GrabFood vs GoJek Commission 30%: Restaurant Delivering SGD 100K/Month Loses SGD 30K to Platforms
Restaurant: dine-in average check SGD 25, margin 25% = SGD 6.25 profit/customer. GrabFood order: average SGD 30 (delivery premium), commission 30% = SGD 9 to Grab, restaurant receives SGD 21. COGS same = SGD 12, overhead allocation SGD 5 = profit SGD 4 per delivery order (13%). 20% worse margin than dine-in. At SGD 100K/month delivery: SGD 4K profit vs SGD 25K equivalent dine-in profit. Delivery is destroying margin.
The Platform Commission Structure#
GrabFood: commission 30% of order value (exclusive restaurant). Non-exclusive: 25%. GoJek/GoFood: 20-25%. Deliveroo: 30-35%. FoodPanda: 25-30%. Commission is on gross order value including tax. Restaurant receives net: order value minus commission. Payment settlement: D+7 to D+14. Most restaurants don't calculate true delivery margin — they see "revenue" without deducting commission.
The Real Math on Delivery Orders#
Menu item: Nasi Lemak SGD 12 dine-in. Delivery listing: SGD 14 (restaurant adds 15% delivery premium). GrabFood commission 30% = SGD 4.20. Restaurant receives SGD 9.80. Cost of goods: SGD 4.50, packaging SGD 0.50 = COGS SGD 5. Gross profit: SGD 4.80 (34%). Overhead allocation (kitchen, electricity): SGD 3. Net: SGD 1.80 per Nasi Lemak (13%). Same item dine-in at SGD 12: gross SGD 7.50, overhead SGD 3, net SGD 4.50 (38%). Delivery earns 60% less profit per dish.
(1) Volume: delivery adds 30-50% more orders (kitchen runs at higher utilisation = fixed costs spread across more orders).
Why Restaurants Stay on Platforms Anyway#
(1) Volume: delivery adds 30-50% more orders (kitchen runs at higher utilisation = fixed costs spread across more orders). (2) Discovery: new customers find you on Grab, convert to dine-in. (3) Off-peak revenue: delivery fills slow periods (2-5pm when dine-in is empty). (4) Fear: competitors are on Grab, you can't afford to be absent. Strategy: use delivery for volume and discovery, not as primary profit driver.
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AskBiz Delivery Profit Tracking#
Pulls GrabFood/GoJek settlement data. Calculates per-channel profit. "This month: dine-in SGD 80K revenue, margin 28% = SGD 22.4K profit. GrabFood SGD 60K GMV, commission SGD 18K, net SGD 42K, margin 18% = SGD 7.6K profit. GoJek SGD 20K GMV, commission SGD 5K, net SGD 15K, margin 20% = SGD 3K profit. Delivery total profit: SGD 10.6K vs dine-in SGD 22.4K. Per-revenue: dine-in 28%, delivery 13%. Action: raise GrabFood prices 10% (test price elasticity — reduce order volume but maintain profit)."
- Restaurant: dine-in average check SGD 25, margin 25% = SGD 6.25 profit/customer.
- GrabFood order: average SGD 30 (delivery premium), commission 30% = SGD 9 to Grab, restaurant receives SGD 21.
- COGS same = SGD 12, overhead allocation SGD 5 = profit SGD 4 per delivery order (13%).
People also ask
Should I raise prices on GrabFood to offset commission?
Yes — most restaurants raise delivery prices 15-25% above dine-in to offset commission. Customers generally accept 10-15% premium (delivery convenience). Beyond 20%, order volume drops significantly. Test: raise 10%, monitor volume change over 2 weeks. If volume drops <5%, raise another 5%.
Is it worth negotiating commission with Grab/GoJek?
Possible if you do >SGD 50K GMV/month on the platform. Request account manager meeting. Leverage: exclusive listing offer, or threatening to reduce prominence. Realistic saving: 2-5% commission reduction. On SGD 50K/month: SGD 1K-2.5K saved.
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Calculate True Delivery Profitability (Dine-In vs GrabFood vs GoJek)
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