How to Manage Pricing Across Different Delivery Platforms

Overview

As the third-party delivery landscape evolves, you may find that operational costs can vary significantly between platforms. You may choose to set different pricing on each third-party delivery platform depending on its respective operating costs.

This article explains the concept of differentiated pricing—the ability to set specific menu prices for different delivery providers—and provides step-by-step instructions for implementing this through your Point of Sale (POS) system.

Why differentiate pricing?

Differentiated pricing allows you to adjust your menu markups on a per-platform basis. You may consider this approach if you want to account for differences in operational costs on each platform, while continuing to reach customers wherever they choose to order.

How it works:

Most modern POS systems and menu aggregators allow you to create "Menu Overrides" or "Channel-Specific Pricing." Rather than having one "Delivery Menu" for everyone, you can elect to create a specific price list for Platform A and a different one for Platform B.

How to Set Differentiated Pricing on Your POS

If you choose to set different pricing across platforms, the process for setting up channel-specific pricing depends on which POS provider you use. While the concept is the same, the buttons you click will vary.

Select your POS provider below for a detailed, step-by-step setup guide:

If your provider isn't listed, we recommend searching through your POS help center with keywords like "Menu Markup," "Price Overrides," or "Channel-Specific Pricing."

For Non-POS integrated Merchants, here's how to think about the pricing you set on DoorDash.

Merchants are responsible for setting their pricing on DoorDash.

How long does it take for my pricing changes to reflect on DoorDash?

Your pricing change will be reflected on DoorDash as soon as your POS pushes your new prices to DoorDash. This typically occurs within 24 hours.

Does this impact marketing eligibility on DoorDash if I differentiate prices across platforms?

No, it does not.

Toast – Both DoorDash and Uber Eats are direct Toast integrations

Goal: end up with two Toast menus, e.g. “DoorDash Menu” and “Uber Eats Menu,” each mapped to the right partner.

Step 1 – Log into Toast back office

1. Go to Toast web back office (toasttab.com) and sign in.

2. Use an account that can edit menus and channels/partners.

Step 2 – Open the channel / aggregator menus area

The exact labels vary by Toast version, but they should navigate to where third‑party partners are managed, typically one of:

• Menus → Online Ordering → Channel Menus

• Menus → Online Ordering → Aggregators

• Menus → Channels / External Channels / Partners

They should see something that lists partners like “DoorDash”, “Uber Eats”, etc.

Step 3 – Identify the current online/delivery menu

1. In that Channels/Aggregators area, find the menu currently used for third‑party delivery.

2. Often named “Delivery,” “Online Ordering,” “Aggregators,” or similar.

3. Open that menu and confirm it matches what’s live on both DoorDash and Uber today.

This is the “master” they’ll duplicate.

Step 4 – Create two separate channel menus

In the same Channel Menus/Aggregators section, use the option to:

1. “Create menu”, “Add channel menu”, or “Duplicate/Clone menu” (wording depends on Toast).

2. If there’s a duplicate/clone function (most common):

3. Duplicate the current delivery/online menu twice.

4. Rename one copy to “DoorDash Menu”.

5. Rename the other copy to “Uber Eats Menu”.

If they can’t duplicate, they’ll have to create two new channel menus and add items manually to match the existing online menu.

Step 5 – Customize the DoorDash vs. Uber menus

1. Open DoorDash Menu: Remove items that shouldn’t appear on DoorDash.

2. Add any DoorDash‑only items.

3. Adjust prices, descriptions, or modifiers for DoorDash if they want different pricing there.

4. Open Uber Eats Menu: Do the same tailored to what they want on Uber Eats.

After this, Toast has two distinct menus, each with its own assortment/pricing.

Step 6 – Assign each menu to the correct partner

1. Go back to the Third party ordering page.

2. Click into the DoorDash channel/partner configuration.

3. Look for a field like “Increase menu price”

4. Change this field to DoorDash Menu.

5. Save.

6. Click into the Uber / Uber Eats channel.

7. Set its assigned menu to Uber Eats Menu.

8. Save.

Sometimes this is done in a table with a row per partner; they choose the Toast menu for each row (DoorDash row vs. Uber row).

