Doordash tipping: How much to tip DoorDash drivers

If you haven’t already started using the DoorDash app to order food, you might be wondering how much you should tip Dashers and how tips are factored when calculating DoorDash Drivers’ pay. Below you will find guidelines about tipping when using the DoorDash app.

Should you tip your DoorDash driver?

If you are unsure about the size of the tip for the Dashers, then think of the same rules that apply when you dine at a restaurant or when a pizza guy brings your delivery.

In the United States, it is a custom to tip 15%-20% in restaurants. You can help top up the wages of DoorDash drivers if you tip them generously and help them earn more for their efforts.

On the DoorDash website, you can find information about how the system works. For each delivery, Dashers always receive at least a guaranteed minimum, though the exact amount that they earn depends on three factors – base pay, promotions, and tips. Base pay depends on factors such as the estimated duration of the delivery, the distance, and the priority of the delivery.

When it comes to “promotions”, the DoorDash drivers are encouraged to work during the busy hours when customers order more deliveries. Okay, so let’s say that base pay is $2, there are no promotions included, and the customer tips $4. In this scenario, to ensure that a driver receives a guaranteed minimum, a company adds a difference between the guaranteed minimum and a sum of base pay and customer tips.

Let’s say, though, that the customer happens to be more generous – and tips $7 instead of $4. $2 comes from base pay, $7 from the customer, and if the guaranteed minimum is $10, then a company adds an additional $1. Even though the customer gave a larger tip, the earnings of the driver haven’t changed.

Sure, if the base pay + tip are above the guaranteed minimum, then DoorDash drivers earn more, but if the total sum of the earnings doesn’t exceed the guaranteed minimum, then how much customers tip doesn’t matter – the driver receives the same amount for the food delivery.

How Much Should You Tip Your Dasher?

As a customer, you have no way of knowing what is the base pay per delivery, unless you ask the driver. As we have stated before, it is a custom in the United States to tip workers that bring you food 15% to 20%. If you think that a particular Dasher did an excellent job and the food delivery was incredibly fast, you might consider tipping an even higher amount.

Why and when should you tip your driver?

In the 21st century, we are used to convenience. You don’t need to even leave your home to feed your family. You can use an app to order food and in no time will one of the dashers bring your delivery. Tipping is a way of showing your appreciation for their hard work.

Should you tip in Cash?

If you order food through the DoorDash app, you will be asked about the size of the tip. Even though customers can decide how big the tip should be, it seems a better idea to tip DoorDash drivers afterward using cash. Why?

• If you tip using the app, then Dashers won’t know that they have received any additional money from you specifically. They will only know the total sum of their tips. If you would like to show your appreciation, you could tip the driver in cash
• Another argument for the customers tipping in cash is that this way, 100% of the tip goes to the driver. As we have explained before, if you place an order and the base pay is low enough, the exact size of your tip might not matter if the sum of those two (and without any promotions) is below the guaranteed minimum. If you tip in cash, then you can be absolutely certain that a driver receives 100% of the tip for the delivery. It might not seem like a lot to you, but with this pay model, tipping using cash can help drivers make significantly more money.

To find out more about DoorDash, check out our articles on how Doordash works and how to become a DoorDash driver!

Disclaimer

Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90-day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.