Results
Comparing “everything on the marketplace” with “own-customer orders delivered in-house”.
Monthly delivery cost by weekly order volume
Cost per delivery, line by line
| Per delivery | In-house | Marketplace |
|---|
How this calculator works
The tool compares two ways of running the same week. In scenario A every delivery order goes through a marketplace and you pay commission on all of it. In scenario B the marketplace keeps the orders it genuinely brings you, and the orders from your own customers — people who already know you — are taken direct and delivered by your own drivers.
These are the exact formulas. One month is treated as 52 ÷ 12 = 4.333 weeks.
labor per delivery = driver cost per hour ÷ deliveries per driver-hour
mileage per delivery = reimbursement per mile × round-trip miles
processing per delivery = direct-order fee % × average order value
variable cost = labor + mileage + processing − delivery fee charged
in-house orders per month = orders per week × (1 − marketplace-driven %) × 4.333
overhead per delivery = monthly overhead ÷ in-house orders per month
in-house net cost = variable cost + overhead per delivery
marketplace cost = commission % × average order value
monthly difference = in-house orders per month × (marketplace cost − variable cost) − monthly overhead
annual difference = monthly difference × 12
break-even orders per week = monthly overhead ÷ [4.333 × (1 − marketplace-driven %) × (marketplace cost − variable cost)]
A positive difference means in-house delivery is cheaper at your volume. Break-even is the total weekly delivery volume at which the commission you stop paying exactly covers your fixed overhead. If an in-house delivery costs more than the commission it replaces, there is no break-even and the tool says so.
Reading the chart
Both lines show total monthly delivery cost as weekly volume grows. The marketplace line starts at zero and climbs steeply because commission is a percentage of every order. The in-house line starts at your fixed overhead and climbs more slowly when your per-delivery cost is lower than the commission. Where they cross is your break-even. The dashed vertical line marks your current volume.
Limitations
- It assumes your own customers will actually order direct. Some will not switch; lower the in-house share if you are unsure.
- Deliveries per driver-hour is the most sensitive input. A driver waiting for orders is still paid, so use paid hours, not busy hours.
- It ignores marketplace extras (promotions, ad spend, error charges, tablet fees) and any menu mark-up you apply on marketplace orders.
- It ignores management time for scheduling and dispatching drivers, and the cost of late or failed deliveries on either side.
- Tips are not included: they go to the driver, not to the restaurant.
- Some cities and states regulate marketplace fees. Rules change often; check your local ordinance rather than relying on a list.
This is a planning estimate, not accounting, tax or legal advice.
Sources for the pre-filled numbers
- IRS standard mileage rate, business use: 76 cents per mile for July 1 – December 31, 2026; 72.5 cents for January 1 – June 30, 2026. Source: IRS, Standard mileage ratesAs of September 2026 (IRS page last updated July 28, 2026).
- DoorDash delivery commission: 15% Basic, 25% Plus, 30% Premier; pickup 6% on every plan. Source: DoorDash for Merchants, PricingAs of September 2026. US list pricing; your contract may differ.
- Uber Eats marketplace fee: 20% Lite, 25% Plus, 30% Premium on delivery orders, with a reduced Lite fee in select cities. Source: Uber Eats for Merchants, PricingAs of September 2026. US list pricing; your contract may differ.
Every other starting value (order volume, order size, wage, trip length, delivery fee) is an illustrative example so the tool shows a result on first load. They are not statistics.
What to do with the answer
If in-house wins by a wide margin, the usual next step is not to leave the marketplace. It is to stop paying commission on customers you already own: put a direct ordering link on your bags, receipts and Google Business Profile, and keep the marketplace for discovery.
If the result is close, change deliveries per driver-hour by half a delivery in each direction. If the verdict flips, your real risk is driver utilization, and the fix is tighter delivery zones and batching rather than a different commission plan.
Running your own drivers?
KwickSpot is the GPS driver tracking built into KwickPOS: assign orders from the POS, see drivers on a live map and send customers an ETA. The calculators on this page are free either way.