I think we can all agree that tipping has gotten completely out of control. And it’s just one of many ‘fees’ and ‘charges’ resto operators and delivery folks are adding to our bills without explanation or justification. Time to end the confusion over how much to tip…
This never happens: The perfect delivery exchange. Perfect Weather, perfect order,
perfectly hot and fresh. Driver and customer are both happy. And,
presumably, the appropriate tip has been proffered…
… And the issue goes even further, into who to tip and how to leave the tip. But ultimately, its the amount that counts. And baffles diners most…
It’s a psych-out…
The whole tipping thing has turned into a confused mess, with the old, familiar ‘rules’ submerged in a Sargasso of new ‘suggestions and tipping protocols. But the vendoes like it that way. The more con-fused you are, the more likely you are tip more (based on their suggestions), and an all-too-human desire not to ‘look cheap’.
“People are confused about tipping and the amount to tip. Food costs have changed, so tips have also been included in the increase,” etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, founder of The Protocol School of Texas.
Gottsman suggests thre are many factors that can influence the decision of how much to tip.
“You have $30 worth of Pad See Ew and red curry in your cart, and the app is casually suggesting $4, $6, or $8 for the tip,” a recent Delish post illustrates. “Suddenly, you’re doing mental math: Is $5 insulting? Is $8 too much? Does it matter that it’s raining? And why does ordering dinner suddenly require so much math?”
You’re a sitting duck for tip rip-off. And the practice has evolved, since the beginning of this decade, from a casual guilt-tripping the customer to an all-out, scientifically honed extortion play.
Where do you start?
The average tip on a takeout or delivery order is 13.7 percent, according to a 2026 Toast report. That’s actually lower than the average tip left at a sit-down, full-service restaurant. That may be because those folks who patronize full-service restos are old-schoolers like me, who subscribe to the ancient and venerable ’10 percent’ rule. But that’s another story for another day…
I think it’s fair to say that most folks believe – strongly – that no tip is necessary when tyhey6 go to the resto to pick hp their own takeout orders. But deliver service raises a host of other complicating issues…
‘It’s complicated’
Lord above! I hate that phrase! ‘It’s complicated’ has become an ugly, twisted verbal crutch on which TV and movie scriptwriters prop their characters’ excuses for not fully explaining something in the heat of a tense script. We understand. TV writers have to get a one-hour story wrapped up in 44 minutes, to allow for commercials…
But customers should take into account the overall situation delivery drivers face in their jobs.
“You don’t want to skimp on your driver, especially when they’re biking or driving through rain, snow, sleet, or extreme heat to get your sushi order to your door,” food writer Megan SchalteggerBut with all the extra fees, the cost of one meal can climb fast. Then there are other questions: Should the tip be based on the price of the food? The distance? The weather? Whether you live in a walk-up?”
So how much should you tip?
Many folks just tip driver a flat rate. Five bucks seems to be the average, according to a recent Reddit survey.
“I give $5 for delivery pretty much just fixed, unless it’s a long ways or bad weather or a really large order, then maybe more,” one Redditor commented.
“My tips are distance and weather based, never a percentage,” another user wrote. “Once in a very long while I will treat myself to some expensive sushi delivery. They are coming 10 blocks with a very light bag of food and no drinks, no way is 25 percent going on that, more like $6. If it’s the middle of a storm and I’m ordering in for 2, $10 will most likely be added to that.”
A third reported: “It’s included in the fees. I still give a few bucks adding more for late night or bad weather, but no longer do a percentage.”
The moral to the story…
… Seems to be that experienced, frequent delivery orderers have figured it out. As the Reddit resp-onses above illustrate. reasonable people have developed their own guidelines to determine how much to tip drivers. And the rest of us can learn from their experience.
My take
Time, they say, heals all wounds. I think it’s fair to say that the initial tipping gouge inflicted by deliv-ery services and drivers has scabbed-over for most delivery users, who have now had months or years to form their own conclusions about how much, and how to tip…
~ Maggie J.