Selling food through iFood in Brazil offers immense order volume, but failing to price your menu correctly is the single fastest way to burn through operating capital. High gross sales on the app do not guarantee positive cash flow. In this guide, we walk you through the unit economics of the Brazilian food delivery industry.
1. Food Cost (CMV) and Technical Recipe Cards
In Brazil, food cost is referred to as CMV (Custo de Mercadoria Vendida). A precise technical sheet (ficha técnica) is mandatory for every dish. You must weigh ingredients both raw and cooked to account for shrinkage and cooking loss.
In healthy Brazilian delivery operations, target food cost should stay between 28% and 35%of the selling price.
2. Packaging Costs in Brazilian Delivery
Packaging is a direct variable cost. With Brazil’s tropical climate and urban motorcycle delivery conditions, sturdy insulated boxes (embalagens térmicas), tamper-evident security seals (lacres), and branded kraft bags cost between R$ 1.80 and R$ 4.50 BRL per delivery.
3. The iFood Commission Structure (12% vs 23%)
iFood offers two main partnership tiers in Brazil:
- Plano Básico (Basic Plan): 12% sales commission + 3.2% online payment fee = 15.2% total. The restaurant employs or contracts its own delivery drivers (motoboys).
- Plano Entrega (Delivery Plan): 23% sales commission + 3.2% online payment fee = 26.2% total. iFood handles courier dispatch and logistics completely.
4. Why Standard Cost Markups Fail on iFood
Never use a simple cost multiplier (e.g. Cost x 2). Because iFood commissions (26.2%) and corporate revenue taxes like Simples Nacional (4% to 11%) apply to gross sales, you must calculate menu prices using division-based contribution margin:
Required Price = (Food Cost + Packaging + Courier) / [1 - (Platform Fees + Tax Rate + Desired Margin)]