# Riders can tip and say Thanks! with this new app



## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

I came across a free app designed for tipping via phone. It's powered by Venmo which is a peer to peer payment app (like PayPal, Google Wallet, etc.) popular with millennials.The app is called "Thanks!" (http://www.usethanks.com/) and is available on iOS and Android. I wonder if this could catch on.


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## Uberduberdoo (Oct 22, 2015)

Try a QR that links to ------> paypal.me/your name


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

ubreduberdoo said:


> Try a QR that links to ------> paypal.me/your name as in the image below


I'm familiar with paypal.me, have you used it for receiving tips for driving Uber? This interesting thing about Thanks! is that it retains recipient's privacy versus Paypal. Users of Thanks! pay either by using recipients ID nbr or proximity (email and mobile phone nbr are also available).


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## Uberduberdoo (Oct 22, 2015)

In fact a woman pax just yesterday said she was going to use the paypal.me.... Im still waiting


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## bestpals (Aug 22, 2015)

Have not been able to find app anywhere. Have an Android phone. Can't find it on any app site.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

Get a Square Register account with the little card reader dongle. $10 at Walmart, and they give you $10 for signing up. Customer can swipe any debit/credit card and the money is deposited in your account a day later. Processing fees are, I think, 2.75%. Every time a rider says, "I'd tip but have no cash" I say, you're in luck, if you wish to leave a tip, I can run your card. It's been very successful for me.


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

UberBeemer said:


> Get a Square Register account with the little card reader dongle. $10 at Walmart, and they give you $10 for signing up. Customer can swipe any debit/credit card and the money is deposited in your account a day later. Processing fees are, I think, 2.75%. Every time a rider says, "I'd tip but have no cash" I say, you're in luck, if you wish to leave a tip, I can run your card. It's been very successful for me.


I'm pleasantly surprised that it works for you. I've considered all of the usual suspects however, Thanks! charges no fee to use.


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

bestpals said:


> Have not been able to find app anywhere. Have an Android phone. Can't find it on any app site.


The app is available in Google Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thanks.android


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

One of the benefits is that customers are familiar with this. It's advertised on TV and I see a lot of small businesses using it.


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

This seems simple enough without drivers having to do anything more than provide a Thanks! ID nbr.


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## ray cash (Oct 22, 2015)

If a rider ask me about tipping with Plastic i tell them i have a square card reader it woks great and it is fast only takes about 2 mins.


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

This is an elegant design. Simple, easy to use. It is unassuming and almost doesn't seem like paying. It is cashless. It has a social/community aspect where you get an Influence Rank the more you use it/refer it.

The don't brand it as "paying" but "showing your gratitude to someone" :

"Each time you express your gratitude to someone within the app your _Thanks!_ score increases. Your cumulative positive impact within the community is then ranked on a 0-100 scale".

You also get a friendly nudge with an _Influence_ score:

"Your _Influence_ score increases anytime someone joins the community because of invites or social medial posts you've made from the app or from your gratitude expressed through the app. Your rank as an influencer in the community is measured on a 0-100 scale".

"Together we're growing the gratitude economy".

I just downloaded it and will be checking it out. If topic comes up I might ask, "Hey, do you use the _Thanks! App" _as a Topic. It's an iPhone and Android app. No mention of Tips.

Transactions are through Venmo so I'm good with that part of it. Will have to really check it out though.

EDIT: Now thinks to think about are that this is a new App. But again, then App doesn't do the merchant processing but Venmo.

Here's info on Venmo:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/032415/how-safe-venmo-and-why-it-free.asp

https://venmo.com/about/security/

http://www.slate.com/articles/techn...strong_as_the_company_wants_you_to_think.html

Thanks for the info Jace


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

Another thing I want to discuss and ask for advice. Is it best to not link an account like this to the checking account you use for let's say, your work paycheck direct deposit, Uber direct deposit, and the account you keep the majority of your everyday funds in?

Would it be better to have a separate account. There are lots of free online banks / financial institutions you can signup for online. Would this be better just to keep it all separate?


