DoorDash 101: the essential guide for restaurants (2025)

Since its inception in 2013, DoorDash has become one of the most prominent players in on-demand food delivery in the United States. The American food delivery service is available in over 850 cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Germany. It possesses one of the most significant market shares in the U.S. food delivery industry.

Since 2019, DoorDash also includes the Caviar online ordering platform, which specializes in delivery from upscale urban restaurants that typically do not offer food delivery in the US. In the same year, DoorDash also opened its first dark kitchen, DoorDash Kitchen, which rents out space to restaurants in the area. has also included

In this DoorDash 101: The Essential Guide for Restaurants, we will give you all the information you need to better understand the pros and cons of working with DoorDash if you want to market your local restaurant on the DoorDash marketplace. 

How does DoorDash work?

Customers browse your restaurant’s online menu and place their orders via the DoorDash app or website. The platform then assigns the order to ‘Dashers’—DoorDash delivery drivers—for delivery. Orders are also available for pickup, enabling customers to order and pay for their food in advance to skip the line.

Whether customers opt for delivery or pickup, restaurants must only prepare the meals. DoorDash takes care of payment, delivery, and tracking

DoorDash also partners with restaurants that have their own delivery fleet. These restaurants enjoy a lower commission rate for fulfilling deliveries in-house while benefiting from increased visibility on the DoorDash marketplace, fleets, and benefits.

Pro tip: DoorDash also helps local businesses to reach new customers. So even if you have a pet store, a flower shop, or a liquor store, you can partner with DoorDash to start your online delivery business.

Registration and setup

 If you want to sign up for DoorDash, there are a few steps you need to take:

1. Share basic information about your restaurant on the DoorDash Merchant Portal, such as your restaurant name, location, and phone number.

2. Upload your menu: You can upload a website link, PDF, or image of your menu.

3. Set up your order protocol to receive DoorDash orders by mail or tablet. Accept orders on a tablet via the Order Manager App. You can use either your own tablet, rent a DoorDash tablet—Free of charge during the first 30 days and $6/week after the trial period—or use your existing POS tablet or device.

2024 U.S. Food Delivery Market: Growth, Trends, and Future Insights

Pro tip: To speed up your business activation, make sure you:

• Have prices clearly listed with each item.

• Have modifiers listed with the associated item (e.g., salad with chicken or pork.)

• Link directly to the menu, not a search engine or review site.

• Don’t have alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana products listed—if you do, we won’t add them to your DoorDash menu.

According to the DoorDash FAQ section, signup usually takes 3 to 5 business days. Once your restaurant has been onboarded, you’re ready for your first DoorDash order.

Fees and payments

Joining the DoorDash Marketplace is free, but like most other third-party food delivery services, DoorDash charges a commission on restaurant orders placed via its app or website.

DoorDash offers three different plans for the US market to choose from:

Basic Plan

• Delivery Commission Rate: 15%

• Pickup Commission Rate: 6%

• 0% commission for 15 days

• You can always add DoorDash Marketing Programs as you need 

Plus Plan

• Delivery Commission Rate: 25%

• Pickup Commission Rate: 6%

• 0% commission for 30 days

• Larger delivery zone and access to DashPass

Premier Plan

• Delivery Commission Rate: 30%

• Pickup Commission Rate: 6%

• 20 orders/month guarantee, or you pay nothing during that month

• DashPass included whether your restaurant offers delivery or pickup

• the number of restaurant locations

• the country and area you are in

• whether your restaurant has opted into DashPass, a subscription service providing $0 delivery fees for 5+ million loyal DoorDash customers

• many more variables

In Canada, Australia, and other markets, pricing plans differ based on access to DashPass, pickup, and more. 

DoorDash doesn’t charge activation fees or hidden costs. However, fees may apply if you opt-in to additional services such as a DoorDash tablet, menu photography, or marketing promotions.

Insight: New DoorDash partners can sign up for a free trial, paying no commission or tablet fees for a specific amount of time.

When getting paid, DoorDash restaurant partners can receive a weekly deposit (on Thursdays) or opt for daily payouts at no charge. DoorDash always compensates restaurants for meals they have confirmed and prepared, even if the customer cancels the order.

Tips to perform well on DoorDash

With 500,000+ restaurants listed on the DoorDash platform, your restaurant must perform well to stand out. While DoorDash doesn’t disclose its ranking criteria, a restaurant’s placement in the app is related to average delivery time, conversion rate, acceptance rate, and customer review score.

A few quick tips for successful delivery operations include:

• Make sure your delivery or take-out dishes travel well. Thoroughly test your menu items before you make them available online, and ensure you use the correct type of packaging.

• Don’t be afraid to be selective andtrim your online menu offering. You’ll only want to offer high-margin and best-selling dishes that work for delivery and can be prepped to a certain degree in advance.

• If you don’t use a POS integration, you’ll have to monitor incoming closely.

  DoorDash orders, so you don’t miss them or create delays in the kitchen.

Integrate your DoorDash orders into your restaurant’s point-of-sale system

An all-in-one omnichannel solution like Deliverect Restaurants integrates with third-party delivery services like DoorDash, connecting your DoorDash account to your existing POS. By integrating DoorDash into your point of sale, incoming orders are automatically transferred to your POS —and even accepted if you choose.

As a result, your restaurant staff doesn’t have to waste time punching in DoorDash orders and sending them to the kitchen. 

Pro tip: Automate the online order process with Deliverect Restaurants to decrease the average delivery time, food prep time in the kitchen, and courier waiting times—all of which are important to rank high in DoorDash and increase customer satisfaction. 

Join the DashPass program

If you want to ensure your restaurant receives prominent in-app placement, you can join DashPass. This subscription service provides DoorDash customers with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees when they order from DashPass partner restaurants.

If you sign up for the DashPass partnership, your restaurant will get a branded checkmark next to its name, letting DashPass members know your restaurant is eligible for free delivery through the program. On average, DashPass members spend more money and order more frequently. 

A 14-day trial of the DashPass partnership is available at no charge for any DoorDash restaurant partner.

Opt for DoorDash promotional support

Finally, you can improve your ranking in the DoorDash app by accessing a range of marketing promotions for special events like Black Friday or enhancing your promotional presence.

• First order, $0 delivery

• Order again and save

• First order, 20% off

• Try me free

The promotions listed above help you attract first-time customers and loyal regulars, depending on the type of promotion you select, and get ranked high on their home screens.  

Partnering with DoorDash opens up new possibilities

By teaming up with DoorDash Marketplace, your restaurant can grow sales, reach more customers, and boost your restaurant’s online presence. You can access many resources and services DoorDash offers in exchange for a monthly commission fee, including technology development, marketing, and payment processing. Whether signing up with an external party for delivery is more suitable for your organization than launching your own delivery operation is entirely up to you.