The Marketplace Tax

Formula

Total cost = Commission + Mandatory promotions + Advertising + Refunds + Lost customer value

The advertised commission — usually 30% — is only the first cost line, not the whole bill. Once mandatory promotions, paid placements, refund liability and the loss of guest data are stacked on, the effective cost is often above 40% per order.

The trap is running the business on gross revenue instead of contribution margin: revenue looks healthy while per-order margin quietly disappears. Operators who understand the Marketplace Tax decide deliberately which orders run through the platform — and which move to their own direct channel.

In practice

On a €30 order, a marketplace leaves you €14.50 after every deduction — direct ordering leaves €29.25. Same kitchen, same packaging, €14.75 difference.