Do DoorDash Drivers See Tip?

Do DoorDash drivers see the tip? That’s a question you might be wondering when you’re placing your order on DoorDash or if you are a Dasher looking to make money with DoorDash.

This is an important question for two reasons. If you’re a customer, you probably want to get your order delivered quickly and you probably want to treat your delivery drivers well. The simple fact is if you leave your DoorDash driver a good tip, you’re more likely to get your order delivered to you sooner. That’s because for most Dashers (this is what DoorDash calls it’s delivery drivers), the tip makes up most of the money they earn for each delivery.

If you’re a Dasher, you want to know whether you can see the tip because it’ll help you decide whether you want to do the order.

When it comes to whether DoorDash drivers see the tip, the short of it is, they don’t technically see the tip until after they complete the order. That being said, Dashers can still tell if the customer tipped them based on the payout that DoorDash is offering for the delivery.

Let’s get into more detail about whether DoorDash drivers see tips.

How DoorDash Pays Drivers

DoorDash uses independent contractors to deliver orders. The payout for every order consists of two parts:

The base pay that DoorDash is paying the delivery person
The tip the customer leaves the delivery person.

For example, if DoorDash offers a Dasher $6 for a delivery and the customer tipped $4, that means DoorDash paid $2 to the Dasher and the customer paid $4 to the Dasher.

In general, DoorDash pays a fairly low base pay of $2 to $4. The remaining payout to the Dasher comes from the tip left by the customer.

Now that you understand how DoorDash pays Dashers, you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not DoorDash drivers can see tips.

Technically, DoorDash drivers cannot see tips before they deliver the order. However, it’s easy for most Dashers to figure out if a customer tipped or not.

Here’s why. Because DoorDash typically offers a very low base pay, the vast majority of the delivery payout usually comes from tips. If I receive an order and the payout is $2 or $3, I know that the customer didn’t tip or left a very small tip.

Once a Dasher completes the order, they get a detailed breakdown of the payout for the order. This breakdown shows what DoorDash paid to the Dasher and the tip left by the customer. Here’s an example of the screen that Dashers see after completing an order:

In this example, I saw that the delivery request would pay me $6 for the order. Since it was close by and I knew I could complete the delivery quickly, I accepted it. After completing the order, I was able to see that DoorDash gave me a base pay of $3 and a peak pay bonus of $1. I could also see that the customer left me a $2 tip.

There’s one thing to note. If a customer leaves a really large tip, DoorDash will often hide that amount. I really don’t understand why they do this, but I think their rationale is that they think they can convince some Dashers to take a chance on low-paying orders in the hopes that the payout will actually be higher than what DoorDash offered.

For example, here’s an order I accepted that came with a really large tip. When I accepted the order, DoorDash told me I would earn $12.50. That’s a good amount, so I accepted it. After completing the order, I discovered that the customer had tipped much more and my total payout for the order ended up being over $32. That made me very happy that I accepted this order.

So what’s the takeaway here? If you’re a customer, be aware that if you leave a really big tip, your delivery driver might not realize how big your tip is before they deliver your order. If you’re a Dasher, my advice is don’t bank on any order paying more than DoorDash initially offered. It’s a trick they do to try to get Dashers to accept low-paying orders. Don’t fall for it.

Why You Should Tip Your DoorDash Driver

If you’re a customer reading this, you should be aware that while Dashers can’t technically see your tip before they deliver the order, in practice, every Dasher can tell if the customer tipped.

Tips make up the bulk of the earnings for many Dashers. If you don’t tip, the payout on your order is going to be lower, which means there’s a higher chance that no one will accept your order. If you don’t tip and find yourself waiting a long time for your order to be delivered, it’s likely because you didn’t tip.

So, tip accordingly if you want your order delivered quickly.

Final Thoughts

DoorDash drivers can’t technically see the tip before they deliver the order, but in practice, they can tell if the order comes with a tip based on the payout they’re getting for the order.

If you are a DoorDash driver reading this, be strategic about how you approach your delivery requests (you can read this post if you want some DoorDash strategies: How To Make $500 A Week With DoorDash). Only accept orders that are paying you enough to make it worth your time.

And don’t accept an order hoping that the order will come with a bigger tip. For the most part, orders will pay exactly what DoorDash said they’ll pay.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022. As long as you get your account opened before October 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
SoFi Money ($350) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $300 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
Fifth Third Bank ($250) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
OnJuno ($100) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $250 or more. The account has no fees or minimum balance requirements. Even better, the bonus posts immediately after you meet the requirements. If you can meet the direct deposit requirements, OnJuno is an easy bank bonus that’s worth snagging. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
Varo ($50) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $50 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Spiral ($50) – Spiral is a fintech bank that's currently offering new customers a $50 signup bonus after opening a free checking account with them. The Spiral referral bonus is especially good because it's a free checking account and doesn't require a direct deposit to earn the bonus. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Spiral Bank bonus.
One Finance ($50) – One Finance is a fintech bank that’s currently offering a $50 signup bonus if you open an account using a One Finance referral link and have a direct deposit of $250 or more. This is a completely free bank account with no minimum balance requirement, so if you can meet the requirements, it’s worth doing. Check out my One Finance referral bonus guide here.
Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
Upgrade Bank. Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Note that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022.
Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.