Price parity: same price on every channel, or not?
Updated October 20, 2026
Price parity means a dish costs the same everywhere you sell it: at the counter, on DoorDash or Uber Eats, and on your own ordering page. Many restaurants break parity on purpose, marking up prices on delivery apps to cover the app's commission. Others keep parity, sometimes because an app rewards them for it.
In short
- Parity = one price on every channel. Channel pricing = different prices per channel.
- To keep the same take after a commission, price = in-store price ÷ (1 − commission). At 25%, a $20 dish becomes $26.67.
- Uber Eats (US) charges a 7% pickup fee only if you prove in-app pickup prices match in-store; otherwise it's 10%.
- On Menuthere a dish can carry a separate delivery price, and a table QR can add or take off an amount per item.
Why delivery-app prices are often higher
A delivery app takes a commission on each order: in the US, DoorDash's Marketplace plans charge 15%, 25% or 30%, and Uber Eats charges 20%, 25% or 30% for delivery. On a $20 dish at 25%, the restaurant receives $15, before card fees and packaging. The restaurant can absorb the cut, raise app prices, or steer regulars to a cheaper channel.
The markup formula
To receive the same amount from an app as you do in store:
App price = in-store price ÷ (1 − commission rate)
| In-store price | Commission | App price for the same take | Markup |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20.00 | 15% | $23.53 | 18% |
| $20.00 | 25% | $26.67 | 33% |
| $20.00 | 30% | $28.57 | 43% |
A 25% commission needs a 33% markup, not 25%, because the commission is taken from the higher price.
One dish on three channels
| Channel | Menu price | What the platform takes | You keep (before card fees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter | $20.00 | Nothing | $20.00 |
| Delivery app at 25%, parity kept | $20.00 | $5.00 | $15.00 |
| Delivery app at 25%, marked up | $26.67 | $6.67 | $20.00 |
| Your own ordering page (0% commission) | $20.00 | Nothing | $20.00, less the card processing fee |
(Illustrative prices; commission rates as published by the apps, see Sources.) Your exact loss on each app: the delivery app loss calculator and the US commission page.
When parity pays: the Uber Eats pickup rule
Uber Eats' US pricing charges a 7% pickup fee "conditioned on submission of proof that pricing for in-app pickup is the same as in-store." Without that proof, the pickup fee is 10%. In that case keeping pickup prices at parity costs nothing extra and saves 3 points of commission on every pickup order.
Is it allowed to charge more on delivery apps?
Restaurants generally set their own app prices, and many mark them up. Two cautions:
- Tell customers honestly. A short line such as "prices on delivery apps are higher than in store" avoids complaints.
- Read your app agreement. Pricing rules and discounts tied to price levels, like the Uber Eats pickup rate above, are set in each app's terms and can change.
How Menuthere handles channel prices
- A separate delivery price. Each dish has a Delivery Price beside its Base Price. Leave it empty to keep parity, or set it to cover packaging on your own delivery orders. On a dish with sizes, each size has its own delivery price. A 0 counts as "not set," so a dish never goes out free by accident.
- Table prices. A table QR can add an amount to every item, or take an amount off, for example a cheaper outdoor table. Guests see the final price and never the adjustment itself. See different prices for dine-in tables.
- One price at the counter. The counter POS (an add-on) bills your normal menu price.
- No commission, so parity is affordable. Menuthere takes 0% of every order on every plan, so your own page can match or beat your app prices. See moving delivery-app customers to direct ordering.
What it doesn't do: Menuthere doesn't set or sync your prices on DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub; it has no integration with their menus. Takeout uses the base price; only delivery has its own price field.
Sell at your real prices on your own page, with no commission to mark up for.
Related terms
- Third-party delivery: the apps and what they charge.
- Payment processing fee: the one per-order cost on your own channel.
- Menu modifiers: sizes, each with its own delivery price.
FAQs
What is price parity for a restaurant?
Price parity means charging the same price for a dish on every channel: in store, on delivery apps and on your own online ordering. Breaking parity usually means higher prices on delivery apps to cover their commission.
Why is food more expensive on DoorDash than in the restaurant?
Many restaurants raise their prices on delivery apps to cover the commission, which in the US runs from 15% to 30% on DoorDash's Marketplace plans. Delivery and service fees charged to the customer come on top.
How much should I mark up my menu on delivery apps?
To keep the same take, divide your in-store price by one minus the commission rate. At a 25% commission, a $20 dish needs to be $26.67, a 33% markup.
Does Uber Eats require the same prices as in store?
Not in general, but its US pickup fee is 7% only if you prove your in-app pickup prices match in-store prices. Without that proof the pickup fee is 10%.
Can I charge a different price for delivery on my own website?
Yes. On Menuthere each dish, and each size, can have a separate delivery price, while takeout and dine-in use the base price. Leave it empty to keep one price everywhere.
Sources (6)
- Uber Eats, Merchant pricing (US) (Lite 20%, Plus 25%, Premium 30% marketplace fee; 7% pickup fee "conditioned on submission of proof that pricing for in-app pickup is the same as in-store", 10% without; self-delivery 15%): https://merchants.ubereats.com/us/en/pricing/ (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- DoorDash, Marketplace pricing (US): Basic 15%, Plus 25%, Premier 30%: https://merchants.doordash.com/en-us/pricing (rates settled in Wave 1, 20 Oct 2026; the page blocks automated reads, see Facts)
- Menuthere help: Delivery prices and tax-inclusive prices, updated 19 Oct 2026 (Delivery Price beside Base Price; "Same as base"; 0 = not set; per-size delivery price): https://menuthere.com/docs/menu/delivery-prices-and-tax-inclusive-prices (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Different prices for dine-in tables, updated 6 Oct 2026 (add or take off an amount per item per table QR; "Guests never see the adjustment itself"): https://menuthere.com/docs/dine-in/different-prices-for-dine-in-tables (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Counter POS billing, updated 16 Oct 2026 ("The POS bills your normal menu price"): https://menuthere.com/docs/dine-in/counter-pos-billing (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Menuthere takes 0% commission, updated 6 Oct 2026: https://menuthere.com/docs/checkout-payments/menuthere-takes-0-commission (accessed 20 Oct 2026)