Uber adds option to tip drivers as it heads in new direction

Associated Press ^ | 6/20/17 | AP Staff

[NohSpinZone]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Uber is enabling passengers to tip its U.S. drivers with a tap on its ride-hailing app for the first time, part of a push to recast itself as a company with a conscience and a heart.

Besides the built-in tipping option announced Tuesday, Uber is giving drivers an opportunity to make more money in other ways too.

[NohSpinZone]

Good, about time. I haven't minded giving drivers cash tips for their excellent service - Uber drivers have been generally very wonderful people in my experience. It'll be nice to fold the tip into the ride fees from the app though.

[al baby]

Nothing beats a crisp folded up gratuity albeit I am a very generous tipper

[BlackAdderess]

Opportunity to make money in other ways as well...

[sipow]

Agreed. It was a pain in the ass how Uber didn’t give you the option for tips - so you had to do that in cash. Yo be honest I used Lyft more often because they made it easier to tip. Now I’ll go back to Uber more.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Off topic, but, is Uber legal in all American cities? I’ve heard that drivers are supposed to have a chauffeur or professional drivers license in some states? Also heard some Uber driver was in an accident and sued for not having professional taxi insurance, which is somehow different from regular car insurance??

Didn’t Uber get sued by some cities which require you to have a taxi permit or taxi license to operate??

Sorry for repetitive questions but thought I heard Uber evades regulations because both riders and drivers contact each other on the app, and government officials can’t get a handle on Ubers business activities.

[HonorInPa]

Not sure why a tip is needed. I talked with an Uber driver and they get 75% of the fare. Nobody tips me when I do a job as a contractor.

[HamiltonJay]

Uber is evil... pure and simple... they ignore the rules and laws wholesale and up until recently got away with it....

Drivers do their jobs, but the company itself is certified evil.

[NohSpinZone]

Some municipalities have made it very onerous for Uber to do business - Austin, TX. comes to mind. Uber and Lyft both had decided to not do business there, though I think that has changed in recent weeks. The usual suspects are in play here - the taxi lobby is strong in many cities and the government officials fall in line.

I think enough citizens have to make a racket about demanding ride-sharing services for these cities to yield. For example, enough of us here in San Jose made a stink about letting Uber pick up at the airport for the city council to agree to it.

[Alberta's Child]

Uber is illegal in some places, and has been working to get themselves squared away with taxi/limousine licensing offices in places where they've been operating outside the law.

Uber's experience in New York City is a good example of how they operate. They were involved in a long legal battle with the NYC government, but they settled the dispute a couple of years ago and I believe Uber drivers in New York now meet all of the requirements of the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission.

[Reno89519]

No tip. I am tried of everyone thinking doing their job deserves a tip. None, zip. I don't tip hotel shuttle bus drivers, Uber drivers, etc. No way, they are doing their job, should focus on doing it right. (And if they think they are underpaid, they can always go out and find a new job.).

BTW, didn't Uber originally have tipping on their app, then removed it?

[NohSpinZone]

It’s a service industry and it’s ingrained into our culture to tip for these types of services. What kind of contracting work do you do? I’ve tipped for contractors who did emergency-type repairs for me. For jobs requiring proposals and invoicing, no. I assume that the margins are factored into the overall price.

[Alberta's Child]

You want to see a confusing legal situation for Uber? Come here to Newark International Airport in New Jersey. The airport straddles the municipal boundary between the cities of Newark and Elizabeth, which is also the border between two different counties. I believe Uber is permitted to pick up and drop off passengers at Terminals B and C (located in Newark), but their legal status is still up in the air at Terminal A (located in Elizabeth).

[Alberta's Child]

It seems odd to tip contractors. I would tip a waitress or the guys who come and deliver furniture to my home, but I don't see why I'd tip the self-employed plumber who comes here himself.

I once offered to tip a mechanic who did an emergency repair for me when I was miles away from home, and he gently refused the tip by telling me that he was the owner of the place. LOL.

[NohSpinZone]

You take the cake. That’s nuts!!! Uber has to code all that into the app to tell the users where they can go (or not) for pickups at EWR.

[Alberta's Child]

That’s why Uber is always engaged in ongoing discussions and even legal battles with these municipal and state governments. Logistically, it used to be much easier for Uber at Newark Airport when both Newark and Elizabeth outlawed them. But then Uber cut a deal with Newark last year where Uber paid the city $10 million for a ten-year access agreement at the airport. They’re trying to cut the same deal with Elizabeth, but as far as I know it’s still being negotiated.

[butlerweave]

Uber is the only getting any money from this and now they’ll get the Drivers tips

[NohSpinZone]

Your prerogative, of course. An anecdote for you. I once talked to a doorman at the Mirage Hotel and he said that the hottest job in town is to be a hotel doorman during the Christmas season. He said he would regularly make $2000 a day during Christmas week, with visitors often handing him $10s and $20s just for opening their doors or loading/unloading their bags.

[NohSpinZone]

Nope, the tips go 100% to the drivers, at least according to the article.

[moovova]

Just a way for uber to keep up with the driver’s tips...and include them on the 1099 so Uncle Sugar gets his.

Cash is king.

[NohSpinZone]

That’s a legit point. I’d rather see the drivers keep as much of their tips, even though they are bound to report it as income if it exceeds a certain amount. This is why I sometimes leave cash tips at restaurants in lieu of adding it onto the credit card bill. However, the point of Uber is to be have a transaction-free/light user experience.