Order Pizza? Here's How Much You Should Tip The Delivery Driver (2024)

Friday, February 7th, 2020

Order Pizza? Here's How Much You Should Tip The Delivery Driver (1)

Everyone who has ever ordered a pizza or had food delivered has likely been faced with a common quandary: “How much should I tip?”

While the delivery driver isn’t in the same position as a restaurant server, they are still the ones who bring your order right to your doorstep—and you wouldn’t believe some of the wild things your delivery driver has gone through before arriving with your goods.

Although tips are not an obligation, they’re a sign of gratitude for the person’s service here in America. If, for whatever reason, you don’t plan on including a tip with the total of your bill, at least order your pizza for you to pick up yourself.

But, returning to the main issue at hand here: how much to tip your pizza delivery driver. There are several things to keep in mind when calculating how much gratuity to give.

The truth about delivery fees

If you ordered a pizza to be delivered, you may have noticed that you were charged a delivery fee by the restaurant. These fees can vary in the amount, but usually run anywhere from $3-$10.

It may surprise you, then, that delivery fees hardly ever go to the drivers. So it should not be mistaken for a gratuity fee.

Minimum delivery fees

You may also have noticed that in many places, if you must order a minimum dollar amount in order for your food to be delivered. This is called a minimum delivery fee. This shouldn’t be mistaken in any shape or form as going towards the delivery driver.

With a minimum delivery fee, the restaurant will take the up front amount and is not legally required to allot any sum for the driver (with several exceptions related to federal minimum wage)

With those two factors in mind, you can start calculating how much to tip your pizza delivery driver.

How much to tip the pizza delivery driver

Generally speaking, delivery orders that are less than $20 are given a minimum tip of $3. If the order is over $20, then it’s customary to calculate a tip that is 10%-15% of the order (but never less than $5).

How much you choose to actually tip can be influenced by several things (but should always follow those baseline standards). Some instances that warrant a higher tip amount could be:

  • Deliveries made during bad weather. Heavy rain, snow, high winds, etc., are all hazardous to those on the road. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re ordering pizza to avoid having to drive in inclement weather, then you should generously tip the person who brings it.
  • When the delivery address is more than five miles from the store location.
  • If the driver was particularly polite, performed an outstanding service, or arrived ahead of time.

Bad delivery experience?

Wrong order? Cold food? Delivery mishaps happen frequently, unfortunately. But at the very least, you should still give the delivery driver a tip, then call the store and ask to speak to a manager and explain the issue. More often than not, the fault will lie with the store and not the delivery driver.

Why tipping delivery drivers is important

Most delivery drivers only make minimum wage or less, along with tips. But if you factor in expenses such as gas, insurance, and repairs (from the wear and tear put on the vehicle from frequent driving) their costs begin to quickly cut into any profit. Additionally, there are many times where delivery drivers are required to carry extra coverage and pay higher premiums on their car insurance.

In sum: it can be tricky to make a living as a pizza delivery driver. Tips can make or break the job!

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Order Pizza? Here's How Much You Should Tip The Delivery Driver (2024)

FAQs

Order Pizza? Here's How Much You Should Tip The Delivery Driver? ›

Either way, you can use the general tipping rule for service industries in the U.S., which is 15% to 20% of the total bill. For instance, if you ordered pizza and the bill came to $35, you could tip 15%, which would be $5.25, or choose to go with 18% of the bill, which would be $6.30.

How much of a tip should you give a pizza delivery driver? ›

Unless the service you've received has been truly terrible, it is customary to tip your delivery driver. When considering tipping the pizza delivery driver, a 15-20% tip is customary. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether to give more or less.

Is $5 a good delivery tip? ›

Is $5 a Good Tip for Pizza Delivery? If your total order exceeds $20.00, a driver tip of $5.00 is the minimum number when it comes to etiquette.

