— For the restaurant marketer, owner, or finance lead
Why should restaurant-funded promotions be separated from marketplace commission?
Why separate restaurant-funded promotions from commission?
A restaurant-funded promotion reduces what the restaurant keeps, so it belongs in documented deductions and in the all-in marketplace-cost rate. It is not commission. Commission is one contractual charge; promotion funding is an operating decision with a different owner and a different next action.
Show eligible sales, commission, merchant fees, restaurant-funded promotions and ads, refunds, error charges, other fees, credits, and expected payout as separate lines. If DoorDash or another party funded part of the discount, attribute only the restaurant-funded share to the restaurant. Then ask whether the campaign earned its keep — that is a marketing test, not a rate-card test. Never86'd will not relabel promotions as an overcharge.
— What working formula does this answer use?
restaurantBornePromotionCost = restaurantFundedDiscounts + marketingFees − applicablePlatformOrThirdPartyCredits
— Field checks
- 01Split restaurant-funded, platform-funded, and third-party-funded discounts.
- 02Keep marketing fees on their own line.
- 03Do not call a guest-facing discount a restaurant cost until the funding party is identified.
— Evidence to keep
- • Promotion / marketing detail with funding party
- • Statement commission line kept separate
Sources checked August 21, 2026. Independent operational guidance—not marketplace-endorsed legal, tax, or accounting advice. Read the evidence and corrections standard.
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