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)
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%.
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.
More in Costs
Found this useful? Share with friends!
Help more F&B owners discover this free tool.