Uber doesn’t technically discourage tipping, but, unlike Lyft, the company also doesn’t allow you to leave a gratuity via the app. If you want to tip your Uber driver, you’ll need to have cash on hand. New York City might be forcing a change in policy, however.
The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission is considering a proposal that would require any ride service exclusively using credit cards to allow tipping within the app. Nobody’s explicitly saying this is a shot at Uber, but Lyft has included tipping since 2012 and Fasten allowed tipping in 2016, so Uber’s pretty clearly the only holdout.
Uber discouraged tipping until it settled two lawsuits last year. The company then “clarified” its stance on tipping to say that it doesn’t mind tipping, but that it feels drivers somehow prefer knowing exactly what they’re getting financially and that riders view tipping as a “hassle” (which rings a bit hollow considering how easy and unintrusive the tipping system Lyft uses is).
Of course, the fact that Uber has to pay the credit card processing fees for these tips and give the full amount to the driver probably doesn’t help matters from their perspective. But considering their current PR woes, it might behoove the app to swallow its pride and boost driver earnings with tips. If nothing else, they could use some positive media attention.
(Via The Verge)