The Delivery App Trap
You make the food.
Billion-dollar apps make the money.
The third-party delivery apps seemed great in the beginning. They created a new marketplace. They found the drivers. They handled logistics. But now they own your customers. And you’re paying the apps up to 40% of your revenue in fees and commissions for the “privilege.”
How long can you stay in business if you’re giving away 15%, 20%, 30% or more of every dollar you make? How can you even track how much money is going out the door when it changes all the time?
Surge pricing? Extra money for the apps. Nothing more for you. Fake “regulatory” fees? More for the apps. Not a penny more in your cash register.
DoorDash made $13 billion last year.
Uber Eats made $18 billion.
What does your balance sheet look like right now?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants to hear about your experiences with third-party delivery apps and marketplaces. Click the button to do that now. Or keep reading to learn more.
How delivery apps drain your profits and call the shots:
- At 15–30% commissions + fees, the apps take up to 40% of some transactions.* They make more than you do on some orders!
- Your revenue disappears due to chargebacks you can’t dispute.
- Commissions can go up any time and you’re stuck with them.**
- Algorithms force pay-to-play or you go to the bottom of search.
- You pay the tab when drivers are late and food is cold.
- The bad review is all yours, even if the fault isn’t.
- Apps own all customer data, so you can’t build loyalty.
- Subscription plans for app customers take more of your revenue, while the apps collect subscription fees on top of your commissions.
*See fee breakdowns on Research page.
**Uber Eats raised commission rates by 1/3 in March 2026.
Share your experiences with the FTC no later than May 18, 2020
The FTC has created a long questionnaire to gather information from anyone who has been impacted by a third-party marketplace that has “tricked its customers, deceived its drivers and unfairly damaged the reputation and revenues of restaurants.”
You are also encouraged to share your experiences in your own words. Head to the next page to find out how and where to do that. We created some sample text to make it easy, but you should personalize it. Use your own words whenever possible!
Check out the Own Your Order page for more details about the third-party delivery apps — and learn about your options for minimizing their impact. The billions-dollar apps are here to stay, but you’re not powerless! There are ways to reclaim customers and boost your margins.
Comments Close May 18, 2026 at midnight eastern time