Should you tip your Uber driver? If so, how much?

When it started in 2012, Uber’s original stance on tipping drivers was that it would make using the app more of a hassle. “In the end, we decided against including one because we felt it would be better for riders and drivers to know for sure what they would pay or earn on each trip — without the uncertainty of tipping,” the company wrote in a 2016 blog post in response to two class-action lawsuits.

After public pressure and complaints from drivers, Uber ultimately changed its policy in July 2017. Competing apps like Lyft had come out at that time with the option built in.

How much should you leave? Brett Helling, a former Uber driver who now runs the driver resource Ridester.com, said he tips drivers 10 to 20 percent the cost of the trip, based on the level of service. Julia Boyd, an international etiquette consultant, agreed. For rides in the United States, she recommends tipping 15 to 20 percent for exceptional service, 10 to 15 for good service and 10 percent for average service.

Do drivers depend on your tips? “With fares, tips and bonuses factored in, I average around $20 an hour and give around 75 rides per week,” said Jon Sycamore, a driver in Salt Lake City. “If you remove tips, it drops to around $15 an hour.” By comparison, Salt Lake City’s living wage is $11.48 an hour for a single adult and $24.12 an hour for a single adult with a child.

Surveying over 2,600 active Uber drivers, Helling found that the average hourly income for UberX drivers was $13.70 an hour, not including tips. The average was slightly higher for Uber XL drivers, who earned $14.84 an hour.

Of 77 rides Sycamore completed for both Uber and Lyft recently, less than half of his passengers tipped. “Based on our findings, Uber riders are still very set in Uber’s old no-tipping policy,” Helling said. “Drivers are paying for their own vehicle, which comes with its own slew of expenses. A dollar or two on every ride really adds up, offsetting the high cost of operating the vehicle.”

Why should you tip in the first place? For Boyd, it makes sense to tip your driver because he or she is providing a personal service that involves safety and comfort, and our cultural norm is to tip those who provide this kind of service. “In Europe the tipping expectations would be lower, and many passengers would simply round up the bill. And don’t even think about tipping any driver in Japan — that would be considered rude,” she said.

Both Uber and Lyft limit their tip amount to 200 percent. The companies put a ceiling on this to keep passengers from accidentally overtipping.

Whether you give your driver cash or just tip through the app, he or she receives 100 percent of the tip; Uber, Lyft, Gett and Via don’t take a cut. Generally, drivers are just happy to get a tip, Helling said, and many don’t have a preference for cash versus tipping directly in the app. Still, if you have the cash on hand, it can’t hurt to ask.

© 2018 New York Times News Service