If you’re ordering food with Uber Eats or working as an Uber Eats delivery driver, you might be asking yourself, do Uber Eats drivers see tips?
The short answer is that Uber Eats drivers do not technically see customer tips until about one hour after an order is completed. However, that doesn’t mean Uber Eats drivers can’t figure out what a customer tipped. When a delivery request gets sent to an Uber Eats driver, they receive an expected payout, which includes whatever the customer put as a tip when they placed their order. What the expected payout is will generally give the driver enough information to figure out if the customer tipped.
In this post, I’ll take a deeper dive into the question of whether Uber Eats drivers see tips. We’ll also go over how tipping works in the Uber Eats app and explain why, if you’re ordering food, you should always tip your Uber Eats driver.
Do Uber Eats Drivers See Tips?
As previously stated, Uber Eats drivers can’t see the customer’s exact tip until about one hour after the order has been completed. However, while Uber Eats drivers can’t see the exact tip a customer left, they can usually figure out how much the customer tipped by looking at what the expected payout is for the order.
Uber Eats drivers are independent contractors, so they are paid on a per-delivery basis. When a customer places an order, it gets sent out to available drivers, who are provided with an expected payout for that order. Here’s an example of what an order looks like when it gets sent to an Uber Eats driver.
For this order, I was told that the payout would be $7.55, which included the expected tip.
The payout for an Uber Eats delivery consists of three parts: (1) the base fare that Uber Eats pays, (2) surge pricing, if applicable, and (3) any amount the customer tipped. Generally, the base fare for an Uber Eats delivery will be $2.50 to $4. Since I knew what Uber Eats likely paid for this order, I also knew that for this order, the customer likely tipped a few dollars, raising the expected payout to the $7.55 offered.
So, while Uber Eats drivers can’t see the exact tip amount left by a customer, they can generally tell if a customer tipped by looking at what the expected payout is for the order.
When Do Uber Eats Drivers See Tips?
Customers leave a tip for their Uber Eats driver at the time they place their order in the Uber Eats app.
If you’re a customer ordering with Uber Eats, at the end of your order screen, you’ll receive an option to leave a tip for your delivery driver. The app will typically, give you the option to tip 15%, 20%, or 25%, as well as an option to put your own custom tip. Uber Eats defaults to customers leaving a tip, so to leave no tip, you have to manually change the tip to $0.
For delivery drivers, you’ll see the exact tip the customer left approximately one hour after completing the order. The app will then give you the option to send a thank you to the customer. When you click the button, the customer receives a push notification on their phone thanking them for their tip.
Changing Tip Amount In Uber Eats
One thing to note about Uber Eats is that it allows customers to change their tip for about one hour after they receive their delivery.
This is both potentially good and bad. In theory, if you’re a customer and there’s a problem with your order, you can change your tip and leave a smaller one for the delivery driver. Or, if your driver goes above and beyond for you, you can increase your tip to reward your driver.
This is different from DoorDash or Grubhub, both of which have customers leave tips at the time they place their order and do not let them change their tip amount later (DoorDash does allow customers to add an additional tip, but they do not let customers remove their tips).
Here’s an example of an Uber Eats order I completed where the customer lowered their tip after I delivered it.
The vast majority of orders (I’d say about 95% of the orders I accept) pay exactly what Uber Eats expected I’d earn with the tip. In fact, I also do a good number of orders where the customer increases the tip after I deliver it.
What Happens If You Don’t Tip Your Uber Eats Driver
Since Uber Eats delivery drivers can’t see the exact tip you leave, some customers may be tempted to leave no tip at all to save money. In general, I don’t recommend doing this. As I explained in the previous sections, while Uber Eats drivers can’t see the exact tip left by a customer, they can usually tell what the customer tipped based on the expected payout.
The reason why tipping is important is that Uber Eats drivers can choose whether or not to deliver a customer’s order. If you don’t tip, Uber Eats will likely offer just $2.50 to $4 to the driver to complete an order. Wise Uber Eats drivers will reject those orders, which means your order might not get picked up for a while. If you want to get your order picked up and delivered to you quickly, leaving a fair tip is important so that a driver will accept your delivery request.
Unfortunately, some unscrupulous customers have figured out ways to take advantage of drivers with a scheme called “tip baiting.” Since customers can change their tip amount for up to 1 hour after receiving their order, some customers will initially leave a large tip to get a driver to deliver their order, then change their tip afterward (often lowering the tip to $0).
In my experience, very few customers engage in this tip-baiting practice. I’ve only seen it happen a few times with the thousands of Uber Eats deliveries I’ve delivered, so it’s not something I worry about when I’m working. But, it is something that can happen thanks to how the Uber Eats system works.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Uber Eats drivers cannot see the customer’s exact tip when they place their order, but most drivers can figure out if a customer left a tip based on what the order is paying. If you’re a customer and want to get your food delivered to you quickly, you should leave a fair tip.
Customers can change their tip amount after receiving their order, however, so if you’re a driver, you should always provide good service and aim to deliver the customer’s order quickly. And if you’re a customer, you can change your tip to reward good service or punish bad service.
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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – 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 Ebike – 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.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R 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 ($100) – 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 $100 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 just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
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- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- 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.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – 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.
- 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.
- US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
- 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.
- 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.
- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 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.
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.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- 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 $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. 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.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Uber eats also charges a high fee for delivery which dissuades some customers from additionally tipping the driver. I think uber should reconsider this as well