App food delivery services like Uber Eats are fast becoming the nation’s preferred way to order their favorite takeaway food. Uber Eats in particular is incredibly popular, currently operating in over 6,000 cities across 45 countries. Having food delivered directly to your door is nothing new, but Uber Eats drivers normally deliver to a wider range of locations and for some it may be their only source of income.
With that being said, should you tip Uber Eats workers and if so, how much? Uber’s official statement on tipping is that it is “not required, but can be an extra way to thank your delivery partner for their efforts”. It is seen as customary to leave a tip for workers in the food delivery industry, especially if they have faced difficulties in getting to you (i.e. extreme weather, parking issues etc). The amount you tip will depend on your experience with them and the above factors, and this could range between $2 and $5 plus.
If you’re not sure whether your next Uber Eats order will warrant a tip or not, read through the brief guide below to get a better understanding of how it all works. We’ll look into the case for and against tipping and how much is expected of customers on average. We’ve also listed some of the most popular stores and restaurants partnered with Uber Eats.
Do You Have to Tip Uber Eats and How Much?
While tipping isn’t required, the situation could call for tipping your delivery driver – if they have to navigate many flights of stairs of your apartment building for example or have to deliver in the middle of a snowstorm or a heatwave to get your food delivered on time, then a generous tip would only be the gracious thing to do.
Uber Eats drivers keep 100 percent of their tip, so when you consider that the ‘gig’ economy is already poorly paid, this could be greatly appreciated.
As for the case against tipping, many customers could argue that a tip isn’t always necessary, especially in circumstances when the delivery fee is particularly high, During surge pricing hours and peak times for instance, delivery fees can be up to and exceeding $20, so when you add that amount to the food already paid for, some can understandably be less inclined to tip. You may also have a poor experience (slow delivery, cold or subpar food etc).
Tipping through the Uber Eats app can help you decide how much to tip, offering you the options of tipping 10, 15 and 20 percent of your total order, which could be somewhere between $1 and $4-5 depending on your order and your experience. You can also tip a similar amount in cash.
What is Uber Eats and How Does it Work?
Uber Eats is a food delivery platform that connects you with your favorite local restaurants via the Uber Eats app. Once you’re logged into the app – either through your smartphone or tablet device – you’ll be able to see any local restaurants or cafes within your local area that are partnered with Uber Eats and from there, you’ll be able to browse their menus and place a food order.
Just like the original Uber driver service app, the Uber Eats app handles payments (and tips) all within the app, so once you’ve placed an order, all that’s left is to sit back and wait for your food order. You’ll also have the option to track the progress of your order and get an approx timestamp of when your delivery driver is expected to arrive.
If you’re a creature of habit and love to order the same takeaway food each time, the app will remember your previous order requests so you can easily find your favorite meals again.
Do Uber Eats Drivers Know if You Tip?
Yes, if you tip, delivery drivers will be able to see the tip amount around an hour after the delivery has been made. Customers can choose whether to tip before or after an order has been received by leaving a rating within the app.
Can You Edit Your Tip on Uber Eats?
Yes, if you added a tip while placing your order, you can amend this tip up to an hour after your food order has arrived through the app. Open up the app, view your order and tap ‘current tip amount’ to edit the amount.
How Far Will Uber Eats Deliver?
Delivery zones are unique to your local restaurants and may change over time, but generally, Uber Eats won’t be expected to travel more than 5 miles from restaurant to delivery address.
Does Uber Eats Accept Cash?
Uber Eats was designed to be a cashless transaction, similar to the original Uber driver platform. All payments occur electronically within the app. Cash is accepted, however, when it comes to tipping the delivery driver in person.
Does Uber Eats Charge More for Food?
On balance, you will be expected to pay a lot more for the convenience of using Uber Eats than you would if you ordered directly through a local restaurant.
Ordering food through Uber Eats means you are paying multiple parties including the driver, the companies in partnership with the app, the unique restaurant tax and the delivery fee, which began as a flat rate, but now depends on delivery distance.
There are ways to save money when ordering through Uber Eats such as taking advantage of special offers and avoiding peak hours.
Why Do Restaurants Hate Uber Eats?
Food delivery platforms like Uber Eats might be hugely convenient for customers, but they’ve quickly become a thorn in the side of many restaurant owners in recent years. This is no surprise when you learn just how much it costs for restaurants to be partnered up with them. Uber Eats can charge up to 30 percent commission to its participating restaurants, which eats significantly into the cash flow of small businesses.
To prove the devastating effect this has had on the traditional restaurant industry, many restaurant owners have reported that their average profit margins have fallen from 10 percent to as little as 3 to 4 percent since the arrival of food delivery services such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo.
It is unfortunately not just the restaurants working with Uber Eats that are suffering from financial hardship – with many more customers opting to order food at home, the walk-in restaurant culture is declining.
On top of the money and customer interaction lost, delivery platforms like Uber Eats have a way of denting the restaurant’s reputation and first impression with new customers too – because of the nature of delivery food, the quality may be compromised due to the time taken to pick up and deliver a food order. So the toasted sandwich you can always rely on to be hot and delicious from your favorite Deli may turn up cold and congealed to a first-time Uber Eats user.
What Stores Use Uber Eats?
Depending on which restaurants and stores are partnered with Uber Eats in your local area, they’ll deliver everything from sushi and pizza to Chinese and classic fast food choices. Some of the most popular stores include…
- McDonald’s
- Starbucks
- 7-Eleven
- Burger King
- IHOP
- Denny’s
- Taco Bell
- Panera
- Wendy’s
- Dunkin’ Donuts
- Jack in the Box
- Panda Express
- Subway
- Supremo Pizza
To help customers decide between the dozens of restaurants to choose from in their area, Uber Eats often shines a spotlight on foodie hotspots in their hashtag #EATSList as a guide to the best and must-try restaurants out there.
So if your household can’t decide what to eat for dinner, #EATSList will show you what’s trending in your area. Otherwise, you can find out what the most popular take-out orders are by US state here!