If you live in Seattle, Minneapolis or Houston, you can now tip directly in the Uber app. By the end of July, tipping will be rolled out across the USA. That’s a disappointing relief.
My views on Uber tipping have evolved over the years. While I once staunchly opposed tipping by principal, I have softened up significantly over the last few years. Uber has remained an incredible value (and some cases become even cheaper) and I want drivers to be able to thrive, not just survive. No one will be come rich driving for Uber, but a few extra hundred a month can go a long way.
Thus, I tip on every trip now. That is really annoying, though, because it means I always have to carry cash, preferably small bills. Sometimes I forget and if a driver cannot make change I have to tip in whatever currency happens to be in my wallet (currently there are Euros, Chinese Yuan, Turkish Lira, Malaysian Ringgits, Indonesian Rupees, and Thai Baht in my wallet…).
> Read More:
- 5 Tips for Using Uber at LAX
- Why I’m Still Hesitant to Tip on Uber
- Double Standards and Dirty Tricks from Uber?
The ability to tip directly in the app is welcomed. Not only is tipping made easier, but we can now earn credit card points for tipping.
Still, I’m disappointed. I still dream of a tip-free culture in the USA and loved that Uber tried to encourage that by offering truly all-in pricing. We’ll probably never reach that point, but Uber tried and I’m disappointed it failed.
Two Other Driver-Friendly Changes
Uber also promised two other changes that address common driver complaints.
- Riders will now have two minutes to cancel a ride instead of five (without fee)
- No more unlimited free waiting — charges will be incurred after two minutes of waiting
I don’t really have a problem with these changes, though it bugs me that sometimes your driver will have a 5-minute ETA and three minutes later it changes to a 15-minute ETA. I believe that if ETA changes by more than five minutes, a rider should have the opportunity to cancel without penalty even if the initial cancellation period has passed.
CONCLUSION
Drivers are going to love these changes. Let’s hope it translates into a better quality of life for them and better quality of service in the car.
What do you think about tipping on Uber?
(H/T: The Points Guy)
If I wanted to deal with toke wh0res I’d just hail a taxi. NO NO NO Uber tipping.
The two minute cancelation seems like it could be a problem. My biggest issue in the city is when Uber drivers accept your fare before dropping off the last fare. I find often the times are wrong since Uber doesn’t factor in where the person will actually want to be dropped of or that the driver might not be able to stop in the middle of the road. The 5 minute ETA can quickly become a 15 minute ETA due to traffic and rerouting.
Do you tip the bus driver? Do you tip the FA or pilots when leaving an airplane? Do you get a tip from a client you just delivered a service? Sorry, I am not tipping a Uber driver for doing his job that is to take me from point A to point B. If you feel Uber drivers are just surviving, the entire system is wrong and they should not be working for Uber. I don’t think that is my duty to fulfil a gap in remuneration that should be done by the employer (Uber) and not by the client (me). Last, the entire culture of tipping is wrong. It became an expectation and not an award for going above and beyond what you should expect. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for tipping if someone does something really amazing that I was not expecting but tip just because it is expected is totally wrong in my opinion.
Uber isn’t an employer of their drivers. Uber drivers are independent contractors, but don’t have the ability to set the price for the service they render.
Here’s a piece that discusses the earnings of Uber drivers:
http://mycitypaper.com/uberdriver/
This was before some rate cuts, incidentally, but nobody’s getting rich as an Uber driver.
I wonder if around the turn of the 20th century, you’d be saying “well, people who die in factory fires where there aren’t safety standards for workers shouldn’t be working in the Triangle factory”.
Between this and the resignation of Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, some drivers are going to be very happy.
I wonder why AMEX decided to tie themselves (platinum benefit) to a company in so much turmoil.
Frankly, I’m ambivalent towards Uber/Lyft tipping in general. What has bothered me is that Uber continues to advertise itself as a cashless, all-in pricing model, but increasingly, that simply isn’t true as more drivers expect tips. That’s why I switched to Lyft, where at least you know what to expect upfront.
I’m fine with allowing in-app tipping, especially since the changes also appear to shut the door on the odious but increasingly common problem of drivers punishing riders with 1-star ratings for not tipping. My understanding is that you have 30 days to tip but the driver must assign a rating before picking up another ride, which hopefully takes care of the issue.
Good point. I agree.
I have no problem with Uber drivers making more money. (They are severely underpaid given vehicle costs). I have a problem with the fact that it’s not an all-in model. Instead, the company is giving us a price that is a lie, and the drivers will be shortchanged because not everyone will tip. It’s the worst of both worlds. Uber should just include a tip in the price and market that it is doing so for drivers’ benefit.
Yeah.
Of course, they’re losing money like crazy, going for the Amazon model of “be big first, then break even, but keep getting bigger first”.
I don’t care about tipping the real problem is drivers starting trips before they arrive or drivers simply staying parked knowing you will cancel after you see they aren’t moving towards you
I would bet that not one person reading these (including Matthew) even know what the word TIP means! It’a actually an acronym for Thanks In Performance. I’ve asked hundreds of waiters and waitresses and others who receive tips and not one of them knew this. That being said, regarding Uber drivers, I only tip them when they go above and beyond. Some will simply sit in their vehicle and wait for me to open the door and get in. They’ll simply push a button and I throw my luggage in the trunk. They never leave their seat. Others give that above and beyond service by getting out, loading my luggage and do what they can to make me feel like they appreciate me. To them, I absolutely give a nice tip. Of course, when I don’t have luggage and I see the driver is engaging and appreciative of my using the service, they too will get a tip. It’s my way of saying “Thanks In Performance!”
That’s not what it stands for, moron. It doesn’t stand for anything.