Should You Tip Your Uber/Lyft Drivers (Do They Keep It)?

Tipping is a way to appreciate people who render excellent service to us. Many people tip their waiters, waitresses, baristas and cab drivers. However, some people and cultures are wary about, or even totally against tipping drivers for ride-share services like Uber and Lyft, since their fares are higher than that of normal cabs. It is therefore rare for someone to tip their Uber or Lyft driver outside of the app with cash. But it isn’t impossible!

Should you tip your Uber/Lyft driver?

While Uber/Lyft drivers are expensive, the drivers often have to handle operational costs, unlike taxi drivers. Instead, an Uber or Lyft driver pays for all expenses for their gas, car repair, and maintenance.

Therefore, if any of them delivers excellent service, the best way to appreciate them is a good rating and a tip!

Do You Tip Uber/Lyft Drivers In U.S.A?

Tipping service providers, especially cab drivers, is something close to a tradition in the U.S. Refusing to tip your taxi driver can seem rude, or even antagonistic. But what about Uber or Lyft drivers? Well, tipping in this new industry of transportation has become more popular, though it is still a newer concept. However, there is no law that states how much you should pay as a tip.

So, how much you should tip your Uber/Lyft driver in the U.S?

Most industry experts suggest you tip your driver an amount equal to 15-20% of the total cost of the trip. In an interview with the New York Times, international etiquette consultant Julia Esteve Boyd suggests using this formula when tipping ride-share drivers:

• 15-20% for exceptional service
• 10-15% for good service
• 10% for average/passable service

You don’t have to tip your rideshare driver. The truth is most American passengers do not tip Uber/Lyft drivers. There are many studies to back this up.

A study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that only 1% of riders always tip while over 60% do not.

In the age of cashless technologies and online payments, tipping has gone beyond giving the driver an extra five-dollar note or telling them to “keep the change.” Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are generally cashless and limit cash transactions as much as possible.

To tip the driver, use the in-app tipping feature. How does it work?

Once the ride is completed, and you have rated the ride, an option will come up to tip the driver on the app. You can select a preset amount or choose the “custom” option to add a different amount.

This does not mean you cannot tip in cash. You can give the driver money if you feel like it, or you do not want to have the tip charged to your account.

However, if you want to avoid the awkwardness and stress that comes with cash tips, stick with the online tipping option!

Look into our article which reads about Are Uber/Lyft Drivers Required to Speak English?

Do You Tip Shareride Drivers In Paris?

In Paris, the tipping culture is not as strong as it is in the U.S.A. With standard taxicabs, riders tip drivers by rounding up the fare to the nearest euro. Say, your fare is 2.30 Euros you may the driver pay 3 Euros.

However, Uber drivers do not accept cash payment for fares, so you cannot do this.

A better option would be to tip them through the app. That way, your tip goes directly into their accounts without money changing hands. You can also give a cash tip (they accept cash for tips, not as payment for the ride) if the driver impressed you.

Do You Tip Shareride Drivers In Rome?

Although UberX or UberPool taxis are legal in Rome, you will not find any on the streets of Rome, thanks in part to the taxi unions who lobbied to have them banned.

The only Uber services available are Uber Black and Uber Van, which are generally high end and are even more expensive than normal Uber taxis.

Tipping taxi drivers in Rome is the same as in most European cities. Riders typically round up the fare to the nearest Euro. With Uber in Rome, you can tip through the app or offer a few euros as a tip. We doubt you will do any tipping, considering that the fares are about 100% higher than normal Uber fares.

Do You Tip Shareride Drivers In Prague?

For years, Uber services were illegal in Prague, but that has changed thanks to an agreement between Uber and the city’s authorities.

Drivers in Prague expect tips and are appreciative when given one. You can pay your fare in cash (Czech Crowns – CZK), so you can round up the fare if you wish to tip the driver. The ideal tip is usually between 5-10% of the cost of the trip.

You can also tip the driver through the app. After the ride is over, an option to tip comes up. You can select any of the preset amounts of 10 CZK, 20 CZK, or 40 CZK or input your desired amount.

Do You Tip Shareride Drivers In London?

