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As food delivery apps become more popular, how much are they costing you?

In some cases, food orders can cost double what they would if you ordered through the actual restaurant

TAMPA, Fla. — It's no secret during the pandemic food delivery apps skyrocketed in popularity. But, as you conveniently wait for your food to be delivered, we know every penny counts.

So, we dug a little deeper into how much you're saving or spending when using them.

There can be a big difference in the price you pay when ordering from the restaurant compared to a food delivery app. One example we found was a $22 pasta offered at restaurant Noble Crust but on the food delivery apps it costs $28. And that $28 turns into $34.65 after a $0.50 delivery fee, $4.20 service fee and $1.96 in taxes. In the end it costs more than $12 more than ordering from the restaurant directly. 

We also compared getting the same sub sandwich from Subway from Uber Eats, DoorDash and Postmates. On DoorDash the $7.29 sub came out to $11.25, on Postmates it came out to $14.26 and on Uber Eats the sandwich cost a dollar more but the total cost came out to $14.86.

So where is that extra money going? Service fees, delivery fees and taxes and without much regulation the apps can charge whatever they like for these fees. 

The best way for you to save money is to compare app prices and if you're looking to save cash consider ordering directly from the restaurant and using their delivery service. 

The food delivery sector is only expected to grow. Experts predict it will be a $365 billion industry by the end of the decade.

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