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Can DoorDash Drivers See Tips? (Before or After Delivery)

Food delivery has become a big part of life and is expected to grow in the upcoming years. DoorDash is one of the major delivery services, and when you order food on DoorDash, there is an option to tip your driver. You may wonder if DoorDash drivers can see tips before or after they deliver.

DoorDash drivers see the total earnings they would receive, base pay, and tip included before accepting the delivery. However, they will not know the exact tip amount because the two are not distinguished. Once the delivery is completed, they can see the breakdown of exactly what they earned.

Tipping is a custom that is sometimes tricky to navigate, especially if you are not sitting in a restaurant. In this article, we’ll discuss tipping on DoorDash, how it works on the platform, and how the drivers can see whether you tipped them or not. 

Just keep reading to find out more!

Can DoorDash Drivers See Your Tip Before Delivery?

DoorDash drivers can see your tip before delivery if you choose to tip beforehand. When you order on DoorDash, you have the option to tip before the delivery or after. When the delivery shows up for the Dasher, they see the total amount they can earn for the ride.

The amount is shown as the inclusion of DoorDash pay as well as customer tip. It isn’t separated, so even though the DoorDash driver can technically see your tip if it is there before the delivery, they are not aware of whether a tip is there or not.

Once the delivery is completed, the app shows the DoorDash driver the breakdown of what they earned. The lines show what they earned in base pay, peak pay, if applicable, and tip.

While DoorDash shows the total earnings before Dashers accept the delivery, some Dashers reported that the process is not fully transparent.

Dashers may see discrepancies between the amount shown before delivery and the actual earnings after delivery is completed.

How Much Should You Tip DoorDash Drivers?

When it comes to tipping DoorDash drivers, the recommendation is to go with the service industry standard, 15 – 20%, or double the tax. This is a service industry standard tip amount for various services.

Some people do not want to go by that percentage because they are not sitting in a restaurant. If that is the case, you should still tip your driver since they provide a valuable service for you.

A survey done by US Foods discovered that delivery drivers and customers agree that a $4 tip is a reasonable minimum for delivery drivers.

This number was the sweet spot for drivers feeling that the delivery was worth it, and customers didn’t mind paying. This number depends on your food order as well. If your food order is large, you may want to tip more. 

Do DoorDash Drivers Get 100% of Tips?

Yes, DoorDash drivers get 100% of their tip. In 2019, DoorDash implemented a new model, which raised the base bay for drivers and allowed them to keep all of their tips. The new payment model ensured that drivers made more money from both DoorDash and customer tips.

The original DoorDash model was that drivers would receive $10 per ride. The base pay was $1. If the customer didn’t tip, DoorDash covered the rest of the money to make $10.

If the customer did tip, that amount was used towards that $10, and DoorDash would cover the difference. 

While this model worked for some time, soon, public pressure built up to change it. Drivers viewed it as their tips getting stolen from DoorDash.

When customers realized that their tip money was not going directly into their driver’s pockets as a tip, they were not thrilled. Customers were upset that their tip was used to help DoorDash cover what they should pay their drivers. 

In 2019, DoorDash caved to public pressure and created a new model. They stayed silent for a bit to test out various payment models before making a final decision.

The CEO, Tony Xu, announced the new tipping policy in August 2019, following what he called a “difficult decision.”

The new payment model ensured that drivers made more money from both DoorDash and tipping. The base pay was raised, and drivers kept all of the tips separately from their earnings.

What Happens If You Don’t Tip?

Nothing happens if you don’t tip your DoorDash driver. The driver earns less money than they would have if you had tipped. However, since drivers see total earnings before they accept deliveries, your delivery may get delayed due to low earnings without a tip.

With the original DoorDash model, when it was a flat earning, DoorDash covered the rest if you didn’t tip. Now, they have a higher base pay but no additional payments. This means the driver makes less money if you don’t tip.

Keep in mind, though, DoorDash drivers can see their total earnings before accepting orders. If you choose not to tip, it will be less attractive for drivers to deliver your order, and they may prioritize other orders with higher potential earnings.

The service industry can be a tough one, where the hourly wage is notoriously low because tips are supposed to cover the deficit.

Sometimes delivery horror stories happen, in which case you can complain. If you are planning on ordering DoorDash, we recommend being considerate and tipping your drivers. 

Do DoorDash Drivers Rate Customers?

DoorDash drivers don’t rate customers. However, they are asked after the delivery how the delivery went. They are allowed to leave comments if anything happens to the customer, but these are not published ratings the way other apps have. 

However, customers can rate two things after their delivery: the DoorDash driver (also known as Dashers) and their food.

Dasher ratings are done on a rolling basis, and DoorDash makes sure to remove low Dasher ratings if there is an aspect such as long restaurant wait times.

Things like that are out of the driver’s control, and they make sure the rating is not affected by it. If something does happen with your order, you can contact DoorDash and leave a complaint as well. 

How to Tip DoorDash Drivers

There are two ways to tip DoorDash drivers, within the app and in person. If you want to tip in person, you can give the driver cash when they make the delivery.

Many people like tipping in cash because they know that the money goes directly into your pocket, even though the drivers now get 100% of the tips.

If you want to tip in cash, it is always an option. If you prefer to tip in the app, you can tip either before or after the delivery. 

If you choose to tip before delivery, you can do so after getting your order together. Once you put everything you want in your cart, there is a section for tipping.

You can add whatever tip amount you want before you hit “Place Order.” In this case, the tip amount will show up as earnings for the drive, and the DoorDash driver will be able to see the tip amount once the delivery is completed. 

If you choose to tip after delivery, you can go into your order and fix the tip amount after your order has been delivered. The DoorDash driver will be able to see the adjusted tip. 

Final Thoughts

DoorDash has a system that seems complicated when you first hear about it. How can the driver see your tip without seeing your tip? DoorDash drivers can see how much the ride would earn them, which is base pay and tips, but they don’t know how much belongs to each part.

You can tip your Dashers either before or after the delivery, either in person or in the app. 

It is always good practice to tip your DoorDash driver. Dashers make dining more convenient, and tipping them is something that we always recommend doing. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about DoorDash, check out the related articles below.

Related Articles:

DoorDash Delivery: How It Works and How to Order Using the DoorDash App

6 Ways to Contact DoorDash Customer Service 

DoorDash Pickup: Here’s What You Need to Know

Can You Use Restaurant Gift Cards on DoorDash?

Can DoorDash Drivers See Your Rating?

About the Author

Joanna Smykowski is an attorney and marketing professional with over five years of experience writing for various industries, including food and drink. When she’s not working, you can find her traveling, reading, or dancing.

November 9, 2022