Delivery fee
A fixed-or-near-fixed charge added when you select delivery rather than carryout. This usually goes to the store (often partly to cover the driver's mileage), not the driver as a tip. A “free delivery” coupon typically waives only this line — not service fee, not tax, not tip.
Service fee
A separate line some brands add on top of the delivery fee, often as a percentage of subtotal. Usage varies: sometimes it's explained as a tech / processing fee, sometimes as a small driver guarantee. Discount codes rarely waive this line.
Taxes
Taxes are usually calculated on the discounted subtotal plus fees, not on the pre-discount price. That's good for you: a $10-off coupon usually shaves a small amount of tax off too. Carryout vs delivery sometimes changes the taxable base (e.g. some jurisdictions tax delivered prepared food differently). Local rules vary — always trust what your specific checkout shows you, not a generic rule.
Driver tip
The driver's tip is on top of every line above. Most chain pizza brands separate the tip from the “delivery fee” — the delivery fee mostly compensates the store, not the driver. A 15–20% tip on the post-discount subtotal is a reasonable starting point; round up if the driver climbed stairs or the weather was bad.
How “free delivery” codes interact
- Most “free delivery” codes waive only the delivery fee, not the service fee.
- Some require a minimum subtotal — often $15 or $20.
- Free-delivery codes don't change tax math; they just remove one line from the taxable base.
- They usually don't stack with a percent-off code. Brands typically allow one promo per order.
Do coupons discount delivery fees, service fees, or taxes?
Short answer: almost never directly. A percent-off or dollar-off pizza coupon applies to the food subtotal. The fees are added after that, at full price.
- Delivery fee— not discounted by an ordinary coupon. Only a free-delivery code removes it, and that code usually can't be combined with a percent-off one.
- Service fee — not discounted, and typically not waived even by a free-delivery code.
- Taxes — the one indirect win. Tax is normally calculated on the discounted subtotal, so a coupon that lowers the food total also lowers the tax on it slightly.
- Tip — always separate and never discounted. It goes to the driver, not the restaurant.
This is why a coupon can look generous and barely move the total: the discount lands on one line while three others stack on top of it. Compare the order total, not the discount amount.
Pickup vs delivery: the real comparison
For a single large pizza, the out-the-door cost is often $5–$12 lower on carryout once you add delivery fee + service fee + tip. If carryout is a 5-minute drive away, that's usually the bigger lever than chasing a delivery promo code.