Do You Tip Lyft Drivers? The Lyft Tipping Etiquette
Unlike Uber and other ride-hailing services in the United States, Lyft has always been a huge proponent of tipping. According to their data, their drivers have received up to $1 billion in tips to date. Now, the company is expanding its tipping policy to boost earnings for its drivers.
The Driver Advisory Council at Lyft is responsible for rolling out these features for the drivers. In 2018, the company introduced a feature for default tipping. When a rider selects default tipping in their app, Lyft automatically applies their preset percentage to the total ride cost amount to calculate the tip.
But how much are you supposed to tip? Do you have to tip necessarily? Below, we take a look at these questions and help you determine the proper tip amount for your Lyft driver.
The short answer is Yes, although it may feel like the fare is already sufficient for the driver. It is a good idea to leave a gratuity to Lyft and Uber drivers, taxi drivers limo drivers, airport shuttle drivers, black car services and even party bus drivers.
Let’s say you’re coming home from dinner with friends. You must have tipped your server, right? So, why not tip the person dropping you home?
Here are a few reasons the fare is not always adequate for the drivers:
Moreover, per-minute rates vary from one city to another. Some former and current drivers for rideshare companies claimed on Reddit that they only earned 20 percent of the total fare from their trips.
Therefore, even if you’re paying $30 for your Lyft ride, it doesn’t mean the driver is getting all this amount. Lyft drivers make about $16 to $17 per hour, which is a fraction of the fare you see on your app.
So, it’s good practice to tip Lyft driver who came to pick you up from a mile away and was kind enough to give you an aux cord so that you could listen to Taylor Swift’s new album on your way home.
👀 Related Rrticle: Do You Tip Uber Drivers
How much should you tip for your Lyft trip? It’s often hard to determine this since the tipping percentage should vary depending on the length of your trip. Also, you may want to tip lower because you had an unpleasant experience during the ride.
You can choose this on your own, judging from how much rides generally cost in your city. For instance, you can tip a dollar or two for every ride under $10 and $5 for every ride over $15.
As a rule of thumb, calculate 15% of the total ride fare and give that as an appropriate Lyft tip.
More importantly, if you’re using a discount or promo code, you should definitely tip since it will help the driver immensely. Similarly, if the driver offers good service, go out of your way to tip them.
Here are couple of examples for you:
Although Lyft encourages tipping, the company, like other car services, doesn’t make it mandatory for passengers to tip drivers. If you want to tip, you can use Lyft’s in-app option to choose a percentage.
When the ride ends, a tipping button appears on the app screen. The tip will be charged to your credit card on the file. Alternatively, while you cannot pay cash for your ride, you can always tip the drivers in cash. Simply hand them the money when your ride ends.
Lyft also encourages riders to give feedback to the drivers, highlighting the possible improvements in the ride. The company ensures that 100% of the tips are given to the drivers, and Lyft does not take a share from them.
If you’re having a hard time deciding how much to tip your Lyft driver, you can use this calculator to make the task easier for you. Here’s how to use it:
You can do the same on your phone’s calculator too.
Now that you know what is a good tip and what percent you should tip, it’s time to learn how to tip your drivers. You can do this in three ways.
You can add the tip to the total amount you’re paying for the ride since the receipt also shows the tip. However, this tipping option is only possible if the ride started less than two hours ago. You can also use this method if you haven’t rated the ride or paid for it yet.
If you didn’t pay after the ride, you could pay later - up to 72 hours only. Go to the ‘Ride History’ tab in your app. Choose the ride you want to tip and press ‘Tip Driver.’
Then, you can add the tip as you want. However, if you want to tip the driver but the receipt link has gone inactive, you can contact Lyft’s support team and tell them the following:
Do note that you cannot pay over $50 in tips in the app.
Lyft has also introduced a default tipping feature that lets riders choose a dollar amount or percentage to be tipped for every ride.
Go to the ‘Set Default Tip’ tab in your app’s Settings menu. Choose the percentage you want to tip or add $2 for every ride. You can change the default tip whenever you want.
