It's a Friday night, and you've had a long week. The fridge is empty, but the last thing you want to do is get dressed and go out to dinner. So you pick up your phone, open your go-to food delivery app, and decide on Chinese food. A few clicks later, your tab is somehow $60 for an order of General Tso's and wonton soup.
"It would have been cheaper just to go to the restaurant!" you exclaim as you pull out your best cash back credit card.
And you might be right. Prices on delivery and take out have skyrocketed in recent years, so much that it might be cheaper to dine in an actual restaurant on occasion. Here are nine surprising reasons you might be better off getting dressed and heading out for dinner.
Get instant access to hundreds of discounts
Over 50? Join AARP today— because if you’re not a member you could be missing out on huge perks like discounts on travel, dining, and even prescriptions.
Get 25% off membership — just $15 for your first year with auto-renewal — and a free gift if you join today.
Delivery minimums drive up orders
/images/2024/05/29/delivery-man-giving-food-to-woman.jpeg)
If you're ordering just for yourself, then a sandwich and a side of fries might be all you want. Yet the $15 delivery minimum means you have to add to your order. Before you know it, a simple $12 meal balloons to $25 before fees and a tip. The delivery minimums are designed to make the stop worth it for drivers, but they work against people who would otherwise have a small order.
Delivery fees add up
/images/2024/05/29/delivery-boy-with-bag-on-street.jpeg)
When you order delivery, the restaurant sets a delivery fee. This is usually a few dollars and it's charged through the platform that you used to order. Let's say you order a $6 McDonald's burger, but there's a $4 delivery fee. All of a sudden, before you even get to tax and tip, you've increased your total by 66%. This makes a huge impact, especially on smaller orders.
Service fees sneak in
/images/2024/05/29/man-delivering-food-to-woman.jpeg)
On top of the delivery fee, there's often a separate service fee. This isn't a tip, and it's not delivery. Instead, it's to help cover operating costs. Typically, this is the fee that offsets the commission that the platform charges the restaurant. But it can add another several dollars to your total order.
Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt
National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.1 <p>Clients who are able to stay with the program and get all their debt settled realize approximate savings of 46% before fees, or 25% including our fees, over 12 to 48 months. All claims are based on enrolled debts. Not all debts are eligible for enrollment. Not all clients complete our program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. Estimates based on prior results, which will vary based on specific circumstances. We do not guarantee that your debts will be lowered by a specific amount or percentage or that you will be debt-free within a specific period of time. We do not assume consumer debt, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Not available in all states. Please contact a tax professional to discuss tax consequences of settlement. Please consult with a bankruptcy attorney for more information on bankruptcy. Depending on your state, we may be available to recommend a local tax professional and/or bankruptcy attorney. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating.</p>
Sign up for a free debt assessment here.
Automatic gratuity isn't made clear
/images/2024/05/29/delivery-man-receiving-tips-from-woman.jpeg)
Most people are happy to tip their delivery drivers. These people are making their lives easier, often on the busiest nights or the evenings when you just don't want to go out in the bad weather. The delivery drivers deserve those tips — but sometimes it isn't made clear that gratuity is already included so you end up double tipping. And that's on top of both the delivery fee and service fee.
Delivery apps are no longer in startup mode
/images/2024/05/29/driver-delivering-online-takeaway-food-order.jpeg)
People became used to low or no delivery fees in the early days of apps like Uber Eats. But now that those platforms are out of startup mode and are shifting towards a more sustainable business model, it's become clear that those cheap prices were part of a customer acquisition plan. And now the prices are climbing back up to where they should have been.
Trending Stories
Delivery is seen as a luxury service
/images/2024/05/29/man-unpacking-food-delivery.jpeg)
While most people like ordering delivery on occasion, it is a luxury service. Someone is coming to your door to hand-deliver your food. It might seem like it's less glamorous than going out to dinner, but it's actually a pretty sweet situation if you think about it. But that's why it has extra fees that drive the price up.
Some third-party platforms have higher prices
/images/2024/05/29/doordash-logo-outside-office.jpeg)
You might be paying more for take out or delivery based on the third-party platform that you use. Prices aren't always consistent from platform to platform, and you could end up paying more for your butter chicken, depending on which app you decide to open up that day. It's always worth checking to see if prices vary.
Restaurants have to cover third-party platform commission
/images/2024/05/29/ubereats-sign-on-restaurant-window.jpeg)
Restaurants run slim margins. While it might seem like they're staying busy, it's not a business that's known for printing money. Add in a third-party ordering platform that's taking a 20% or more commission on an order, and the restaurant is going to feel the pressure to cover that cost. That leads to you paying more when you order.
You're paying for your time
/images/2024/05/29/takeaway-food-containers-on-table.jpeg)
Even if the cost of ordering delivery does add up to more than dining in, sometimes you have to consider the cost of leaving the house. Between gas, parking, and even just your time and energy to put on clothes, sometimes the few extra dollars you'll pay for delivery are worth it. Delivery fees are all about paying for convenience, and that's exactly what you're getting when you don't even have to put on shoes.
Earn cash back on everyday purchases with a debit card
Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover® Cashback Debit account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!2 <p>See website for details.</p>
Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.
Learn more about the Discover Cashback Checking account
Bottom line
/images/2024/05/29/african-american-friends-eating-food.jpeg)
To try to save a few more dollars on delivery, you can take advantage of the unlimited delivery programs that many of the delivery platforms offer. For $10 a month for each platform, you can get free delivery on all the DoorDash, GrubHub, or Uber Eats you want. Unfortunately, though, those service fees aren't going anywhere.
Up To 5% Cash Back
Discover it® Cash Back
Current Offer
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Benefits
- $0 annual fee
- Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
Drawbacks
- Requires you to activate the highest-earning category each quarter
- Not accepted as widely overseas as Visa or Mastercard
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with your digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Subscribe Today
Learn how to make an extra $200
Get vetted side hustles and proven ways to earn extra cash sent to your inbox.