Grubhub and ChowNow for Food Trucks (2026): Alternatives to Uber Eats and DoorDash

Q: How much commission does Grubhub charge food trucks?

Grubhub runs three tiers: Basic around 15% for self-delivery, Plus 20-25% (uses Grubhub's driver network), and All-Access 25-30% (adds marketing tools). All tiers also carry a payment processing fee of roughly 3.05% plus $0.30 per order.

Q: Does ChowNow charge commission per order?

No. ChowNow charges zero commission on direct orders through your own website or branded app, instead billing a flat monthly subscription ($119-$328/month depending on tier) plus a 2.95% + $0.29 payment processing fee on every order and a one-time setup fee ($119-$499).

Q: Is Grubhub or ChowNow better for a food truck?

It depends on order volume. ChowNow's flat monthly fee gets cheaper per order the more you sell, but it only captures customers who already found your site or app — it doesn't put you in a marketplace app people are browsing. Grubhub's commission costs more per order but includes built-in discovery from Grubhub's existing customer base.

Q: Can I use Grubhub and ChowNow at the same time?

Yes, and many operators do — ChowNow (or a similar zero-commission tool) for direct/repeat orders through their own site, and a marketplace app like Grubhub for new-customer discovery. That split keeps regular business commission-free while still using the marketplace's audience.

Q: Do delivery apps require a fixed address for a food truck to list?

Uber Eats specifically requires the address on your business license and health permit to match your listing address. Public documentation on Grubhub's exact address-matching rules for food trucks specifically is thinner — confirm directly with Grubhub's restaurant support before assuming the same rule doesn't apply.

Updated August 13, 2026

Uber Eats and DoorDash aren't the only delivery and ordering options for a food truck. Grubhub runs the same kind of commission-based marketplace model, while ChowNow flips the pricing entirely — a flat monthly fee and zero commission on direct orders. Here's what each one actually charges in 2026, and when the alternative makes more sense than the two biggest platforms.

Grubhub's fees for food trucks

Grubhub sells three commission tiers. Basic runs roughly 15% and is built for restaurants (or trucks) handling their own delivery. Plus runs 20-25% and adds access to Grubhub's own driver network for delivery. All-Access runs 25-30% and bundles in additional marketing and promotional placement tools. On top of whichever tier you pick, every order carries a payment processing fee of about 3.05% plus $0.30, regardless of plan. Grubhub's self-service merchant portal (managing listings, orders, promotions, and financials) is included at no extra charge across all tiers. Once processing fees, promotions, and refunds are factored in, the effective cost on a marketplace-delivered order commonly lands in the 30-40% range of the order total — similar territory to Uber Eats' higher tiers.

Grubhub tier	Commission	What it includes
Basic	~15%	Self-delivery; you handle the driving
Plus	20-25%	Grubhub's driver network for delivery
All-Access	25-30%	Delivery network plus marketing tools
All tiers	+~3.05% + $0.30	Payment processing, every order

ChowNow's fees for food trucks

ChowNow is structured differently: instead of taking a cut of every order, it charges a flat monthly subscription plus a smaller processing fee, with zero commission on orders placed directly through your own website or branded app. The three plans are Hub at $119/month, Pro at $199-$229/month, and Premier at $298-$328/month, with the lower end of each range applying to annual billing. Every order still carries a payment processing fee of about 2.95% plus $0.29, and there's a one-time setup fee of $119-$499 depending on onboarding complexity. If you want a branded mobile app rather than just an ordering page, add Apple's $99/year developer fee on top. ChowNow also offers Flex Delivery for trucks that want delivery without their own drivers, priced at roughly $7.98 per order, plus a one-time printer cost of $250-$420 if you don't already have an order printer.

Grubhub vs. ChowNow: side by side

Factor	Grubhub	ChowNow
Pricing model	Commission per order (15-30%)	Flat monthly fee, 0% commission on direct orders
Processing fee	~3.05% + $0.30/order	~2.95% + $0.29/order
New-customer discovery	Yes — marketplace app with existing traffic	No — drives orders to your own site/app only
Best fit	Low order volume, want marketplace exposure	Higher order volume, mostly repeat customers

Which one actually fits a food truck

The honest tradeoff is discovery versus cost-per-order. Grubhub puts your truck in front of people already browsing the app looking for something to order — real value if you're new or trying to reach customers who don't already know you. But that discovery costs 15-30% of every order, every time, with no ceiling. ChowNow's flat fee means the more you sell, the cheaper each order gets on a percentage basis, but it only works for customers who already know to look for your site or app — it won't put your truck in front of someone browsing a marketplace app for the first time. A lot of operators end up running both: a low-commission or flat-fee tool like ChowNow for their regulars and repeat business, and a marketplace app for new-customer acquisition, the same hybrid approach that applies to Uber Eats and other marketplace platforms.

The address question

Uber Eats explicitly requires the address on your business license and health permit to match your delivery-app listing, which is why most trucks list a commissary kitchen address rather than trying to follow the truck in real time. Grubhub's publicly documented restaurant-support materials don't spell out the same address-matching requirement in as much detail for mobile vendors specifically — don't assume that means there isn't one. Confirm directly with Grubhub's restaurant support what address and licensing documents they require before applying, the same way you'd verify with any commissary about whether couriers are allowed to pick up there.

Frequently asked questions

How much commission does Grubhub charge food trucks?

Basic ~15% (self-delivery), Plus 20-25%, All-Access 25-30%, plus ~3.05% + $0.30 processing on every order.

Does ChowNow charge commission per order?

No — zero commission on direct orders. Instead it's a flat $119-$328/month subscription plus ~2.95% + $0.29 processing per order.

Is Grubhub or ChowNow better for a food truck?

Grubhub trades a higher per-order cost for built-in discovery; ChowNow is cheaper at volume but only serves customers who already found you.

Can I use Grubhub and ChowNow at the same time?

Yes — many operators use a flat-fee tool for repeat customers and a marketplace app for new-customer discovery.

Do delivery apps require a fixed address for a food truck to list?

Uber Eats does, explicitly. Grubhub's food-truck-specific address rules are less publicly documented — confirm directly with their restaurant support.

Whichever platform you list on, the license and address paperwork behind it needs to match.

StreetLegal helps food truck operators keep business licenses, health permits, and commissary agreements current and in one place, so a delivery-platform application doesn't stall on mismatched paperwork.

Get Started with StreetLegal →