# Uber tipping hits the year mark, drivers made $600M



## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

It's been one year since Uber added tipping to its app. And, Uber said, it's been good for drivers.

Drivers have earned more than $600 million in tips through the app in the US and Canada over the last year, the ride-hailing company said Thursday. Uber said that the longer tipping is available in the app, the more passengers hand over gratuities. For instance, in the first six months, Uber drivers earned $200 million in tips and in the last six months drivers earned $400 million.

It's been one year since Uber added tipping to its app. And, Uber said, it's been good for drivers.

Drivers have earned more than $600 million in tips through the app in the US and Canada over the last year, the ride-hailing company said Thursday. Uber said that the longer tipping is available in the app, the more passengers hand over gratuities. For instance, in the first six months, Uber drivers earned $200 million in tips and in the last six months drivers earned $400 million.

Uber and Lyft have been in a tight competition to win over drivers -- it's crucial to their businesses. Without drivers the ride-hailing companies wouldn't have passengers and without passengers the companies would fold.

Besides tipping, Uber has amped up other offerings for drivers. It added a feature that pays drivers extra if they have to wait for customers, along with 24/7 phone support and an easier passenger pickup system through the app. Uber has also started paying drivers to return riders' lost items, like phones. And letting drivers know if they had a long trip ahead of them, so they can choose whether or not to accept that fare.

Lyft has also worked to make drivers happier. It has its corporate employees spend four hours every three months driving to better understand drivers work. It's also expanded its driver support centers throughout the US. And on Wednesday, Lyft announced it was helping drivers with rising gas prices by giving them discounts at Shell stations.

https://www.cnet.com/news/uber-tipping-hits-the-year-mark-drivers-made-600m/


----------



## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

Quote "Being Uber means there's no need to tip" Yours truly- Uber


----------



## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

Been over this topic for years. People complained and complained and complained, so Uber added a tip option to get some positive PR after Travis left.

But tips have always been factored into earnings. If you're someone who magically gets tipped every other ride because you've won the rideshare lottery for a day, you'll still get capped out at a max hourly rate, and your earnings won't best the driver to your right. All of your rides will be filtered to keep you in line with everyone else - that's not an independent contractor.

I just love it when the invisible Uber hand does something. In this case, it's "report tip earnings" in order to act like they care about drivers, have turned over a new leaf, and to remind the public of their tipping option - more tips means they can siphon more calls away from you and into the hands of a new driver.

Umm, Uber desperately needs new drivers
https://uberpeople.net/threads/need-a-laugh-check-this-out.267589/


----------



## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

I guess I got my 0.000001% per cent of the pie.


----------



## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Trump Economics said:


> View attachment 238149
> 
> 
> It's been one year since Uber added tipping to its app. And, Uber said, it's been good for drivers.
> ...


Let's do the math. One million rides per day, 365 days a year and $600 million in tips last year. Wow, that comes out to an astonishing average tip of $1.63 per ride. All a driver has to do is 7 rides and they can get a super sized double chubby with cheese value meal from their tips.


----------



## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

1.5xorbust said:


> I guess I got my 0.000001% per cent of the pie.





SEAL Team 5 said:


> Let's do the math. One million rides per day, 365 days a year and $600 million in tips last year. Wow, that comes out to an astonishing average tip of $1.63 per ride. All a driver has to do is 7 rides and they can get a super sized double chubby with cheese value meal from their tips.


----------



## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

1,000,000 drivers. $2 per day each. Big whoop!


----------



## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> 1,000,000 drivers. $2 per day each. Big whoop!


Your breakdown is extremely accurate. I make about $2 a day in tips.


----------



## Skorpio (Oct 17, 2017)

Dude I give 30-40 ride per day.
Average to 5-10 pax tipping everyday..
Except some day.. 0 tips..
Uber is stealing my tips for sure!


----------



## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

What's interesting to me is that Uber's first year figure is about equal to Lyft's total tips since the dawn of time. I'm not sure if that makes me wonder about the credibility of the Uber number, or reinforces the possibility that Lyft is a non-event.

But driving is about fares. If you can't make it with fares, tips aren't going to save you. 

