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DoorDash, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 7 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue, orders and GOV all accelerated: Total Orders rose 21% Y/Y to 776 million, Marketplace GOV rose 25% to $25.0 billion and revenue rose 27% to $3.4 billion. Management described growth as accelerated in all three. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA and net income both rose: Adjusted EBITDA rose 41% Y/Y to $754 million. GAAP net income attributable to DoorDash common stockholders was $244 million, up from $162 million a year earlier. Source
  • U.S. restaurant growth at a three-year high: U.S. restaurant Marketplace GOV growth accelerated to its highest Y/Y rate in more than three years. Unit economics rose Y/Y and were consistent with Q2 2025. Source
  • New verticals growth accelerated, economics negative: U.S. new verticals Marketplace GOV growth accelerated, and unit economics improved Y/Y and Q/Q. Management said unit economics in these categories remain negative. Source
  • Net Revenue Margin rose to 13.8%: Management attributed the increase to advertising revenue, lower credits and refunds as a share of GOV, and lower Dasher costs as a share of GOV. Source
  • Deliveroo acquisition valued at £2.8 billion: The equity value was £2.8 billion, including estimated cash and short-term investments acquired of £690 million. Source

“Our primary financial goal is to maximize long-term free cash flow per share.”

DoorDash, Inc., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Marketplace GOV SourceQ4 2025$28.9 billion - $29.5 billionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ4 2025$710 million - $810 millionNew
Stock-based compensation expense Source2025approximately $1.1 billion
Depreciation and amortization expense Source2025approximately $700 million, exclusive of Deliveroo intangible amortization
Deliveroo contribution to Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ4 2025approximately $45 millionNew
Deliveroo contribution to Adjusted EBITDA Source2026approximately $200 millionNew
Accounting alignment effect on Deliveroo Adjusted EBITDA Source2026reduction of approximately $32-40 millionNew
Investment in new initiatives and platform development Source2026several hundred million dollars more than in 2025New
Combined merchant sales and Dasher earnings Source2026well over $100 billionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Deliveroo acquisition closed on October 2, 2025, after the prior release expected a Q4 2025 close. Source
  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter 2025 Marketplace GOV and Adjusted EBITDA ranges replace the prior Q3 2025 ranges. Source
  • New: Guidance now includes the expected impact and contributions of Deliveroo; the prior release excluded any Deliveroo impact. Source
  • New: Company will report as one global entity and give quarterly Marketplace GOV and Adjusted EBITDA guidance on a global basis. Source
  • New: Recent expansions and new initiatives announced, including DashMart Fulfillment Services, Going Out, In-Store rewards and Creator partnerships. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue, orders and GOV all accelerated: Total Orders rose 21% Y/Y to 776 million, Marketplace GOV rose 25% to $25.0 billion and revenue rose 27% to $3.4 billion. Management described growth as accelerated in all three. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA and net income both rose: Adjusted EBITDA rose 41% Y/Y to $754 million. GAAP net income attributable to DoorDash common stockholders was $244 million, up from $162 million a year earlier. Source
  • Users drove most GOV growth: Marketplace GOV growth came mainly from monthly active users, with order frequency and average order values contributing. Currency changes added less than 1% to growth. Source

Segments and regions

  • U.S. restaurant growth at a three-year high: U.S. restaurant Marketplace GOV growth accelerated to its highest Y/Y rate in more than three years. Unit economics rose Y/Y and were consistent with Q2 2025. Source
  • New verticals growth accelerated, economics negative: U.S. new verticals Marketplace GOV growth accelerated, and unit economics improved Y/Y and Q/Q. Management said unit economics in these categories remain negative. Source
  • International unit economics reached an all-time high: Efficiency gains lifted international unit economics to an all-time high. International MAU growth accelerated slightly alongside continued product and acquisition investment. Source
  • International order growth slowed slightly: Total Orders growth in international marketplaces decelerated slightly, due to slower growth in average order frequency. Source
  • Outgrew most category peers abroad: Management said international Marketplace GOV growth outpaced category peers in most countries where third parties report transactional data. Source

“We believe we are still in our early stages and are energized by the opportunity to continue learning, building, and investing on behalf of consumers, merchants, Dashers, and our shareholders.”

