Oct 2026 (Parcel settings; Amount; Once per order / For each item / Different for some items; worked example line; Priced filter; takeaway and delivery only, never dine-in or table orders; "Packaging Charge" line; added on POS bills): https://menuthere.com/docs/checkout-payments/packaging-parcel-charges (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- State of California, Office of the Attorney General: Hidden fees (SB 478 from July 1, 2024; SB 1524; restaurants' mandatory fees exempt "so long as the fee is clearly and conspicuously displayed wherever prices are shown"): https://oag.ca.gov/hiddenfees (accessed 20 Oct 2026)