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How Much Should You Tip DoorDash Drivers?

Last Updated on January 28, 2024March 27, 2023 Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. Affiliate Disclosure.This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

How much should you tip DoorDash drivers? In general, you should aim to tip your DoorDash driver at least 15-20% of the total order price. That’s the tip most Dashers would expect to get from a delivery request and it’s what most people would likely tip in a restaurant.

That being said, there are certain circumstances where it can make sense to tip more or less, primarily based on how difficult the order is to complete.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how much you should tip DoorDash drivers, as well as explain why tipping DoorDash drivers is so important.

How Much Should You Tip DoorDash Drivers? 

As previously stated, in general, you should aim to tip DoorDash drivers 15-20% of the order total.

When you place your DoorDash order, you are given the option to give a tip with your delivery. This tip cannot be changed, so unfortunately, if you are someone who tips based on performance, you won’t be able to base your tip on performance. This is in contrast to an app like Uber Eats, which lets customers change their tip after receiving their order (which can lead to unfortunate issues like tip-baiting). 

While 15-20% is the standard tip I’d recommend, there are times when it can make sense to tip more or less. Most of this will depend on how easy or difficult it is to complete the order.

If your order is particularly easy – such as if the order is a very short distance and is an easy order to pick up – then a smaller tip can be okay. For the most part, I would still tip 15-20%, but I can see why someone might tip less for really short orders that won’t take much time. 

On the other hand, tipping more is recommended if you have an order that will take a long time. In particular, orders that require the driver to travel a long distance should expect a higher tip, as it’ll take your Dasher more time and energy to deliver your order. Orders in which the Dasher needs to shop for your order also warrant a larger tip, as it takes more time for the Dasher to select your items and shop for them.

Ultimately, how much you tip is up to you, but you should understand that Dashers rely on tips (more than 50% of the income I earn from Dashing comes from tips). Dashers cannot see exactly what a customer tipped before the order is completed, but they can get a sense of how much a customer tipped by the payout offered to the Dasher. If the payout is particularly low, Dashers can figure out that the customer likely didn’t tip and will ignore those orders, which means you’ll be waiting longer for your order.

Why It’s Important To Tip DoorDash Drivers 

There are a few reasons why it’s important to tip DoorDash drivers. There are two main reasons why tipping is so important:

1. Tips Are A Large Part of A Dasher’s Earnings.

First, Dashers work as independent contractors, which means they are paid on a per-delivery basis and do not earn an hourly wage or salary. That means Dashers rely on tips for their livelihood.

A Dasher’s pay for an order is made up of three things: (1) the DoorDash base pay; (2) any Peak Pay bonus being offered, and (3) customer tips. In my years of delivering for DoorDash, I’ve found that tips make up over 50% of my earnings. That means if I’m not receiving tips, I’m not making much.

An example of what a Dasher’s payout looks like.

It’s also important to remember that since Dashers are independent contractors, they’re responsible for their own expenses, including maintenance, fuel, and taxes. In short, if customers aren’t tipping, Dashers aren’t earning much.

2. Dashers Can Accept Or Reject Any Orders They Receive.

Because Dashers are independent contractors, they have the right to accept or reject any orders they receive. While DoorDash does use tricks to try to get Dashers to accept as many orders as possible, for the most part, smart Dashers are only going to accept profitable orders. This is in contrast to say, a delivery driver for Domino’s or Pizza Hut, who is paid by the hour and must deliver any orders assigned to them. 

What all this means is that if a customer doesn’t tip, they’ll likely find themselves waiting longer for their order, as many Dashers won’t accept the order if it’s paying too low. In some instances, DoorDash might not even be able to find a Dasher to deliver the order.

In short, if you’re a customer and want your order delivered quickly and efficiently, providing an appropriate tip is necessary. Otherwise, you may find yourself waiting longer for your food to arrive.

Final Thoughts 

Tipping is important if you’re ordering from DoorDash. Dashers rely on tips, as DoorDash by itself doesn’t pay much to Dashers. In addition, Dashers are independent contractors, so they can accept or reject orders at will. If you’re a customer, it makes sense to tip appropriately so that you can get your order in a fast, timely manner. 

My advice is to tip 15-20% on most orders. In some circumstances where your order will take longer than normal to complete – such as if it requires the Dasher to travel a long distance or if the Dasher would have to shop for your order – I’d recommend tipping more than normal. Be aware that if you don’t tip, DoorDash will warn you that your order may take longer to complete.

I hope that post gives you some good information on what you should tip and why it’s so important.

This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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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.
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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.
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financial panther

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.

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