Restaurant Meals Double in Price on Postmates and DoorDash

Ordering takeout through popular delivery apps like GrubHub and DoorDash is certainly easy, but many people find it costs a lot more. A recent study by FinanceBuzz analyzed how much customers overpay when using four major delivery platforms - Uber Eats, GrubHub, DoorDash, and Postmates. Their findings expose just how much extra you pay for the same meal ordered direct from a restaurant.

The study found huge extra costs for delivery across all the restaurant chains. The biggest offender was Chick-fil-A, where orders cost 82% to 149% more through delivery apps than in-store. A $9 meal can cost $23 on GrubHub or $17 on Uber Eats after all their fees and inflated menu prices. Coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin' also saw prices roughly double for delivery customers compared to ordering at the counter.

Even a basic McDonald's cheeseburger meal that's $11 in-store could run you nearly $20 on Postmates. And it's not just the service fees and expected tips causing the spike - menu prices themselves are higher on the apps. FinanceBuzz found Postmates had the overall highest delivery markups at 105% over menu price. DoorDash was next at 95%, followed by GrubHub and Uber Eats.

So why the dramatic upcharges? The apps claim their costs cause the fees. But they still take a cut from each order. Restaurants also raise menu prices on the apps to cover the fees charged by the services, which can run from 15-30%.

While consumers took advantage of delivery for safety early in the pandemic, many now skip the apps to avoid the high costs. FinanceBuzz advises comparing delivery prices across apps and ordering direct from restaurants when possible to save. Most chains now offer easy online ordering and curbside pickup. So next time you want that burger or burrito, consider picking it up yourself and skipping the fees.