DoorDash, Inc., press release

Products, members and customers

  • U.S. user additions nearly doubled: Management said U.S. MAU additions in the first nine months of 2025 were nearly twice the same period of 2024, with U.S. DashPass growth also strong. Source
  • Scale now spans over 40 countries: Including Deliveroo, the company reports over 50 million MAUs, over 30 million membership consumers, more than 1 million merchants and over $100 billion in annualized Marketplace GOV. Source
  • Grocery and retail partnerships added: Selection in U.S. new verticals expanded in Q3 2025 with key new partnerships in grocery and retail categories. Source
  • DashMart Fulfillment Services launched: The company recently launched DashMart Fulfillment Services, which it says provides infrastructure for more consistent and higher-quality consumer experiences. Source
  • Consumer fees lowered in new verticals: Average consumer transaction fees in U.S. new verticals were reduced on both a Y/Y and Q/Q basis. Source

Costs and operating expenses

  • Cost of revenue grew with orders: Cost of revenue was $1.7 billion, up 23% Y/Y, driven by Total Orders. As a share of Marketplace GOV it was 6.7%, down from 6.9% a year earlier. Source
  • Sales and marketing rose on advertising: Sales and marketing expense was $576 million, up 19% Y/Y and down 5% Q/Q. It was 2.3% of Marketplace GOV. Source
  • Legal and deal costs lifted G&A: General and administrative expense was $400 million, up 27% Y/Y, due to legal, tax and regulatory expenses and transaction-related costs. Source
  • R&D rose on personnel costs: Research and development expense was $355 million, up 23% Y/Y and up 1% Q/Q, mainly from personnel-related compensation. It was 1.4% of Marketplace GOV. Source

“We wish there was a way to grow a baby into an adult without investment, or to see the baby grow into an adult overnight, but we do not believe this is how life or business works.”

DoorDash, Inc., press release

Margins and pricing

  • Net Revenue Margin rose to 13.8%: Management attributed the increase to advertising revenue, lower credits and refunds as a share of GOV, and lower Dasher costs as a share of GOV. Source
  • Gross profit reached 6.8% of GOV: GAAP gross profit was $1.7 billion, up 32% Y/Y and 5% Q/Q. Gross profit equalled 6.8% of Marketplace GOV, against 6.4% a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 3.0%: Adjusted EBITDA was 3.0% of Marketplace GOV, up from 2.7% in Q3 2024 and 2.7% in Q2 2025. Source
  • Contribution Margin reached 36.8%: Contribution Margin was 36.8% in Q3 2025, against 34.4% in Q3 2024 and 34.9% in Q2 2025, per the non-GAAP reconciliation table. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow and free cash flow rose: Operating cash flow was $871 million and free cash flow was $723 million, up from $531 million and $444 million in Q3 2024. Source
  • Trailing free cash flow reached $1.99 billion: Trailing twelve-month free cash flow was $1,992 million at September 30, 2025, against $1,780 million a year earlier. Source
  • No buybacks yet under $5.0 billion plan: The board authorized up to $5.0 billion of Class A repurchases in February 2025. No shares had been repurchased as of November 4, and repurchases may or may not occur. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Investment split between efficiency and new areas: Management said it pursues its free cash flow goal through efficiency gains reinvested in existing areas, and investment in entirely new areas. Source
  • More product development underway than ever: Management said more product development is underway than at any point in company history, including expansions of existing services and new initiatives. Source
  • Logistics tools introduced: New logistics tools include a mapping platform, SmartScale, the Autonomous Delivery Platform, and Dot, a customized autonomous delivery robot. Source

Deliveroo acquisition and integration

  • Deliveroo acquisition valued at £2.8 billion: The equity value was £2.8 billion, including estimated cash and short-term investments acquired of £690 million. Source
  • Investment in Deliveroo people and product: Management said its largest long-term return at Deliveroo is expected to come from investing in people and product for better consumer, merchant and Dasher outcomes. Source
  • Deliveroo restated to DoorDash definitions: Under GAAP and DoorDash definitions, estimated Deliveroo Q3 2025 Marketplace GOV was $2,702 million and revenue $342 million, excluding Hong Kong. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 November 2025

  • Global platform to accelerate in 2026: Management expects the multi-year global technology platform to accelerate in 2026. Source
  • Deliveroo cost efficiencies expected over time: Management expects cost efficiencies over time from operating a larger global business, alongside continued investment at Deliveroo. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total Orders Source776 million, up 21% Y/Y
Marketplace GOV Source$25.0 billion, up 25% Y/Y
Monthly active users Sourceover 50 million, including Deliveroo
Membership consumers Sourceover 30 million, including Deliveroo
Merchants Sourcemore than 1 million, including Deliveroo
Annualized Marketplace GOV Sourceover $100 billion, including Deliveroo

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said Q3 Marketplace GOV and Adjusted EBITDA both exceeded its expectations entering the period. Source
  • Ahead: Management said U.S. DashPass paid member additions have already exceeded the full-year expectation. Source
  • Met: The prior release expected a Q4 2025 close; the acquisition closed on October 2, 2025.
  • On track: Management said the Deliveroo contribution expectation is in line with the expectations it underwrote in acquiring Deliveroo. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.