Costs02/15/2026
Delivery App Costs: Grab, Shopee & Self-Delivery
How 20-30% commission fees eat into your profit margins
25-30% GrabFood Commission(of selling price)22-27% ShopeeFood Commission(of selling price)3-8K/order Packaging Cost(containers, bags, extras)5-12% Real Net Margin(actual delivery profit)
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Commission Rates by Platform (2025-2026)
GrabFood25-30%Largest platform, highest traffic. Rates vary by tier: basic 25%, priority listing 28-30%.
ShopeeFood22-27%Slightly lower fees than Grab. Runs heavy promotions, but average order value tends to be lower.
GoFood (Gojek)20-25%Lowest commission among the big 3. However, order volume is significantly smaller.
Baemin (exited)—Shut down in 2023. Lesson learned: never depend 100% on a single platform.
Self-delivery (own riders)5-10K/orderLowest cost option but requires managing riders. Limited delivery radius of 3-5km.
True Delivery Profitability — Hidden Costs Add Up
22-30%
App Commission
Platform fee charged on the selling price (excludes shipping fee paid by customer). This is the single biggest cost.
30-40%
Food Cost
Same as dine-in. But delivery portions are often larger — customers expect "value for the delivery fee" they paid.
3-8K/order
Packaging
Containers + bags + sauce cups + napkins + utensils. Noodle and soup dishes cost more (multiple compartments, leak-proof packaging).
5-12%
Actual Net Margin
Example: VND 50K order → app takes 13K, ingredients 18K, packaging 5K → VND 14K left (28%). After labor and utilities = ~5-12%.
Worked Example: A VND 60K Rice Order on GrabFood
Selling price on app60,000đMany shops mark up 10-15% on app vs. dine-in price.
Grab commission (27%)-16,200đApp takes 27% × 60K. Shop receives 43,800đ.
Ingredient cost-20,000đFood cost at 33%. Target: keep ≤35% for delivery orders.
Packaging-5,000đRice box + bag + sauce cup + chopsticks + napkin.
Packing labor-3,000đ5-8 minutes per order to assemble. Need a dedicated packer when volume exceeds 30 orders/day.
Net profit15,600đ= 26% of selling price. After utilities and depreciation → realistic margin around 12-18%.
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Delivery Traps — Common Costly Mistakes
Selling at dine-in prices on apps = guaranteed loss
With 25-30% commission and the same price, you're handing over your entire margin. Solution: mark up 10-15% on apps, reduce delivery portions slightly, or create a separate delivery-only menu.
Running app promotions without doing the math
30% discount + free shipping + 27% app commission = you're losing money on every single order. Before running any deal, calculate: (discounted price - commission - COGS - packaging) — is it still positive?
Over-dependence on delivery platforms
If the app changes fees (even a 3-5% increase), tweaks the algorithm to hide your shop, or shuts down — your revenue can drop 50-70% overnight. Keep delivery at ≤40% of total revenue.
Forgetting to cost packaging
Packaging at 3-8K/order × 50 orders/day = 150-400K/day = VND 4.5-12M/month. Many shops ignore this cost entirely, so their "food cost" looks fine on paper but they're actually losing money.
Smart Delivery Strategies
- >Create a delivery-specific menu: Keep only 10-15 items (not your full 30-50 item menu). Choose dishes that travel well (won't get soggy, spill, or lose heat), have high margins, and are easy to pack.
- >Mark up app prices by 10-15%: Most customers accept this for the convenience. Most platforms allow different pricing from dine-in — use this feature.
- >Build delivery combos: Bundle 2-3 items with a small drink. Push average order value from VND 45K to 80K. Commission percentage stays the same, but absolute profit per order increases significantly.
- >Switch to self-delivery when volume justifies it: At 30-50+ orders/day within a 3km radius, hiring a dedicated rider (VND 6-8M/month) is much cheaper than app commissions. Take direct orders via Zalo or a hotline.
- >Know when to pause delivery: If net margin drops below 5% after all costs, or delivery volume is hurting dine-in quality (kitchen overwhelmed) — pause the apps and focus on in-store customers.
Delivery is a powerful revenue channel — but only when you price it correctly. Many shops are "busy" with 50-100 delivery orders a day yet still losing money, because each order only nets VND 2-5K after all fees. Plug your delivery numbers into F&B Validator to see whether this channel is truly profitable for you.
Delivery & App Fees — Frequently Asked Questions
›What is the commission fee for GrabFood, ShopeeFood, BeFood in Vietnam 2026?
2026 commission rates: GrabFood 25-30% (default 25%, premium categories 27-30%). ShopeeFood 22-27% (typically 2-3% lower than Grab). BeFood 20-25% (newer, competing on price). Foody 25-28%. These are commissions on the total order value — not counting payment processing fees, packaging, and delivery surcharges. Effective total cost is 30-38% of retail price after packaging (3-8K/order) and VAT.
›How does GrabFood commission compare to ShopeeFood in Vietnam?
