How Much Should You Tip a Grubhub Delivery Driver?
Before we get into what you should tip your Grubhub driver, it’s important to note that, yes, you should tip your delivery driver.
Much like you tip pizza delivery drivers, ordering from an app doesn’t absolve you of the tipping practice.
Grubhub drivers are paid by the order (plus mileage), so if it’s a slow day, the company is only liable to provide a base pay of whatever minimum wage is in that area.
Drivers do, on the other hand, get to keep 100 percent of tips.
In a country where minimum wage can barely pay for rent in most markets, and can’t come close to reaching median rent in the majority of cities, those tips can be the difference between your driver making a living wage or not.
Some people have issues with the entire concept of tipping, and Americans do have a weird system where many people in the service industry in this country are overly reliant on tips.
But any qualms you may have with our system here doesn’t really justify ignoring the practice.
It’s the way things work in the United States, like it or not, and problems you may have with the system don’t deserve to be taken out on a delivery driver trying to make ends meet.
Lastly, remember that drivers are almost always not responsible for slow delivery time.
Sure, sometimes people get lost, but for the most part, the hold up in your food delivery will come from a slow cooking time, not from a driver bringing the food.
Can You Tip Within the App?
Yes, and easily.
To tip with your credit card within the app, just go here during the checkout process and enter your preferred tip.
On the iOS app, it looks like this:
If you have the app for Grubhub sister company Seamless, have no fear, the screen is set up exactly the same way.
If you forget to tip with the app or prefer to just give the driver a few bucks, they always appreciate a cash tip.
Just hand your tip to the driver when you grab your food and you’ll be all set.
Either way, the driver receives 100 percent of tips, so don’t worry about putting it on the credit card if you don’t have cash.
Aren’t Tips Included in the Cost?
Tips aren’t included in the cost of food.
Some restaurants charge a delivery fee, but that will go to the restaurant itself or Grubhub, and not the driver.
Drivers only make a small amount for each order and get gas money based on mileage, and rely on tips to make a living.
So even if you see a delivery charge on your order, don’t feel the need to stiff the driver.
That charge isn’t going to them.
How Does Grubhub’s Tipping Policy Compare to Competitors?
Most delivery services are fine with tipping, and almost all the other major food delivery apps — including DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates — give users the option to tip within the app.
What’s slightly different about Grubhub and sister company Seamless is that they start users with a suggested tip, and if you prefer to give no tip, you need to make that choice by entering a custom tip and selecting $0.
Basically, they’re strongly encouraging you to tip your driver, and to not do so requires work.
DoorDash similarly suggests a tip for drivers, but other companies start with no tip, and you’re free to add one if you want.
(Uber Eats and Postmates don’t even give you the option to tip until the order is over, then asks if you’d like to.)
Making tipping automatic reflects a change in thinking when it comes to the practice in the on-demand app industry.
In the early days of Uber, Uber drivers weren’t allowed to take tips in the app, and weren’t supposed to even take in-cash tips when driving someone.
That changed thanks to lobbying from Uber drivers, who wanted to be rewarded for providing exceptional service.
Uber is still a little hesitant about strongly encouraging users to tip.
Their official language is: “Tipping is not required on Uber Eats, but you can tip if you want to in the app with your credit card.”
Compare that to Grubhub, which starts you with at least a 15 percent tip for many orders.
Basically, no matter which service you use to order food delivery, it’s good form to provide a tip.
Grubhub and Seamless make it easy by giving you options at checkout, and if you’re OK factoring in that cost ahead of time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
You tip waiters for bringing food to your table — it’s reasonable to expect to tip someone for bringing food to your house.
If you pick up food at the restaurant, tipping is by no means a demand.
But if you are asking someone to drive food and deliver it to your door, regardless how you feel about the quality of service, that is work that should be rewarded.
For you, it’s a few dollars and for these delivery drivers, it might make the difference between making a living wage or not.
Be a Good Tipper
If you’re a good tipper, your delivery driver will be able to earn a living wage, not just minimum wage, after accounting for expenses like gas and vehicle maintenance.
Driving for Grubhub can be fun, but it can also be expensive and stressful in bad weather or periods of high traffic.
Your Grubhub driver is going to do everything they can to get your food to you in a timely manner and with a friendly smile.
This high level of service should be rewarded and it’s in your power to do so.
If you’re a good tipper, your orders are more likely to be picked up by drivers and any special instructions are more likely to be checked by the driver before leaving the restaurant.
Drivers remember their favorite customers and the speed with which your order arrives next time may reflect that.
So tip, and tip well.
