Uber Rolls Out In-App Tipping in the USA with their ‘180-Days of Change’

Uber will now let you tip the driver within the app and add it to the fare price. This is parter of a larger ‘180 days of change‘ during which time Uber promises to make life better for their drivers.

The tipping option has already taken affect in Seattle, Minneapolis, and Houston, and it’ll be fully implemented across the USA by the end of July. UberEATS will also have the same tipping option as regular Uber rides.

The full amount of the tip goes to the driver – Uber does not take any sort of commission there. There is a catch is that the rider is forced to rate the drive in order to be able to tip. I’m not sure what the purpose of that is.

Other changes coming within the next 180 days:

  • Drivers will receive a cancellation fee for rides cancelled outside a 2 minute timeframe (down from 5 minutes)
  • No more unpaid wait time (after two minutes of waiting passengers have to pay)
  • All Driver Destination Trips Count Toward Quest
  • Quest Earnings are Available for Instant Pay
  • Expanded Driver Destinations
  • Driver Injury Protection Insurance
  • Teen Fare – drivers will get paid $2 extra for teen rides

A lot of people talk positively about the tipping change as a means of giving Uber drivers fair compensation. Personally, I hate tipping – I’d much rather if they just raise the prices to whatever they want their drivers to be making. Theoretically, tipping works for giving a positive experience, but in the end it doesn’t work well, and then there’s the whole driver rating thing with passengers getting bad rating for not tipping, etc.

Obviously, Uber is making a big effort to shape up their game in light of all the recent issues they’ve been having. Let’s hope there are change which help consumers as well.

Hat tip to TPG

 

 

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Ace Malik
Ace Malik (@guest_429060)
June 27, 2017 22:44

Yea i am against tipping, its a way for business to pay less and then put it on the consumer to help the person make a living wage as they call it, we dont tip cashiers or mcdonalds people so why drivers and waitresses

Do we tip our realtor, our insurance agent no we dont

adam smith
adam smith (@guest_474714)
September 11, 2017 02:21

Does your realtor get paid 82 cents a mile? If not and you use Uber or Lyft you’re a hypocrite.

MarcoPolo
MarcoPolo (@guest_424668)
June 21, 2017 09:29

Breaking news: Uber CEO was given a ride out by investors.

MarcoPolo
MarcoPolo (@guest_424667)
June 21, 2017 09:28

What people forget is that Tip is a privilege you earn by giving good service and NOT a right.
I never go to a restaurant which includes tip as a mandatory charge.

James B.
James B. (@guest_424646)
June 21, 2017 08:52

With Travis leaving, let us all hope for positive changes at Uber. Uber has a great software platform. Now Uber needs to treat its driver better and respect the competition.

Frustrated
Frustrated (@guest_424572)
June 21, 2017 03:44

Why do you say “Theoretically, tipping works for giving a positive experience, but in the end it doesn’t work well”? Uber drivers really do get the short end of the stick. The company doesn’t pay them well, and they get crapped on by customers and Uber. If you don’t tip you’re just being a cheap jerk. And let’s be honest, if prices go up instead, less people ride and they also tip less, and they have a worse attitude toward the driver because they think it’s somehow his fault. From myself as a former tipped employee, people need to get a clue. Everyone needs to tip their drivers/ servers etc at least 20% for everything, using full regular price as the basis. Period. If you take care of them, they’ll take care of you. If you don’t, they have the power to make your experience suck, and have the right to as well, IMHO. So many entitled people out there who have never worked a day in service in their lives, don’t have a single clue how it is.

Elmer
Elmer (@guest_424888)
June 21, 2017 16:23

That is complete wishful thinking. The reality is, if you can’t earn a living doing something, then it isn’t a job – it’s a hobby. Find a job; work to learn new skills to get yourself into a better job. The market will pay what is sustainable for that job.

MoreSun
MoreSun (@guest_424532)
June 21, 2017 00:43

I loved the idea of integrated tips but the threat of a low rating if I didn’t tip led me to always tip my drivers. Tipping is a part of American society and even Uber couldn’t change the behavior. At least now I don’t have to fumble for cash in order to preserve my Uber rating!

MoreSun
MoreSun (@guest_424536)
June 21, 2017 00:47

After reading comments it appears I might not have to tip out of ratings defense anymore! (I have had a couple drivers who went beyond what’s expected and I love that I’ll be able to tip them what I want very easily!)

calwatch
calwatch (@guest_424527)
June 21, 2017 00:39

I tip on Lyft more than I would Uber, because I rarely have cash on me. If you search online you will find new driver promos – I found one for $500 after 100 rides which sounds reasonable (there are $1000 promos but require 300 rides, and it is generally assumed that you can average about two rides per hour driving in the afternoon or evening) so will share my experiences in an appropriate thread after a month of driving.

Bub
Bub (@guest_424525)
June 21, 2017 00:26

I don’t tip anybody.

Kirk
Kirk (@guest_424486)
June 20, 2017 22:42

Uber drivers do not make more than a taxi driver. Taxi expect to and are tipped and their mileage pay is higher.

I drove 5 months for Uber CHEAP PAX. Go give it a try if you think it has good pay. I eeked out $9.69 / hour including tips in 2016. & that was with BEST set up car. 2005 Prius virtually no depreciation. 40+mpg. anyyone having newer car with depreciation may be below minimum wage. When I wait at drive thru I’m making less than minimum /hour while I wait.

had one guy been shot two nights before. hmmm $9.69 possibility of being shot who wouldn’t want to drive for that. People expecting to load all their groceries in my car then help with their groceries and I get paid $3. no tip of course. Another guy puked in my car. two people held door open and gave me privilege of smelling their puke. No tip of course.