GrabFood: largest user base in Vietnam (~60% market share), higher fees at 25-30%, strong marketing programs (Grab Deals, vouchers), attracts higher-spending customers. ShopeeFood: younger demographic, 22-27% lower fees, more price-sensitive users, promo codes drive volume. Common strategy: use both apps for maximum reach. If forced to pick one → GrabFood for premium positioning, ShopeeFood for mass market.
›What is the packaging cost per delivery order?
Actual packaging cost 3-8K VND/order depending on category. Take-away coffee: paper cup 500-1,500 + lid 500 + bag 500-1,500 = 1.5-3.5K. Hot food: waterproof paper box 2-4K + bag 500-1,500 + chopsticks/spoon 500 = 3-6K. Bubble tea (large cup + pearls separate): 5-8K. Common mistake: choosing premium packaging (looks great, costs 8K) on a 40K order = 20% margin drain.
›When should F&B shops do their own delivery instead of using apps?
When you consistently get 30-50+ orders/day within a 3km radius, hiring 1 dedicated driver (VND 6-8M/month) is far cheaper than paying app commission. Example: 40 orders/day × 200K = 240M revenue/month. Grab 25% commission = 60M. Own driver 7M + fuel 2M = 9M → saves 51M/month. Requirements: (1) direct customer channel (Zalo/hotline), (2) concentrated delivery radius, (3) menu items that don't require complex handling.
›Why do delivery apps charge such high commissions?
The 25-30% fee covers: (1) tech infrastructure + servers + app development (~5%); (2) marketing acquisition (vouchers, ads, promos) — Grab/Shopee burn cash to retain users (~10%); (3) payment processing + order management (~3%); (4) driver network operations (~5%); (5) app profit margin (~2-7%). It's a 2-sided marketplace model — the app pays customer acquisition costs for you, then extracts commission in return.
›How does delivery affect F&B shop profit margins?
Real math: 50K item on the app → customer pays 50K → shop receives ~37.5K after Grab 25% → minus 5K packaging → net 32.5K → minus food cost 30% (15K) → gross profit 17.5K (vs 35K if sold in-store, gross margin drops from 70% to ~35%). If shop has high labor + rent + marketing → net delivery margin can be just 2-5%. Lesson: only push delivery hard when food cost is optimized + packaging is cheap + AOV is above 80K to dilute fixed per-order costs.
›Is Grab delivery cheaper than ShopeeFood?
ShopeeFood is 2-3% cheaper on commission (22-27% vs Grab's 25-30%). But don't just compare fees — compare net revenue. Grab typically generates 20-30% higher AOV thanks to bigger spender demographics + larger voucher discounts. Example: shop A on Grab = 100 orders × 200K = 20M revenue, 5M fees → net 15M. Same shop on Shopee = 120 orders × 150K = 18M, 4.2M fees → net 13.8M. Grab wins despite higher fee. A/B test both for 2 months before deciding.
›How can F&B shops reduce delivery costs?
5 proven tactics: (1) Design "delivery-only combos" at higher price points (150-250K) to dilute fixed fees per order; (2) Focus delivery menu on items with food cost <25% (noodles, rice, pho — not steak, seafood); (3) Cheap-but-professional packaging via bulk sourcing from primary supplier (2-4K/order vs 6-8K); (4) Optimize prep time to <8 min per order to handle more volume per shift; (5) Run own delivery for 3km radius when order volume justifies a dedicated driver.
›Should F&B shops list on both GrabFood and ShopeeFood?
Yes — never rely on a single platform. Grab is dominant but raising fees and squeezing competition. Shopee is growing fast with lower fees. Strategy: Grab as primary (60-70% of orders), Shopee as secondary (25-35%), own delivery or BeFood for the rest (5-10%). Multiple 2024 cases where Grab suspended accounts or changed algorithms overnight — shops lost 30-50% revenue instantly. Diversification is risk management.
›Does delivery app commission include VAT?
No. Grab/Shopee commission is calculated on the total sale price INCLUDING VAT (if you're VAT-registered). Example: 100K menu item (VAT-inclusive) on app → Grab takes 25K commission on the full 100K. You receive 75K but must remit 10% VAT (~9K) → net ~66K. This is why household businesses (không kê VAT) benefit more from delivery apps vs registered companies. Model this carefully to avoid negative unit economics.
›What delivery app features actually increase revenue?
3 proven tools: (1) Auto-boost (Grab Boost, Shopee Ads) — pay 3-8% extra to appear top of search during peak hours, ROI 2-4x if targeted at correct time slots; (2) Combo pricing — set "buy 2 get 1 free" or 200K combo menus, raises AOV from 80K to 150K, reduces % fee per order; (3) Loyalty vouchers to returning customers (Grab Deals, Shopee Voucher) — CAC $0, high LTV. Avoid: constant 30-50% discounts that condition customers to expect low prices, killing full-price sales.
›How do ShopeeFood delivery fees compare across Southeast Asia?
ShopeeFood operates in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia. Commission ranges 20-30% across markets: Vietnam 22-27%, Thailand 25-30%, Indonesia 22-28%, Philippines 25-30%, Malaysia 20-25%. Vietnam has below-average fees due to intense competition from Grab and local player BeFood. General trend for 2026: regional apps are raising fees 1-2% per year under profitability pressure from IPOs and investor demand.
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