Step 7 – Publish / sync menus from Toast

From Toast back office, trigger a publish/sync, using whichever control is present:

• “Publish Menus”

• “Send to partners”

• “Sync” / “Push updates”

This pushes:

• DoorDash Menu → the DoorDash integration.

• Uber Eats Menu → the Uber integration.

Let the merchant know that changes may take ~10–30 minutes to appear in each app; they should check both DoorDash and Uber after a short delay.

Toast — Merchant uses middleware (Otter, Deliverect, Chowly, etc.)

Here, Toast typically exports one base menu to the middleware. The per‑channel differences live in the middleware UI, not as separate Toast menus.

Step 1 – Confirm they’re on middleware

Have the merchant confirm whether they log into a separate tool (Otter, Deliverect, Chowly, etc.) to:

1. View orders from DoorDash/Uber, or

2. Manage their third‑party menus.

If yes → this scenario applies.

Step 2 – Maintain a single base menu in Toast

In Toast back office, go to Menus → Online Ordering (or whatever online/delivery menu is linked to middleware).

Ensure that this menu:

1. Contains all items they might sell on any third‑party platform.

2. Has correct base prices, tax, and modifiers.

3. They typically do not create separate “DoorDash Menu” and “Uber Eats Menu” in Toast with middleware. Toast just feeds one clean base menu out.

Step 3 – Split the menu by channel in middleware

1. In their middleware dashboard (Otter/Deliverect/Chowly/etc.):

2. Log in and go to the Menu / Menus or Channels / Stores section.

For the DoorDash channel:

1. Choose which imported Toast items appear on DoorDash.

2. Set DoorDash‑specific pricing, availability, and dayparts (if supported).

For the Uber Eats channel:

1. Do the same for the Uber channel with its own assortment/pricing.

2. Save and run the middleware’s publish/sync so the updated selections push to:

   • DoorDash

   • Uber Eats

Toast continues to be the source of truth for base data; the middleware decides what each marketplace actually sees.

Olo Rails

To set up different menus for DoorDash and Uber Eats using Olo Rails, you must utilize Menu Export Overrides. By default, Olo sends one "Rails Menu" to all partners, but you can create specific "Export Groups" to customize which categories or items each platform sees.

Phase 1: Create the Menu Export Group

This step separates the data streams so you aren't sending the exact same menu to every provider.

1. Log into the Olo Dashboard: Navigate to the Menu tab in the left-hand sidebar.

2. Access Export Groups: Select Rails and then click on Export Groups.

3. Add a New Group: Click Add Export Group.

4. Name it clearly (e.g., "DoorDash Exclusive").

5. Select DoorDash from the list of available partners to assign them to this group.

6. Save: Once saved, DoorDash is now looking for a specific configuration separate from your "Default" group (which Uber Eats likely still uses).

Phase 2: Configure the Menu Content

1. Now that DoorDash has its own "bucket," you need to tell Olo what goes inside it.

2. Navigate to Categories: Go to Menu > Categories.

3. Set Overrides: Select a category you want to change for DoorDash (e.g., "Combos" or "Appetizers").

4. Edit Category Details: Scroll down to the Export Group Overrides section.

5. Manage Visibility:

   • To Hide the category from DoorDash: Find your "DoorDash Exclusive" group and set the visibility to Hidden.

   • To Show specific items: You can do the same at the Product level if you only want to remove specific items rather than entire categories.

   • Price Adjustments (Optional): If your goal is different pricing for DoorDash vs. Uber Eats, select the Prices tab within the category/product and apply a price markup specifically to the "DoorDash Exclusive" Export Group.

