‘That’s how they get you’: A Reddit user just wanted a large pizza from Pizza Hut. But they were told to add more food to meet the delivery minimum

A Reddit user says they simply wanted to order a large pizza for delivery from Pizza Hut, but ended up short of the chain’s delivery minimum by just $1. The post, shared on the subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating, included a screenshot of the order summary showing a subtotal of $11.99, a $5.00 delivery fee, and $1.40 in sales tax, bringing the total to $18.39. Despite this, the app showed a message saying the user was $1.00 away from the $12.99 minimum required for delivery.

The screenshot attached to the Reddit post showed that the $5.00 delivery fee did not count toward the $12.99 minimum needed to place the order. The app also displayed a button labeled “Add More Food” to help the user reach the required amount.

The post sparked a discussion among other Reddit users about delivery minimums, third-party delivery fees, and their experiences ordering from chains like Pizza Hut.

Commenters say low delivery minimums are designed to push customers toward buying more

One commenter explained why they believe minimums are set close to the price of common menu items. “That’s how they get you. They intentionally set the delivery minimum juuuust above a single basic pizza to force you to start looking at other, higher margin, menu items,” the comment read. Delivery frustrations can extend beyond minimums, as a Wisconsin woman says her DoorDash driver messaged her after a no-contact delivery to ask for her phone number. 

Another commenter compared the situation to a similar pattern in retail. “Clothing sites do this too. Free shipping over $25, and every shirt they sell is $23-24,” the comment said. A commenter pointed out that the delivery fee itself does not count toward the minimum. “in this case the delivery fee didn’t even count toward the required minimum, lol,” the comment read.

Another commenter raised a question about the delivery fee pricing. “The most frustrating part is like… if it’s 12.99 for free delivery, then just make the delivery fee $1. Or… charge me one more dollar,” the comment said. One commenter asked which app was used so they could avoid it. In response, another commenter confirmed the order was placed through Pizza Hut.

A commenter said Pizza Hut no longer uses its own delivery drivers in some locations. “Worst part is they don’t even deliver their own pizza in a lot of locations now. Been DD at my door last two times I ordered in my city, but you bet your ass I still had to pay the $5 delivery fee. I’m done with that chain,” the comment read.

Not all commenters agreed that the policy was unusual. One commenter wrote, “Delivery fees have NEVER counted towards the free delivery amount. Ever.” Another commenter clarified the difference between a free delivery threshold and a minimum order requirement. “It’s not the ‘free’ delivery amount, it’s the minimum amount to allow delivery. Meaning ‘just the pizza’ this person ordered isn’t ‘enough’ to qualify for delivery,” the comment said.

Some commenters said they now prefer picking up food rather than paying for delivery. One wrote, “I would much rather drive to pick up my food than pay $5 plus a tip to have someone hopefully bring me what I ordered. This stuff made sense in the pandemic. Just drive to the restaurant.” Another commenter said they have not had pizza delivered to their home in 35 years, choosing instead to pick up food after becoming an adult.

A similar situation was shared in a separate Reddit post on the same subreddit, where the user Nekrubbobby64 said their Pizza Hut order came to $14.99, just one cent short of the chain’s $15.00 delivery minimum at that time. Delivery disputes are not uncommon, as a Reddit user once received visibly smaller, undercooked burgers after ordering through a delivery app discount. 

As of writing, Pizza Hut hasn’t responded to the post.