Go read Uberpeople.net

if you want a flavor of some pax behavior and big dollars Uber drivers are making. (sarcasm)

Lots of entitled cheap people out there that don’t have a clue!

my philosophy cheap with big business & government. Fair with small business. Generous with people. I tip Uber drivers, barber, dog groomer, waitresses, etc. very well.

Tip someone well and you might even realize generosity make you feel good and lucky to have all you have.

rant over. oh reall enjoy doctor of credit.

Master Allan
Master Allan (@guest_424431)
June 20, 2017 21:17

Darn. Another annoyance. This baksheesh culture I find very frustrating. Already avoiding sit down restaurants, delivery, personal services, because everyone thinks they deserve a pay uplift. Just this weekend I caught a comment and a dirty look picking up take-out and not leaving something for the hander-over. For what?! Next the bus driver will expect $2 because he stopped the bus at my stop.

Adam D
Adam D (@guest_424442)
June 20, 2017 21:31

Other countries that do not have a tipping culture have a service charge (between 10-15% and a VAT also 10-20%) to add on your bill making it significantly higher if the cost of living is equivalent to the US. Since the US does not, and it does not have a minimum wage for 1099 workers (valets,limo driver etc;) and waiters are not federally mandated to make minimum wage in most states these workers tips are needed and expected culturally as an expected part of their income to survive on. I dont like it either but that is the country and society we agree to live in.

Jey
Jey (@guest_424450)
June 20, 2017 21:45

Not true in East Asia (japan, china, etc)

Adam D
Adam D (@guest_424461)
June 20, 2017 22:02

Japan does have a VAT, I don;t understand how you can be so wrong in this easily researchable fact and it just leads me to believe you haven;t been to the countries youre mentioning. The nice places do also have a service charge. Sometimes its included with the menu item sometimes it is not. It is usually statd on the menu somewhere. What asian countries have you been to exactly? Also, the service is usually slower and poorer in countries that do not use tips as an incentive for service.

Jey
Jey (@guest_424485)
June 20, 2017 22:41

Please check what you wrote very carefully. You said “a service charge AND VAT.” While Japan does have the VAT tax, it does not have a service charge (even at nice Japanese restaurants). Of course there is always exception to everything, and i suspect the clientele of the few places that do false advertising (aka charging service charge) are mostly Americans. If you have been to all east asian countries like you said, obviously you were just being a tourist and didn’t get a good understanding of the local culture. Another evidence is that you claimed there is nothing at all the US can learn from China.

Adam D
Adam D (@guest_424494)
June 20, 2017 22:58

I Lived in the Philippines for 2 yrs recently and have been going there since 08, they have a service charge and a VAT there in most situations.Since no tip is expected dining service is subpar compared to US. I traveled to those other countries as a tourist, sometimes for weeks. I mentioned the nicer places also have a service charge. You just replied china, japan and korea do not have a vat lol, which they all do. whatever im done arguing over semantics, most east and sea countries have vat, and a lot of nicer places have service charges as well, I dont want to go specifically over which services (hotels,taxis,resturants,neighborhoods and cities, countries implement them because it varies and not worth my time.

Jey
Jey (@guest_424504)
June 20, 2017 23:27

i did not say china, japan and korea do not have a VAT. VAT is tax, which is totally different from tipping/service charge. What’s the point of winning an argument by making up words? If you truly think Japanese dinning service is subpar to US you are entitled to your own opinions, but i bet most people would say otherwise.

Adam D
Adam D (@guest_424512)
June 20, 2017 23:44

I know what what the acronym VAT stands for. Didnt say japan dining service is subpar to US, and Im sure your were able to utilize that service with your fluent japanese. Some restaurants wont even let you in if your not japanese. You throw out the US workers should be like japan,korea,and china and while viewing their working standards with some rose-tinted shades. youre comparing the country with the highest customer first culture to the US, and disregarding the suicide rate and the fact that their waiters get paid minimum wage or more and dont have to rely on tips making tipping irrelevent. Tipping is part of US culture, it is here because US waiters do not make minumum wage unless in progressive states like cali. That was my point. We can learn from China on how not to be the worst tourists in the world now, they took that crown from us already.

Jey
Jey (@guest_424535)
June 21, 2017 00:47

You said and i quote, “Since no tip is expected dining service is subpar compared to US.” If no tip is the real cause, then why do you think Japanese service is superior to the US given that no tip is expected in Japan either? You are contradicting yourself here. Tipping is a part of US culture but is such part of culture good? It produces mediocre service on average while encouraging discrimination against customers who tip less, although it should be the employers’ responsibility to pay their employees. If you think pride and a strong work ethic will yield suicide, then i understand why you would believe tipping/money is the only incentive for good service, just like how bribery works. Also, you are missing a lot if you think bad tourists are all China has.

https://youtu.be/_k89I2p1x9w
https://youtu.be/sxJ9TBMoAL4

Kirk
Kirk (@guest_424479)
June 20, 2017 22:33

right if you don’t want to tip, eat at the grocery store. you can maybe even get some kroger gas points njoy.

adam smith
adam smith (@guest_474713)
September 11, 2017 02:21

You know what? That’s fine. People like you should get charged higher prices to pay employees what they cost at whatever wage level the job is like any other store you go into. You’re getting lower prices because of the tip culture. Reject that culture by only going places that pay their employees at least regular minimum wage or admit you’re cheap. In a tipped culture if I had bad customers they always got bad service from me. Like deliveries. I have every bad address saved on Google maps. I’d deliver three other deliveries that came after the bad one and take theirs last. Don’t respect me all I’ll do is get you your food. Or whatever it is. With companies like Uber/Lyft we can cancel on bad customers.