Average Delivery App Commission at 8.2%... 73% of Listed Businesses Dissatisfied with Fees

Seven out of ten businesses listed on food delivery apps were found to be dissatisfied with the fees they pay. The average commission rate on delivery apps is 8.2%, which is nearly double the 4.5% that listed businesses consider appropriate.

On February 5, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Win-Win Growth Committee released the results of the "2025 Survey on Perceptions of Businesses Listed on Delivery Apps" and the "2025 Survey on Perceived Win-Win Cooperation with the Three Major Delivery Platforms." The perception survey of businesses listed on delivery apps was conducted to identify usage patterns and satisfaction levels with delivery apps, and was carried out through face-to-face questionnaires with 808 listed businesses from September to November last year.

원본보기 아이콘

Only 28.3% of businesses listed on delivery apps said they were satisfied with the level of fees (intermediation commissions and delivery fees). Overall, 63.2% responded that they were satisfied with delivery apps in general.

Among the delivery apps they use, the app that ranks first in sales accounts for an average of 67.7% of orders. The average intermediation commission rate on delivery apps was calculated at 8.2%.

No respondents said they had benefited from the 2% intermediation commission that was included in the win-win plan announced in November 2024. At that time, Baemin and Coupang Eats agreed to apply a 2% commission to businesses in the bottom 20% in terms of transaction volume.

Looking at how deliveries are handled, the vast majority (90.9%) use riders directly operated by the delivery apps themselves. Direct employment of riders (2.5%) and the use of local delivery service providers (6.6%) remained in the minority. When using delivery app riders, the average cost borne by listed businesses is 3,333 won per order, which is higher than the average 2,808 won per order when using local delivery service providers.

Businesses generally perceive the currently applied intermediation commissions and delivery fees as high. The intermediation commission rate that listed businesses consider appropriate is 4.5%, and the maximum appropriate delivery fee is 2,300 won.

Businesses listed on delivery apps responded that in the first half of last year, 36% of their monthly average sales and 34.6% of their monthly average number of orders were generated through delivery apps.

The number of delivery apps used per business averaged 2.3. Orders in the 10,000 to 30,000 won range accounted for 80% of all orders. The most common average order value was between 15,000 won and less than 20,000 won (31.5%), followed by 20,000 won to less than 30,000 won (27.8%), and 10,000 won to less than 15,000 won (21.6%).

원본보기 아이콘

The survey on perceived win-win cooperation with the three major delivery platforms (Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats, and Yogiyo) reflects how businesses listed on these delivery apps evaluate each platform’s level of win-win cooperation. In December last year, a remote questionnaire was conducted with 500 listed businesses per delivery app, focusing on fee appropriateness, transaction terms, and cooperation efforts.

The average perceived win-win cooperation score for the three major platforms was 49.1 points. By company, Yogiyo scored 49.5 points, Coupang Eats 49.4 points, and Baemin 48.4 points. These scores are significantly lower than the average score of 73.47 points for large corporations participating in the Win-Win Growth Index.

In particular, the score for fee appropriateness was 38.2 points, which was much lower than the scores for transaction terms (55.0 points) and cooperation efforts (50.7 points). By company, Coupang Eats had the highest fee appropriateness score at 40.4 points, followed by Yogiyo at 38.7 points and Baemin at 35.4 points. For transaction terms, Baemin and Yogiyo both scored 55.3 points, while Coupang Eats scored 54.4 points. For cooperation efforts, Yogiyo scored 51.2 points, Coupang Eats 50.7 points, and Baemin 50.3 points. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups analyzed that improving the fee structure should be the top priority to raise the perceived level of delivery app win-win cooperation.

Lee Euncheong, Director General of the Win-Win Cooperation Policy Bureau, said, "This survey was conducted to assess perceptions of delivery apps and to encourage win-win cooperation at a time when listed businesses are under heavy pressure from fees and other costs. Based on the results, we will work to create an environment in which delivery app companies and listed businesses can grow together."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.