Is $4 a good tip for Doordash?

There’s nothing as flexible as making a few taps on your phone, waiting a few minutes, and boom, your order is at the Door. It’s wholesome… but comes with a price.

You’re faced with some fees to pay, and most importantly, need to tip your driver (and at least, tip right).

In this vein, is a $4 tip any good? Let’s take a quick look at this.

Is $4 a good tip for Doordash?

To the nitty-gritty of this article…is $4 a good tip or not?

For most orders you’ll be making on Doordash, $4 is definitely not a bad tip. However, you’ll need to consider a couple of factors to accurately evaluate the $4 tip.

So what are these factors?

Firstly, does it align with the normal standard way of tipping?

The standard way of tipping in most industries, such as barbing, restaurants, and just about every work that involves rendering services to customers, is 15-20%. This is something also wholly welcomed on Doordash.

For smaller orders with a total of less than $25, $4 is a good tip as it fits into the standard tipping policy. However, this may not be the case when the total of your order is above $25.

Editors note: $4 has also come to be recommended as the “minimum” tip customers should tip drivers. This, however, doesn’t mean we don’t see customers who tip $3 or low.

Secondly, Distance!

In fact, this is the most important factor for us drivers.

For one reason, the longer the distance of an order, the more time it takes to finish it, as well as the more fuel consumption.

As a rule of thumb, a $4 tip should be good for deliveries with a distance of 1-3 miles.

For deliveries with a distance above that, a $4 tip would be average and can only get worst from that.

You may also be sensitive to take note of the weather condition, time of the day, traffic, and whether you have a lot of instructions on the table.

Remember, the whole idea about tipping is to appreciate the efforts of a driver.

Editors note: For deliveries with lots of instructions, Cash tips are usually the way to go. Not only do they only help you reward drivers when they actually satisfy your instructions, it’s beneficial to both parties.

Why is tipping a big deal on Doordash?

Tipping is actually not a new thing, at least for most industries.

Foodservice, personal care, restaurants, hospitals, name them– tipping has always been a practice.

But why does it seem different, or maybe a big deal on Doordash as well as on other food delivery companies?

Well, the truth about Tipping on Doordash is that, it plays a significant role in the financial structure of what drivers make.

Not only are you gifting a driver by tipping, but without your tip, you might not find a driver or may have a delay, funnily enough.

Sound a bit extreme, right?

Well, this is because drivers are already programmed to cherrypick orders with better pay (most likely good tips) and leave out the ones with none.

This is generally normal psychology in humans. When you are faced with a lot of options, you’d definitely want to make a better choice.

But why is this so?

It’s not just about personal preference or drivers being greedy, the amount Doordash pays per order (base pay) is usually nothing to write home about.

On average this is about $1-$4 (barely in the higher range) for a delivery that could take up to 30 minutes to be completed. This is less than the minimum wage in most places.

To supplement this, Tipping serves as the remedy

But lastly, remember, tipping should always be an appreciation for a service well done, whether before or after.

So what about delivery fees?

“But the delivery fee on my order is usually not that poor,” you may want to ask.

Most people are usually fond of mistaking the base pay of drivers for the delivery fee shown when they make orders, whereas they’re totally not the same thing.

Some people even go as far as assuming the delivery fee goes to drivers while the service fee goes to Doordash.

But that’s totally not the case.

The delivery fee is what Doordash charges before your order can be initiated and delivered.

On the other hand, drivers’ base pay is an independent amount that is derived by calculating the distance, desirability of an order (an unknown factor, coined by Doordash), and estimated time for a delivery.

For the service and delivery fee, they all go to Doordash and serve their respective purpose.

Conclusion

The question about whether $4 is a good tip or not all depends on a couple of factors.

For the majority of orders, it should be, but you’ll need to factor in other aspects such as the distance of your order to the restaurant, total amount, etc, to accurately tell.

Hope you find this article helpful

FAQ

Is $5, $6, or $10 a good tip for Doordash?

A tip between $5 and $10 is generally seen as a good amount for most orders you’ll be making on Doordash. A general rule of thumb for food delivery services is to tip at least 15-20% of the pre-tax order total. If your tip follows this practice, and your order is at a considerable distance, you’re good to go.