'Uber Tipping Culture??!': New York Woman Always Tips Her Uber Drivers. Does Anyone Else Actually Do This?

We've all been there: You finish your Uber ride, and suddenly that tipping screen pops up. Your thumb hovers over the options while you wonder if you should tip and if so, how much? 

Tipping used to be simple: You tipped your waiter, your bartender, and your hairdresser. 

Now, there's a tip jar at the coffee shop, a tipping option on every tablet you swipe, and yes, prompts to tip your rideshare driver. It's enough to make anyone question what's actually expected versus what's just companies hoping you'll pay their workers more so they don't have to.

TikToker Confused About Tipping Uber Drivers

In a viral video with more than 43,000 views, content creator Taylor Donoghue (@taylordonoghuee) shared her surprise at learning that most people don't tip their Uber drivers. 

Donoghue explained that she's been consistently tipping her ride-share drivers, only to discover she might be the exception rather than the rule.

"Apparently, people aren't tipping their Uber drivers," she said. "I avoid Ubers because, like, even the tip sometimes is so much. They're like, ‘Wait. You tip your Uber drivers?’ And I'm like, ‘You don't?’"

Her discovery led to some reflection about tipping standards across different services. 

"I come to find out most people don't tip their Uber drivers. I feel like it's one of those weird things where ... I'm not sure if you should or not. You know what I mean?"

Donoghue went on to compare it to tipping in other situations, saying she understands the rules of tipping at restaurants since it’s widely known that servers live off tips. And at coffee shops, tips are more of a nicety than a requirement. But with Uber, she’s not so sure.

She acknowledged that context matters when determining whether to tip her driver. 

"If it's like a really long drive and they're helping with my suitcase, you should definitely tip. But I feel like if it's like a five-minute drive in New York City and they're not really doing anything, I get why you wouldn’t," she explained.

Tipping by the Numbers

Donoghue's confusion about Uber tipping makes perfect sense when you look at the actual data. Only about one in four rideshare trips include a tip, compared to nearly 9 out of 10 food delivery trips, according to Gridwise data. 

Tips make up only about 10% of rideshare drivers' earnings, compared to 51% for food delivery workers, AAA reported. Even though the percentage is lower, nearly 8 out of 10 drivers say tips are crucial to their overall income, and about 7 in 10 say it directly affects their job satisfaction.

Uber and Lyft drivers make about $20 to $33 per hour on average, but that's before expenses like gas, maintenance, and insurance. Since drivers are independent contractors using their own vehicles, they cover all these costs themselves. The fare you pay doesn't all go to the driver; instead, much of it goes to the ride-share company.

Etiquette experts generally recommend tipping 10% to 20% of the total fare, similar to restaurant standards, Reader’s Digest stated. So, if your ride costs $30, a tip of $3 to $6 would be appropriate. However, many suggest never tipping less than $3, even on short rides. Factors like helping with luggage, long trips, bad weather, or late-night rides typically warrant higher tips of around 25%.

Uber's policies have changed significantly over the years. When it first launched, the company marketed itself as all-inclusive with no tipping required. Drivers couldn’t even accept tips until 2017. Now, the app actively prompts users to tip after every ride, and drivers can even adjust passenger ratings based on tipping behavior.

Commenters React

“Not my job to subsidize a multi billion dollar corporation for a job you’re choosing to take,” a top comment read.

“So when uber first came out, their whole thing was that the tip was included in the fare so I and I’m sure other people think that tip is included still?” a person said.

“Tipping shouldn’t even be a thing, companies need to just pay their employees,” another wrote.

Motor1 reached out to Donoghue for comment via email and Instagram direct message and to Uber via email. We'll be sure to update this if either party responds.