Pricing7 min read

How to Include Delivery and Card Fees in Menu Pricing

A practical way to fold delivery platform commissions and card fees into menu prices so takeaway and delivery products keep the margin you think they have.

July 15, 2026Updated July 15, 2026By Karu EditorialReviewed by Karu Product Team

Many menus are priced as if every sale happens at the counter with cash. Then delivery platforms take a cut, card fees skim another slice, and packaging shows up — and the 'same' product is no longer the same deal.

Know which fees attach to which channel

Card fees often hit almost every electronic sale. Delivery commissions usually hit only marketplace or courier orders, sometimes with different rates per platform.

Model channels separately. A dine-in price and a delivery list price can share a recipe while carrying different fee and packaging stacks.

Work backwards from the margin you need to keep

If dish cost plus packaging is €3.00 and you need €2.00 contribution after a 30% platform fee, the customer price cannot be €5.00. Gross up for the fee first, then check whether the market will accept it.

Owners often raise prices by a flat amount. Better: calculate the fee-inclusive price for the channel, then decide whether to absorb, reprice, or stop selling that item on that channel.

Keep fees visible next to recipe cost

Fees are not food cost, but they still decide whether the sale is worth making. Hide them and delivery looks like growth while contribution shrinks.

Karu's job is to keep recipe, packaging, and price decisions connected so channel economics stay honest when commissions move.

Operator checklist

List card fees and delivery commissions by channel.

Add packaging to every delivery and takeaway version.

Gross up prices for platform fees before locking the menu.

Drop or reprice items that cannot protect contribution after fees.

Sources

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