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

SCdave said:


> Another thing I want to discuss and ask for advice. Is it best to not link an account like this to the checking account you use for let's say, your work paycheck direct deposit, Uber direct deposit, and the account you keep the majority of your everyday funds in?
> 
> Would it be better to have a separate account. There are lots of free online banks / financial institutions you can signup for online. Would this be better just to keep it all separate?


The choice is yours since payments via the app aren't categorized in any fashion (e.g. payroll).


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## sidewazzz (Jun 30, 2015)

I take cash only, seems to be working out WAY better than what pax tip when they have the option via the app


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

sidewazzz said:


> I take cash only, seems to be working out WAY better than what pax tip when they have the option via the app


Cash is always good however, folks are carrying less cash nowadays especially on a night out where they figure that can use plastic for the outing. I think this app has potential for when a rider can't put together a few dollars which may result in drivers losing out altogether.


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## sidewazzz (Jun 30, 2015)

Jace said:


> Cash is always good however, folks are carrying less cash nowadays especially on a night out where they figure that can use plastic for the outing. I think this app has potential for when a rider can't put together a few dollars which may result in drivers losing out altogether.


Or I could claim that the app will allow pax to be less genourus with tipping since it automatically starts at a low dinomination. Whats better a handfull or $1, $2 and $3 tips or one $20 or even $100? It's all relative to one's stratagy.

I'm happy not having a tip option because Lyft has already proven to me pax are willing to tip less often and in less amounts not by a little but by a lot.


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

Jace said:


> The choice is yours since payments via the app aren't categorized in any fashion (e.g. payroll).


I was thinking more as in how to handle this type of cashless/money transfer electronically.

I do believe that Venmo is using Safe Transaction Processes but Safer is always better. So my question was more re the Safer question and linking Checking Accounts or another type of Online Account to Venmo to handle receiving/sending funds?


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

sidewazzz said:


> Or I could claim that the app will allow pax to be less genourus with tipping since it automatically starts at a low dinomination. Whats better a handfull or $1, $2 and $3 tips or one $20 or even $100? It's all relative to one's stratagy.
> 
> I'm happy not having a tip option because Lyft has already proven to me pax are willing to tip less often and in less amounts not by a little but by a lot.


This is a very interesting topic. Why would you be more successful getting cash tips. You mentioned some which make senses. Also....

In general, it seems you do well with Tips. Is this specific to you, type of vehicle you drive, the area that you drive, the type of Riders that generally get in your vehicle, or some combination of all three?


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## sidewazzz (Jun 30, 2015)

SCdave said:


> This is a very interesting topic. Why would you be more successful getting cash tips. You mentioned some which make senses. Also....
> 
> In general, it seems you do well with Tips. Is this specific to you, type of vehicle you drive, the area that you drive, the type of Riders that generally get in your vehicle, or some combination of all three?


I wish I knew the answer the. I would tweak some things to get even more tips. Some people think my territory sucks for tips others think it's good.... me... I get tips anywhere I drive. Maybe it's because of my customer service experience or not. My car is a bone stock base model 2012 Honda Civic that I clean maybe once a week, so I know it's not the car.

I do start my day with $7 in view of pax. I feel it gets them thinking subconsciously about a tip or cash in general.

Personally I feel if you provide a pax with a good experience you'll start see tips. But overall watching other drivers... they are terrible at driving, pretty bad at conversation/ rude and smoke.... I think any of those is an Instant negative for a pax.

The only time I've used a card reader was when the Uber app was fubar and I think I've taken two tips off it only because the pax asked if I could take a card for a tip.


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

So I can understand personal choice of a few like sidewazzz doing "well" with Tipping in general and Cash Tipping.

But in the long run, for Drivers in general, it is also a question of how to change the mindset of the Rider to "tipping is normal and a great opportunity for the Consumer to have more control over the service product and not less control".

In this sense, _Thanks! App_ with the _Gratitude Branding_ and _Community Branding_ is interesting. It's a move from Tipping and more towards a Bonus or Consumer Choice for an Add-On. It's in the Direction of "That was Great Service and I want the Service Provider getting More and not the App Company".

I've always wanted a means for Drivers as Individuals and Drivers as a Whole to be able to have a PR method to promote Gratitude Branding (also known as a Tip).