Phase 3: Push the Changes to the Apps

1. Unlike some POS systems, Olo changes must be manually synced to the "Rails" partners to take effect immediately.

2. Go to Rails Management: Navigate to Rails > Partner Management.

3. Select DoorDash: Click on the DoorDash logo/link.

4. Run a Menu Test: Click Test Menu Export. This will show you a preview of the JSON data being sent to ensure the "Hidden" items are actually gone.

5. Send to Partner: If the test looks correct, click Send Menu to Partner.

Olo Rails Pro-Tips:

• Uber Eats Mapping: If you haven't created a specific group for Uber Eats, they will continue to pull from your Default group.

• Mapping Issues: When you create a new menu version for DoorDash, DoorDash may need to "re-map" the items. Check your Rails Dashboard for "Mapping Errors" after the push to ensure DoorDash correctly identified the new menu structure.

• Images: If you add new items specifically for one menu, ensure you upload images for those specific products in the Olo Image Gallery, as images do not always carry over automatically during a deep override.

Checkmate

To set up different menus for DoorDash and Uber Eats using Checkmate (It’s Checkmate), you will use a feature called "Menu Sync Groups" (or Menu Overrides).

Unlike Olo, which uses Export Groups, Checkmate relies on creating separate Menu Versions within their portal and then mapping those versions to the specific delivery API keys.

Phase 1: Create a Separate Menu Version

1. Log into the Checkmate Portal: Navigate to the Menus section on the left-hand sidebar.

2. Duplicate Your Menu: Find your current "Primary" or "Master" menu. Click the three dots (options) and select Duplicate Menu.

3. Name the New Version: Title this something explicit, such as "DoorDash Only Menu" or "Uber Eats Exclusive." * Note: If you only want to change one or two items, it is still best to duplicate the whole menu to ensure the "Mapping ID" remains consistent for the items that aren't changing.

4. Edit Content: Within this new menu version, you can now:

5. Delete items you don't want on that specific platform.

6. Change prices (Checkmate allows you to bulk-adjust prices by percentage or dollar amount for a specific menu version).

7. Rename items to test which titles perform better on different apps.

Phase 2: Assign the Menu to the Partner

1. Now you must tell the system which platform "owns" which menu version.

2. Navigate to Connections: Go to the Integrations or Locations tab.

3. Select the Platform: Find the store location you are editing and click on the DoorDash integration link.

4. Assign the Menu: In the settings for that specific connection, you will see a dropdown for "Assigned Menu."

5. Switch the Version: Select your newly created "DoorDash Only Menu" from the dropdown.

6. Repeat for Uber Eats: Go back and ensure the Uber Eats connection is still assigned to the "Master Menu" (or its own custom version).

Phase 3: The "Push" (Syncing)

1. Checkmate requires a manual sync to "heartbeat" the data over to the delivery apps.

2. Click "Sync Menus": Usually found at the top right of the Menu or Integrations page.

3. Select Partners: Check the boxes for DoorDash and Uber Eats.

4. Execute Sync: Click Push to Partners.

5. Verification: Check the Sync History tab. If the status says "Success," the menus have been updated. If it says "Warning" or "Failed," it usually means a "Mapping Error" (an item exists in Checkmate but isn't recognized by the DoorDash/Uber Eats tablet).

Checkmate Pro-Tips:

• If you want an item to be gone forever from DoorDash, delete it from the DoorDash menu version in Checkmate.

• If you just want it gone temporarily (e.g., out of stock), use the "Availability" (86) toggle on your Checkmate tablet or Portal. Do not edit the menu version for temporary outages, as this requires a full re-sync which can take 5–15 minutes to reflect on the apps.

Otter

In Otter (formerly known as Hello Otter or TryOtter), managing different menus for DoorDash and Uber Eats is done through the Menu Manager in your dashboard. Otter is built to be a "Single Source of Truth," but it allows you to create specific Overrides or Cloned Menus that are assigned to specific channels.

Phase 1: Create a Separate Menu Entity

You have two choices here: Clone an existing menu or Create a new one specifically for one partner.

