Delivery-app commissions vs phone orders: what Canadian restaurants pay in 2026
Delivery apps took a bigger bite in 2026. Uber Eats raised its Lite tier from 15% to 20% in March and added a 30% charge on Uber One member orders (NX Digital, July 2026).
2026 commission rates in Canada
| Platform | Delivery commission | Pickup commission |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats (Lite / Plus / Premium) | 20% / 25% (30% for Uber One) / 30%, plus ~2.5-3.5% processing | 7% |
| DoorDash (Basic / Plus / Premier) | 20% / 25% / 29% | 10% / 8% / 8% |
| SkipTheDishes | 20-30%, negotiated | 10-15%, negotiated |
Source: NX Digital, "What UberEats, DoorDash and Skip Really Cost Canadian Restaurants in 2026".
What that means in a month
Take a takeout restaurant with 20 app orders a day at $35: that's about $21,000 a month through the apps, and $4,200 to $6,300 in commission. Many of those customers already knew your restaurant; they tapped an app because it was easier than waiting on hold.
Your phone is the cheapest channel you have
A phone order through Notanai costs a small fee: CA$4.50 at most on Starter (6% of the food total), or CA$2.90 or less on Per order. That is not 15-30%, and the customer stays yours. The catch is that phone orders arrive exactly when you're busiest: between 5 and 8 PM the kitchen is full, the counter has a line, and the phone rings out. A caller who hears a busy signal twice opens an app.
Answer every call, even at the rush
An AI phone host answers every call at the same time, takes the whole order (sizes, spice levels, add-ons), reads it back, and sends it to your kitchen screen. It speaks the caller's language, which matters in Canada: Punjabi and Mandarin are each spoken mostly at home by more than half a million people (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census).
Should you drop the apps?
Usually not all at once. Apps still bring new customers who've never heard of you. The win is moving your regulars back to your own channels: put your phone number first on your Google profile, your website and your takeout bags, and make sure every call is answered.