And taking it further, this is also for any OnDemand App based Service where the App doesn't offer taking a "Tip" for the Service Provider. This is a possibility for the OnDemand Workforce with _the Thanks! App_.

A possibility but who really knows. This App is so new. The OnDemand App Busines model is still so new. Consumer adoption and trends are so new. But I haven't seen anything else so easy to interface with, so unassuming, linked to an established financial product that is popular with the 20/30 yr old consumer, and allows for cashless branding of the consumer sending a Gratitude to the OnDemand Service Provider - a _Thanks!._

Cash is great for some. If everyone pinned $5, $10, & $20 to themselves when they went out clubbing, partying, or drinking, then no need for this App. Cash would be the best method for a Tip.

But the trend is Cashless. So would getting $1- $3 for 25, 50, 100, 100+ trips (per week) be better, with the occasional larger amount, if it was consistent, easy to do and expected?


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

sidewazzz said:


> I wish I knew the answer the. I would tweak some things to get even more tips. Some people think my territory sucks for tips others think it's good.... me... I get tips anywhere I drive. Maybe it's because of my customer service experience or not. My car is a bone stock base model 2012 Honda Civic that I clean maybe once a week, so I know it's not the car.
> 
> I do start my day with $7 in view of pax. I feel it gets them thinking subconsciously about a tip or cash in general.
> 
> ...


"I do start my day with $7 in view of pax. I feel it gets them thinking subconsciously about a tip or cash in general." Yes, great point. This could be what puts the expectation of Tipping in the Riders mind.

But you, your driving skills, and the driving experience make the Cash come out of the pocket, if they have any cash.

Out of curiosity, what do you say to
- This is my first time using Uber, "Are we good" or "Is that it"?
- Two people in the car and one says " I've got the Tip and the other is giving a silent No headshake, or even, It's Uber and included"?


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

SCdave said:


> I was thinking more as in how to handle this type of cashless/money transfer electronically.
> 
> I do believe that Venmo is using Safe Transaction Processes but Safer is always better. So my question was more re the Safer question and linking Checking Accounts or another type of Online Account to Venmo to handle receiving/sending funds?


Security for Venmo is optimal after having addressed those concerns specifically in it's early days so pick a bank account you'd enjoy seeing $$$ appear in every so often.


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

I had a couple of good rides last night (Sat) where the riders wanted to tip graciously - one only had a $20 bill and the other, a couple, wouldn't get out of the car until after digging deep into their pockets and purse in order to put together $3. I couldn't help but wonder if I used the app along with a "Thanks!" card with my ID nbr on it!


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

Check out their new TV commercial


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

Here's another app designed for tipping service professionals. It's called Bravo


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## Jace (Nov 14, 2015)

In light of the recent fare cuts we should probably facilitate riders paying tips with apps such as these.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

I think all of these apps and devices are good in their own way. I think more important than which you chose to use, is the conversation you have with the rider if the subject of tipping comes up. I often get asked, "how does this work, do I have to pay you?" and then I say, "no sir, the fare will be billed to the credit card you associated with the account when you signed up. The only thing not covered, is any gratuity. If you found the ride to be enjoyable and would care to leave a tip, I can take cash or I have a Square account, and I can run your card."

If a rider continues along the lines of "Uber says tips aren't allowed" or "Uber says tips aren't required, I have polite answers for that as well. "Well sir, Uber want's its customers to feel safe and secure, hence the cashless transaction. Officially, they aren't against riders tipping any more than a restaurant would be against you tipping a server." 

Now this isn't foolproof. There's always some, mostly younger people, who will insist that it's against the rules, or even law, to tip, based on the crappy way the mothership intimates that this is not necessary. I don't know whether those kids are a lost cause but I sure hope I see them working a bar or something when I walk in with friends for a drink or dinner. I'm waiting for the day, when just once, I can say, "hey, remember me? I drove you to work last week and we talked about tips?" Then I'll run up a nice large bill and when they come to collect, I'll say, "well, there's nothing in the menu about having to leave a tip, so I figure it wasn't required." I'll probably still tip, but you bet I want to break their balls over it.


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