1. Open Otter Dashboard: Go to Apps > Menus in the sidebar.

2. Clone the Menu: Select your primary menu (often synced from your POS). Click the three dots (more options) and select Make a Copy of Menu.
   Tip: Name it clearly, e.g., "DoorDash Exclusive Menu."

3. Perform Edits: Once inside the new menu copy, you can:

4. Hide items: Toggle the "Availability" switch for items or entire categories.

5. Adjust Prices: Use the Bulk Edit feature to increase prices by a percentage for this specific menu version.

Phase 2: Assign the Menu to the Specific Channel

Now you must tell Otter that only DoorDash should see this version, while Uber Eats continues to see your standard menu.

1. Navigate to the Menu Settings: Within your new "DoorDash Exclusive Menu," click on the Settings or Publish tab.

2. Select Locations & Channels: Click Edit Assignments.

3. Choose DoorDash Only: * Uncheck all other platforms (Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.).

4. Ensure DoorDash is the only channel selected for this specific menu.

5. Confirm for Uber Eats: Go back to your Original Menu settings and ensure DoorDash is unchecked there, so it doesn't try to pull two different menus at once.

Phase 3: The "Publish" (Syncing)

Otter is a "Push" system—changes do not go live until you hit the big green button.

1. Click Publish: Located in the top-right corner of the Menu Manager.

2. Select Locations: Pick the specific store locations where these changes should apply.

3. Review the Sync: Otter will show a "Publishing" status bar.

4. Verify on the Apps: Open your DoorDash and Uber Eats customer apps on your phone. If done correctly, you should see the different items or prices reflected within 2–5 minutes.

Otter Pro-Tips:

• Pricing Rules: Otter has a powerful "Pricing Rules" engine. If your only goal is to charge 10% more on DoorDash, you don't actually need a separate menu. You can just go to Menu Pricing Rules and set a rule: Apply +10% to all items on DoorDash.

• POS Sync: If your Otter is integrated with a POS (like Toast or Aloha), keep in mind that a manual sync from your POS might overwrite your "Master Menu." This is why creating a Duplicate/Clone for specific channels (as described in Phase 1) is the safest way to ensure your overrides don't get accidentally deleted by your POS.

• Auto-Publish: You can enable "Automatic Menu Publish" in settings, but if you are managing platform-specific menus, it is usually better to keep this OFF so you can review changes before they go live on DoorDash.

Chowly

Setting up different menus for DoorDash vs. Uber Eats in Chowly is handled through their "Smart Menu" dashboard. Chowly is designed to be "POS-Sync First," meaning it pulls from your POS and then allows you to create specialized "Order Channels" to branch those menus out.

Phase 1: Create a Custom Channel Menu

1. Log into the Chowly Dashboard: Go to your restaurant's portal and navigate to the Menu tab.

2. Access "Smart Menus": You will see your master POS menu listed. Click the Edit or Manage button next to it.

3. Create a Channel Override: Chowly allows you to create "Menu Copies" specifically for individual platforms.

4. Select Add Channel Menu.

5. Choose DoorDash as the target channel.

6. Customize Content: * To Hide Items: In the DoorDash-specific view, use the Toggle Switch (Visible/Hidden) for categories or specific items.

7. To Adjust Prices: Use the Price Adjustment field. You can set a "Flat Increase" (e.g., all items +$1.00) or a "Percentage Increase" (e.g., +15%) for the DoorDash channel only.

Phase 2: Map the Menu to the API

1. Navigate to Settings: Go to the Integrations tab in the sidebar.

2. Configure DoorDash Connection: Click on the DoorDash integration.

3. Link the Menu: Under the "Menu Mapping" section, change the assigned menu from "Master POS Menu" to your new "DoorDash Override Menu."

4. Save Changes: Ensure you click save at the bottom of the integration settings page.

Phase 3: The "Sync" Process

Chowly's syncing is unique because it has to "Fetch" from your POS and then "Push" to the delivery apps.

