In recent times, thousands of people have been getting around in popular ridesharing services, such as Uber. It’s convenient to use a smartphone to get a ride. Paying for the ride with a credit card on your smartphone is a relatively new concept. However, it is hard to imagine living without on-app payments. So, the question to ask is whether you tip after an Uber ride or not.
Most people who have hailed a ride in Uber think about this. When you are living in the United States, you have to accept the tip-friendly culture. People tip their taxi drivers, waitresses, baristas and valets. So, why do people avoid tipping their Uber drivers. Moreover, if you don’t tip them, is it something to feel bad about? In this post, we have tried to answer these questions.
The Concept of Tipping on Uber
When it comes to ride sharing and tipping, almost every person is confused. A lot of people don’t understand how the Uber payment process works. In fact, people don’t have any idea about the payment process on ride sharing companies. It’s worth mentioning that the payment process takes place in the app. Therefore, most customers assume that the tip is included in the fare price. Others don’t have any idea that they are allowed to tip. However, tips are always welcome. In fact, tips can break or make a driver’s weekly income. There is no tipping feature in the Uber app.
Some customers have been confused and surprised by Uber’s policy. After signing up, some people want to do right by the Uber driver. Since service charge is already included and the website mentions ‘no need to tip’, people don’t know if the driver expects a tip.
It is worth mentioning that most people think that the tip is already calculated into the final bill. People think that some part of the bill stands for the tip that would go to the driver. However, some Uber drivers have been trying to clear this concern. Unless you are using UberTaxi, tip is not required in the bill. In other words, UberX drivers don’t receive any tip. However, when you insist, every driver gladly accepts it.
Some real life exchanges between Uber riders and Uber drivers only underscore the argument that almost everyone is confused about the matter of tipping required, included or appropriate. While paying for your ride, you need to have clarity about the final bill and what’s included in it.
Do You Tip After Uber Ride?
It’s worth mentioning that most riders don’t tip after the ride. However, they can. As mentioned earlier, a lot of people assume that the tip is included in the Uber’s payment process. However, it is important to understand that UberSUV, UberBlack and UberX don’t have a tipping option in the application. While using the payment option via UberTaxi, it includes 20% gratuity. In this way, when you pay via the app, gratuity goes to your driver.
It’s important to understand that the concept is different from UberT, which is the process of calling a normal cab for you. In this case, you need to pay the driver manually. While using UberT, you don’t need to use the app to make the payment. Everything is done physically.
A few months ago, Uber released some data about Uber drivers and their respective incomes. According to Uber, drivers working with Uber can easily make about $6 per hour more than regular taxi drivers. However, this has been argued upon by numerous Uber drivers since they need to pay increasing prices for insurance, gas and car maintenance. The added cost factors can create a big dent in the weekly income.
