Grubhub has introduced a new Item Restriction feature aimed at giving corporate clients more control over how employees use company meal program funds. Previously, administrators were unable to set limits on categories such as groceries, snacks, household supplies, alcohol, and other non-food items.
The development of this feature was guided by feedback from more than 50 corporate clients who collectively represent over $250 million in gross food sales. Many of these clients had expressed concerns about the lack of spending controls and were considering leaving the platform. These enterprise accounts have played a significant role in activating restricted budgets, accounting for more than half of line of credit gross food sales during 2023 and 2024. This reflects a strong demand for customizable meal program rules.
The new feature is designed to help companies ensure that orders paid for with company funds comply with internal policies while still supporting employee satisfaction and engagement with the meal programs. By offering item-level restrictions alongside existing merchant controls, Grubhub states it is now the only platform providing both types of meal credit restrictions, which it says sets it apart in the corporate dining market.
With this update, administrators can restrict purchases not only of non-food items but also groceries and snacks, household supplies, durable goods, and over-the-counter products. This ensures that corporate meal benefits are used according to intended guidelines.
Grubhub has implemented tax category tagging across 95% of marketplace items to classify them into restriction-eligible categories. This allows precise enforcement of company policies without requiring manual intervention from merchants. The feature also supports compliance needs across sectors such as financial services, healthcare, and collegiate athletics by blocking prohibited purchases automatically and giving care agents full visibility into restrictions for easier case resolution.
Looking ahead, Grubhub’s product team plans to expand these item restriction capabilities to campus business units. Support is planned across all platforms including web interfaces and mobile applications on iOS and Android devices. The company believes this expansion will further strengthen its position in institutional dining services.