Do note only iOS Lyft users can use this feature at the moment.
| Tipping Situation | Average Tippers Give: |
|---|---|
| Bad Service | 10% |
| Normal Service | 15% |
| Excellent Service | 20% |
| The driver help you with luggage 🧳 | Leave an additional $3 tip |
| If you add a stop and keep the driver waiting for you | Leave an additional $2 tip |
| If the car is clean 🧽 | Leave an additional $1 |
Most Lyft drivers also understand it’s unrealistic for them to expect every passenger to pay. However, as a passenger, you should tip your drivers in the following instances:
If you take a Lyft home from Target or any grocery store and your driver helps you with the bags, make sure to pay them. However, do note that drivers are not required to carry your bags or load your luggage into the trunk.
So, if a driver goes out of their way to help you, make sure to tip them.
We all love our little furry friends, and your Lyft drivers might be really fond of their pets too. However, they won’t necessarily be fans of letting your pets ride in their car due to pet accidents or allergies.
Plus, they’re not required by the law to allow your pets to ride with them unless it’s a service animal.
If a driver lets your pet ride in their car, you should tip them.
Drivers are unlikely to accept your ride request if you have an awful rating. So, it will take longer for you to find a driver.
Some drivers are exceptionally accommodating and would go the extra mile to make sure you have a good experience. Make sure you tip these drivers since they are not required to do this for you.
If a car smells nice and has extra amenities, such as a neck cushion or a charging cord, you should tip the driver for their service. Lyft does not make it compulsory for its drivers to have these facilities in their vehicles.
A driver has spent their own money to ensure you have an aux cord to listen to your favorite music or a cushion to relax your head on. Your tips can help compensate for their expenditure.
Drivers aren’t huge fans of stopping at the drive-thrus of fast food places and for the right reasons. So, if you’ve kept your driver waiting for more than five minutes, you should tip them.
Imagine this: you’re sitting in the backseat of a car munching on Nachos, leaving crumbs on the backseat. Once you get off, the driver has to clean the car to prepare it for the next passenger.
That’s why most drivers won’t allow you to eat in their cars.
However, if a Lyft driver lets you eat, make sure to tip them. Also, do not leave any crumbs, wrappers, or food particles behind. Be civil and don’t take advantage of someone’s niceness.
Here are some common questions about tipping Lyft drivers.
It’s totally up to you if you want to tip your Lyft driver for a short ride. Let’s say you took a Lyft to your nearest mall, and it costs $6. You can choose to add $1 as a tip since the driver must have traveled some distance to come to your address.
Lyft drivers do not see the tip amount while the ride is still ongoing. They can only see it once you have rated them at the end of the ride.
As a passenger, tipping your drivers does not directly affect your user rating. That’s mainly because the drivers can’t see your tips until you have rated them.
If you’re concerned that the driver is watching you while you end the ride - so that they can rate you accordingly - you can step out of the vehicle and rate them later.
Lyft lets you share a ride with someone who is going in the same direction as you are. While this divides the total fare, it may increase the duration of the trip since the driver has to pick up the other passenger too.
If you’re traveling with friends, one person can offer to pay the tip. But if you’re sharing a ride with strangers, tip according to your fare total. For instance, if it’s a short trip costing under $10, you can tip $1 or $2. You may opt to tip higher if the driver provides extra amenities, such as a charging cord.
The way you tip your driver doesn’t really matter since no percentage of the tip is taken by Lyft. So, even when you pay through the app, the whole amount goes to the driver.
However, it’s easier to set default tipping since you don’t need to carry cash at all times. On the other hand, if you haven’t connected a card to your Lyft account, you can tip your driver in cash.
If you don’t like the driver’s service due to the lack of cleanliness in the car or unpleasant experience with attitude, you don’t necessarily have to tip.
If you were wondering; how much tip you leave for your Lyft driver, you must have a clear idea now. The normal tip amount is around $2 to $5, but you can tip more for longer rides and extra-nice drivers providing excellent customer service.
Keep in mind that even though you’re not required to tip, doing so can improve the job experience for your driver.
Moreover, it will earn you a good user rating from the drivers. As a result, drivers will accept your ride request sooner in the future due to your rating. It’s a win-win for both parties.
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