Tipping is an integral part of dining out in America, a practice that endures, despite a growing dislike of the tipping culture and movements to eliminate it at restaurants.
With the rise of COVID-19, tipping has become an even more contentious issue as more Americans rely on grocery store and restaurant delivery drivers to supply essential items, including food, toilet paper, and medication, right to their front door.
How much should you tip your food delivery driver? Is a dollar or two enough?
Or do we owe it to essential workers to tip more during this crisis? First, let's cover the general rules for tipping.
What's the General Rule for Tipping Delivery Food Drivers?
General tipping etiquette says you should tip around 20% of your bill's total for satisfactory service when you dine-in at a restaurant. This money goes directly to the servers, though they do pay taxes on tips.
Servers, bartenders, and delivery drivers don't make regular minimum wage, but tipped minimum wage, which is just $2.13 an hour federally. (Though some states, such as Florida and Illinois, have enacted higher tipped employee minimum wages.)
Most folks tip between 10% and 20% to delivery drivers, who are sometimes tasked with putting the food order together, ensuring its accuracy, and finding their way to your front door.
How Much to Tip Delivery Drivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
But is 10% to 20% a fair amount to tip during a pandemic, when millions of Americans are relying on delivery drivers? These workers are risking their own health, and the health of their loved ones, to continue working.
On the other hand, millions of Americans are also out of work—6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment in the last week of March 2020.
Our advice: Tip your food delivery driver at least 15% of your order total—25% if possible. Make sure to consider discounts and coupons you might have used and tip on the pre-discount but post-tax total.
If you are able, add extra compensation for the folks who are risking their health to protect yours.
What if You Can't Afford to Tip But Need Delivery?
If you can't afford to tip your delivery driver, which is understandable as unemployment skyrockets, consider using curbside pickup or walk-up window service.
This will save drivers from paying to work (by using their own gas to deliver your order), while still allowing you to enjoy takeout food.
Aim to leave counter service and curbside delivery employees at least a few dollars if possible. They may also be working for tipped minimum wage and are risking their health to ensure that you can still enjoy your favorite foods.
If you are quarantined due to illness, ask a family member, friend, or neighbor to pick up groceries for you. Or reach out to groups in your community, such as food banks, which may offer delivery at no cost.
Other Things to Keep in Mind When Tipping Your Food Delivery Drivers
When tipping delivery drivers, the rule of thumb is to tip 15%—and more if you are able. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when ordering takeout:
Although tips go directly to delivery drivers, they do not make regular minimum wages in most cases—and they do pay taxes on tips. So don't tip less assuming it is "free money" for the delivery drivers.
In general, cash is better than credit card tips, as some businesses collect credit card tips and include the money on paychecks. (Which means it can take drivers up to two weeks to see your tip.) However, due to social distancing guidelines and the uncertainty about how long the novel coronavirus can live on surfaces, tipping on a credit card is currently safer for both the driver and you.
If you received exceptionally poor delivery service, call the restaurant and speak with a manager. If you ordered through Menufy, call us immediately at (913) 738-9399. We’re available 24/7 to advocate on your behalf. Although tipping less is appropriate in some cases, keep in mind that the delivery driver used their own gas and car to bring your food, so leaving no tip should only be done in extreme cases.
Remember that delivery drivers often use their own vehicles, gas, insurance, and smartphones to do their job, Please tip accordingly.
Order delivery from thousands of restaurants at www.menufy.com.