The Minimum Wage Law protects service providers in London, including Uber drivers. So they do not depend on tips, unlike their American counterparts.

The only time they expect you to tip is when the rideshare driver has offered exceptional service, or help with something. For example, say, loading your luggage in the car, offering small snacks, etc.

Uber London does not have an option for cash payments yet.

However, if you wish to tip, you can do “digital tipping” (through the app). There are preset amounts you can select on the app or choose the “custom” option for another amount.

Do You Tip Shareride Drivers In Mexico City?

While Mexico borders the U.S.A, it does not share the American eagerness to tip. Tipping is not a norm in Mexico City, and no driver expects you to tip him or her. However, if you feel your Uber driver has been fantastic, you can leave a 10-peso, 20-peso, or 30-peso tip through the app’s tipping option.

Do Uber Drivers Keep All The Tips They Get?

While rideshare services like Uber and Lyft take a cut of a driver’s earnings from a fare, they do not do the same for tips.

Even if you tip through the app, the money goes directly to the driver’s account, with Uber/Lyft taking a 0% share of the tip.

Does Tipping Affect How Drivers Rate Passengers?

In the past, riders had no way to see their ratings, so they did not think much of them. More so, many riders had no idea the drivers were rating them. However, the app now displays your ratings when you open the Uber app.

Uber will ban you from using its platform if you continue to get low ratings. Even if Uber does not ban you, other drivers will see your low ratings as a sign that you are an unsavory passenger and will decline your ride request.

Rideshare drivers prefer tipping passengers. However, your refusal to tip will not affect your ratings, thanks to Uber.

The app forces drivers to leave a rating for you immediately after the trip is over. That way, drivers will not know if you have tipped until they have rated you.

This prevents drivers from weaponizing the rating system to get back at riders who refuse to tip. After all, the rider should have the choice to leave a tip or not.

However, drivers can submit a request to Uber/Lyft to change a passenger’s rating. Although the app will ask that the driver provide a reason for the request, drivers may provide false reasons to circumvent the system.

Once the driver discovers you refused to tip him, he can make up a spurious charge and submit a request to change his ratings for you. Once allowed, he/she may give you anything ranging from a three-star rating to a one-star rating.

This is a rare case but can be something to think about. In the end, though, tipping is up to you.

Should You Tip Drivers In Cash Or Online (In-App)?

With traditional taxis, tipping was as easy as giving the driver an extra $10 or asking him to keep the change. However, rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft are cashless and instead encourage riders to tip drivers through the app. This system allows you to tip regardless of whether you have cash on you and is preferred by riders.

Still, many drivers say it is better if you give cash tips for various reasons:

• Most riders who promise to tip in the app never do so. If you promise to tip a driver through the app, he/she may leave a negative rating for you if there is a reason to believe they won’t get the tip
• The driver sees a cash tip before he/she rates you. Remember, the driver is expected to rate you immediately after the ride ends. Therefore, a cash tip may mean the difference between getting a poor rating or a poor one.

Will you get negative ratings if you tip through the app instead of giving cash? Yes. At least, according to what Uber/Lyft drivers say. The problem with online tips is that the driver cannot know if you tipped until he has rated you.

The consensus among rideshare drivers is that those who say they will tip online rarely do so. Therefore, even if you tip through the app, the driver already thinks you will not and may give you a negative rating.

While online tips are convenient for both driver and passenger, they lack the human side associated with cash tips. A cash tip is a personal, hand-to-hand gesture that shows appreciation for the excellent service rendered.

Many drivers report being pleased when a rider offers some dollar notes as a tip, along with an appreciative smile.

Do Rideshare Drivers Know If You Have Tipped Them?

Yes, your Uber/Lyft driver will know if you left a tip. They will not know until they have rated you, so your tipping (or refusal to tip) will not affect your ratings. However, if the tip comes long after the ride has ended, they may not know the tip came from you.

Final Words

While others may argue that rideshare drivers earn more than standard taxi drivers, remember that they have operational expenses to deal with.

Therefore, if an Uber/Lyft driver made your ride comfortable, a tip is a good way to appreciate the excellent service delivery.

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