Should Your Online Menu Prices Be Higher Than In-Store?

Walk into almost any restaurant, compare the printed menu to the same restaurant on a delivery app, and you will often find the app is 10 to 25% more expensive. So should your online menu prices be higher than in-store? The answer depends on which “online” you mean. A marketplace order and an order placed on your own website cost you very different amounts, and the pricing should reflect that.

Here is a balanced look at when a markup makes sense, when it hurts you, and what to do instead.

Why restaurants mark up marketplace menus

Third-party delivery marketplaces typically charge 15–30% per order in commission. On a $40 order at 25%, that is $10 gone before you pay for food, labor, or packaging. Most independent restaurants run on thin margins to begin with, so a $10 haircut on a $40 order can turn a profitable ticket into a loss.

A markup on the marketplace menu is the most direct way to claw that back. Say your in-store cheesesteak is $12. If you list it at $14.40 on the app (a 20% markup) and the app takes 25%, you net $10.80, which is much closer to what you make in-store than the $9 you would net at the unmarked price.

There is also a fairness argument. The customer who orders through an app is choosing convenience and paying a premium for it. Many customers understand this, and marketplaces themselves add service fees and delivery charges on top, so a slightly higher menu price does not stand out.

For these reasons, marking up the marketplace menu is a reasonable and common practice. It is not something to feel bad about. Check the platform’s rules, since some restrict price parity, but most allow it.

Why direct-ordering menus usually should not be marked up

Your own online ordering page is a different situation. If you use a commission-free platform (Anytable, for example, charges a flat monthly fee and 0% commission), an order placed on your site costs you roughly the same as a phone order: card processing plus packaging. There is no 25% cut to recover.

More importantly, your direct channel is the one you are trying to grow. Every restaurant that wants to reduce its dependence on delivery apps needs a reason for customers to order direct instead. The easiest reason to offer is price. If your website is the cheapest place to order, and the app is the most expensive, you have given customers a clear incentive to come to you.

Flip that around and it gets worse. If your direct menu carries the same markup as the app, or any markup at all, the customer sees no benefit to leaving the app. They lose the app’s familiar interface and gain nothing. Most will stay put.

A simple rule: your in-store price and your direct online price should match. If you want to reward direct ordering further, run occasional direct-only deals rather than lowering the base prices.

The three-tier pricing model

Many restaurants that think this through settle on three price levels:

1. In-store and direct online: the base price. Same number everywhere you control.
2. Marketplace pickup: a moderate markup, often 10 to 15%, to cover the lower pickup commission most apps charge.
3. Marketplace delivery: a higher markup, often 20 to 30%, matching the delivery commission.

This keeps your own channels clean and honest while protecting your margin where the fees are highest. It also makes the pitch to regulars easy: “Order from our site and you pay what you would in the restaurant.”

Alternatives to a menu price markup

If you would rather not touch item prices on any channel, there are other ways to cover the real cost of a to-go order.

A packaging or takeout fee

A flat fee of 50 cents to $2 per order labeled clearly as “packaging” or “takeout” is easy for customers to understand. Containers, bags, cutlery, and sauce cups cost real money, and most people accept a small line item for them. Keep it modest. A packaging fee that looks like a hidden tax invites complaints.

A service fee on delivery

If you run your own delivery, a delivery fee tied to distance is normal and expected. Customers already pay delivery fees on the apps. Set zones with different fees so nearby customers pay less and far ones pay a fair amount for the driver’s time. Direct-ordering platforms generally let you configure delivery zones, fees, and minimums per location.

Order minimums

A minimum order for delivery ($15 or $20 is common) does not raise prices but filters out the small orders that lose money once you add a driver’s time. It is one of the least controversial levers you have.

Portion or packaging adjustments

Some restaurants keep the price flat online but serve a slightly simpler version of the dish: no garnish that wilts, a standard side instead of a choice. This is less a fee than a quiet cost control, and it often improves how the food travels anyway.

Be transparent, whichever route you choose

Customers do not mind paying for convenience. They mind feeling tricked. A few habits keep you on the right side of that line:

• If marketplace prices are higher, do not deny it when asked. “Our prices on the apps are higher because of the fees they charge; order from our site and you get in-store pricing” is an answer that turns a complaint into a direct order.
• Label fees plainly. “Packaging fee” is fine. “Service charge” with no explanation is not.
• Never let the direct online price drift above the in-store price by accident. Update both when you change one.
• Post a small note on your website or a bag stuffer: “Best prices when you order direct.” It is true, and it is your strongest marketing message.

Watch what happens to order size

One quiet effect of markups is that customers order less. When a $12 sandwich becomes $14.40, some people skip the drink or the side to keep the total where they expected. On your own channel, matching in-store prices tends to keep the average order value healthy, especially when you pair it with a couple of well-placed add-ons. Compare average order value across channels over a month and you will see which pricing approach is really making you more money.

The bottom line

Marking up your marketplace menu to offset a 15–30% commission is sensible and common. Marking up your own direct-ordering menu usually is not, because it removes the best reason customers have to order from you instead of an app. Keep in-store and direct prices identical, use a modest packaging fee, delivery zones, and minimums to cover real costs, and be plain about all of it. Price is the simplest lever you have for moving regulars from the apps to your own site. Use it in your favor.