That said, having the option for in-app tips is better than not having it. And it's especially helpful with business travelers, because they can (and do) tip in the app so it goes on their company credit card, rather than coming out of their own pocket.

But driving is about fares and Uber (and Lyft) driver rates are pathetic.


----------



## Trump Economics (Jul 29, 2015)

JimKE said:


> What's interesting to me is that Uber's first year figure is about equal to Lyft's total tips since the dawn of time. I'm not sure if that makes me wonder about the credibility of the Uber number, or reinforces the possibility that Lyft is a non-event.
> 
> But driving is about fares. If you can't make it with fares, tips aren't going to save you.
> 
> ...


Exactly. The occasional $5 tip isn't going to save you from less than minimum-wage earnings, and from living in your car. Tipping (or lack therof) is a dead issue at this point. It's time to move on and file for bankruptcy.


----------



## Taxi2Uber (Jul 21, 2017)

Skorpio said:


> Dude I give 30-40 ride per day.
> Average to 5-10 pax tipping everyday..
> Except some day.. 0 tips..
> Uber is stealing my tips for sure!


Saturday night. Did 30 rides, got $6, 2x$3.
Looks like the newly released app is better at stealing tips than the old one.


----------



## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

I went back 6 months to post an answer to a question in another thread. “What’s your average tip per ride?” The answer was $1.70. I also answered the unasked question. What percentage of my total income is tip income and it turned out to be about 10%

These numbers don’t include cash tips. Because I don’t keep a record of these. 

So on my average $4000 a month gross income about $400 of that is tip income on the app

I agree with what was said above. Fares are the important thing. But with fares what they are, tips are really important to me I’m going to start tracking tips, including cash tips with the goal of increasing tips to 20% and getting 59% of my riders to tip


----------



## Lee239 (Mar 24, 2017)

Trump Economics said:


> View attachment 238149
> 
> 
> It's been one year since Uber added tipping to its app. And, Uber said, it's been good for drivers.
> ...


i bet it's 599,999,000 US and 1000 Canada.

When I drove it was cash tips and I did pretty well but since it was so slow in my area it didn't matter, what good is making $6 a day and $2 tips.


----------



## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

no eay in hell that figure is legit, no way in hell


----------



## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

Skorpio said:


> Dude I give 30-40 ride per day.
> Average to 5-10 pax tipping everyday..
> Except some day.. 0 tips..
> Uber is stealing my tips for sure!


30-40 rides a day?


----------



## Skorpio (Oct 17, 2017)

Jo3030 said:


> 30-40 rides a day?


----------



## matty moo (Aug 21, 2018)

"Lyft has also worked to make drivers happier. It has its corporate employees spend four hours every three months driving to better understand drivers work."

That alone would probably eliminate 50% of our complaints.


----------



## Over/Uber (Jan 2, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I went back 6 months to post an answer to a question in another thread. "What's your average tip per ride?" The answer was $1.70. I also answered the unasked question. What percentage of my total income is tip income and it turned out to be about 10%
> 
> These numbers don't include cash tips. Because I don't keep a record of these.
> 
> ...


$4K gross/mo??! In Ft Myers?? How many hours per week are you driving?

And Holy Schmitt Skorpio, 191 at 68 hrs??!!! Obviously no one else is counting on you for any chance of a life.


----------



## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Over/Uber said:


> $4K gross/mo??! In Ft Myers?? How many hours per week are you driving?
> 
> And Holy Schmitt Skorpio, 191 at 68 hrs??!!! Obviously no one else is counting on you for any chance of a life.


That's an average since the first of the year. It was more in season, less now. To answer your question ... Lots of hours.

And she counts on me for groceries. And we went out to dinner last night. But you are right, she isn't happy


----------



## Fahgetaboutit (Apr 4, 2017)

*From ReCode Jan 2018

https://www.recode.net/2018/1/5/168...arney-harford-2018-cut-costs-customer-service

Uber by the numbers*

75 million monthly active riders
Three million total active drivers (defined as drivers that gave four or more rides the month prior)
15 million rides a day
Four billion rides just in 2017
*Latest milestones*


Uber hit five billion total rides in May 2017
Two billion total rides in July 2016
One billion total rides in December 2015


----------