1. Sync from POS: Click the "Sync from POS" button first. This ensures any recent changes you made in Toast/Aloha are pulled into Chowly.

2. Push to Online Channels: Once the POS sync is complete, click "Push to Channels."

3. Select DoorDash: You can choose to push to all platforms or just DoorDash. Select DoorDash and click Confirm.

4. Monitor the Status: The "Sync Log" will show a green checkmark once DoorDash has successfully accepted the new menu structure.

Chowly Pro-Tips:

• Modifier Overrides: Unlike some other middlewares, Chowly is very good at "Modifier-level" overrides. If you want to offer "Extra Bacon" for $1.00 on Uber Eats but $1.50 on DoorDash, you can set that specific override in the Modifier Group settings for that channel.

• Auto-Sync: Chowly can be set to "Auto-Sync" every 24 hours. If you make a permanent menu change, it will eventually go live on its own, but for different menus per platform, a Manual Push is always safer to ensure the overrides didn't get overwritten.

• The "Main" Menu: If you don't create an override for Uber Eats, Chowly will default to your Master POS menu (with whatever global markup you have set).

Deliverect

In Deliverect, you can manage different menus for DoorDash and Uber Eats using either "Fine-Tune" overrides or by creating "Menu Groups." The "Fine-Tune" method is the most efficient for making small tweaks (like hiding a specific item or changing a price) without duplicating your entire menu.

Phase 1: Use the "Fine-Tune" Feature (Recommended)

This allows you to take one master menu and create "rules" for specific channels.

1. Log into Deliverect: Go to the Menus tab in the sidebar.

2. Select Your Menu: Click on the menu you want to edit.

3. Enter "Fine-Tune" Mode: * Scroll to the bottom of the menu page and click Fine-Tune Menu Per Location/Channel.

4. A popup will appear. Select the specific Channel (e.g., DoorDash) and/or Location you want to customize.

5. Apply Your Changes: * To Hide Items: Hover over the item or category and toggle the visibility icon.

6. To Change Prices: Click the price of an item. Select the "+" (Create) icon next to the price field to create a "Custom Price" rule for DoorDash.

7. To Change Descriptions/Images: You can also override names or photos here that will only show up on DoorDash.

8. Exit & Save: Click Exit Fine Tuning at the bottom to return to the master view.

Phase 2: Create a Menu Group (For Major Differences)

If the DoorDash and Uber Eats menus are completely different (e.g., different categories or totally different items), use a Menu Group.

1. Duplicate the Menu: In the Menus tab, find your menu, click the three dots, and select Duplicate. Rename it "DoorDash Menu."

2. Edit the Copy: Remove or add items as needed in this specific copy.

3. Create a Menu Group: Go to Menus > Menu Groups and click Add New Group.

4. Assign Channels: * Add your "Uber Eats Menu" to one group and assign it to the Uber Eats channel.

5. Add your "DoorDash Menu" to another group (or the same group with different channel rules) and assign it to DoorDash.

Phase 3: Publish the Changes

Deliverect requires a manual "Push" to send the data to the platforms.

1. Click "Publish Menus": This button is usually at the top right of the Menus page.

2. Select Your Scope: * Select the Menu(s) you just edited.

3. Select the Channels (DoorDash and Uber Eats).

4. Execute the Push: Click Publish Menus.

5. Check Sync Status: Go to the Operations or Sync History tab. You want to see a "Green" status for both partners. If it's "Yellow" or "Red," click on the error to see if a specific item PLU (Product Look-Up code) is missing.

Deliverect Pro-Tip: "Price Levels"

If your POS (like Lightspeed or Square) supports Price Levels, Deliverect can pull those automatically.

You can tell Deliverect: "Use 'Price Level A' for Uber Eats and 'Price Level B' for DoorDash." This is managed under Locations > Edit Channel > POS Settings.

This is the "set it and forget it" method for pricing, but "Fine-Tuning" is better for hiding/showing items.