Third-Party Delivery Report 2025.

The report evaluates how major third-party delivery apps and first-party brand apps perform at the customer door, offering benchmarks for speed, accuracy, fees, and overall experience. It’s aimed at operators across QSRs, independent restaurants, and convenience stores.

The study compared three leading third-party platforms—Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub—alongside a first-party delivery benchmark made up of brand apps.

The report measured four core aspects: Speed of Service (promised, estimated, and actual delivery times), Order Accuracy, Delivery & Service Fees, and Overall Experience (including temperature, satisfaction, and fees).

Data came from 600 mystery shops conducted across geographically distributed U.S. locations between April and June 2025. The study evaluated 150 orders each on Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and first-party brand apps, with orders placed between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. without paid memberships or priority delivery options to reflect a typical customer experience. 

First-party apps generally delivered faster, had higher order accuracy, and offered more customization options. However, about one in three orders placed through first-party apps was still fulfilled by a third-party courier.

Promoted delivery times on third-party apps were on average one minute shorter in 2025, largely due to one provider cutting its promised times by over five minutes. Actual delivery times increased by just over a minute, meaning customers typically received orders later than the promoted time.

Operators can use the report to better understand how delivery execution, fulfillment, and service consistency shape the customer experience. The findings help brands uncover operational trends that influence customer satisfaction and loyalty across both first-party and third-party delivery channels.