A customer has gone viral after exposing the “hidden cost” of ordering DoorDash delivery via restaurant apps. In the TikTok, which has amassed 506,000 views, @jrosenix asked, “Are y’all aware that if you order through DoorDash, not only do they charge you extra service fees, delivery fees, and you have to tip, but they charge you more per item? Like, they upcharge every item on the menu.”
How much more is delivery?
She then shared an example in the Chick-fil-A app. She showed that originally, a Deluxe Chick-fil-A Sandwich with Pepperjack Meal cost $9.55. Yet, she said when she switched over to delivery, the price rose to $12.39. The TikToker then compared the original and delivery price of a Burger King Whopper Meal. Again, the price rose, this time from $10.09 to $12.40.
“Why are they charging more per item when they already charge more for f*cking delivery service, and we have to tip?” she concluded. “I don’t get it. Needless to say, I just sent my husband to pick it up because I’m not doing that sh*t no more.”
On its website, Chick-fil-A that it uses DoorDash as a delivery fulfillment partner for online orders. Furthermore, a 2018 article confirms that Burger King does the same.
As the video went viral, commenters showed the TikToker that she wasn’t alone. “I stopped using DoorDash for this reason,” one said. “Instacart does this with groceries too,” another added. A third claimed, “Restaurants have to pay 20-30% commission to DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc. It’s not their fault.”
Furthermore, several customers on TikTok have highlighted this issue across many fast food chains. These include Moe’s, McDonald’s, and, again, Chick-fil-A. An iPhone user also went viral after they claimed to discover that it costs more to order DoorDash on iPhones than it does on Android.
So, what is DoorDash doing about it?
@jrosenix in this economy?! the audacity @DoorDash #doordash #greenscreen #scam #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound – jrosenix
What has DoorDash said?
In a 2023 blog post, DoorDash “set the record straight” on these widespread upcharging claims. In the post, DoorDash said that it does not require restaurants to match in-store prices with delivery prices. “Restaurants should not surmise, based on previous incorrect reporting, that their delivery menus need to be at parity to be successful on DoorDash,” the post read. “Restaurants can continue to make their own delivery menu pricing decisions and assess the trade-offs between volume and unit margins.”
The company added, “While DoorDash does not require delivery prices to match in-store, we recommend pricing as close to in-store as possible as data shows menu markups can negatively impact customer conversion and retention.”
On its DoorDash for Merchants education page, the company highlighted this data. A one-month internal study of over 4,500 DoorDash restaurants found that restaurants with higher markups received 37 percent fewer sales and up to 78 percent fewer reorder rates. The page, which is intended for partner merchants, also highlights menu markups as one of the “top customer complaints.”
This is why, to get “Most Loved” status on the app (which involves increased accreditation and in-app promotion), DoorDash recommends that restaurant markups don’t exceed 10 percent.
In an Instagram direct message to the Daily Dot, @jrosenix said, “I no longer use DoorDash or any other delivery services if I can avoid it … the [price] gouging is insane!”
Chick-fil-A, DoorDash, and Burger King didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
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