How much do you tip on a $150 pizza delivery? ›

How much to tip pizza delivery? The general rule in all instances is that you should tip between 10 % and 20 % of the total value of the bill.

Are you supposed to tip Domino's delivery? ›

Domino's delivery charge is not a tip, nor does it go to the delivery driver. We encourage customers to tip their drivers for great service.

Do pizza delivery drivers prefer cash tips? ›

If you plan to pay the driver when they arrive, be sure to set aside the cash for a tip separately. Don't simply hand the driver $40 and say "keep the change," Swann says. In either case, Swann says cash is a preferred method of tipping for most service workers because it ensures that they get the money immediately.

What is the etiquette for tipping food delivery people? ›

If everything goes smoothly with your delivery and the weather is good, 20% is the standard cost of having the mealtime brought to your doorstep. Never tip less than five bucks, though.

Is $2 enough for delivery tip? ›

The same is true of smaller and quicker-to-complete orders, like if you're just getting a coffee and a sandwich delivered from Starbucks or a fast-food restaurant like McDonald's. Orders under $10 are totally fine to not tip by total percentage, with $2-4 per small order being a perfectly adequate tip.

Is 10% tip too low for delivery? ›

Our recommended tip range for catering delivery drivers, as featured in our FAQs, is: 10% for large orders (over $100) 15% for smaller orders. A $5 minimum for all deliveries.

Is $3 delivery tip enough? ›

Flat rate. Warrener's rule of thumb is to tip delivery people, whether they're on foot, bike, or in a car, between $3 and $5 depending on the cost of the meal and how far they travel. Indeed, a delivered meal for a large family can be costly, and a 20% tip can seem exorbitant, hence his recommendation to tip a flat fee ...

How much do you tip for $60 pizza delivery? ›

How much to tip the pizza delivery driver. Generally speaking, delivery orders that are less than $20 are given a minimum tip of $3. If the order is over $20, then it's customary to calculate a tip that is 10%-15% of the order (but never less than $5).

How much do you tip for $30 pizza delivery? ›

For example, let's say you order two large specialty pizzas for a total of $30. You should add $6 for the two pizzas, leaving you with a total of $36.

How much do you tip for $35 pizza delivery? ›

Either way, you can use the general tipping rule for service industries in the U.S., which is 15% to 20% of the total bill. For instance, if you ordered pizza and the bill came to $35, you could tip 15%, which would be $5.25, or choose to go with 18% of the bill, which would be $6.30.

Is it okay to not tip pizza delivery? ›

How Much You Should Tip A Delivery Driver? According to Ridester, when you're ordering food online, tipping etiquette usually falls right in line with the standard 15 percent, which it says is fine for standard or small orders that are easy to pick up and drop off, but not enough for larger orders.

Why do you tip pizza delivery guys? ›

They need to survive too- duh

Here is why we believe you should tip your pizza delivery driver: If they have good service. If they deliver your food on time. If they bring all of the correct items (which sometimes isn't the driver's responsibility)

What is tipping fatigue? ›

“Tipping fatigue has hit American consumers hard,” ABC News reported about the backlash to burgeoning gratuity requests for things such as takeout. Two-thirds of Americans have negative views of tipping, according to a 2023 survey.

Is an 18 tip given to a pizza driver? ›

A tip of at least $3 is good for orders of $20 or less. Depending on what you order, that amount should equate to a 15% to 18% tip. You don't need to adjust the tip too much for orders that exceed $20.

Is 10 tip good for delivery? ›

Everyone loves to get take-out, and you should always tip the driver who delivers your food, even when using one of the best food delivery apps. Consider tipping between 10% and 15%. If you had a challenging order, like a pint of soup or multiple milkshakes, consider tipping 20%.

Are you supposed to tip furniture delivery drivers? ›

Tipping for furniture delivery is not mandatory, as the delivery fee is often considered part of the service. However, tipping is generally appreciated, especially if the delivery personnel go above and beyond expectations or provide exceptional service.

How to calculate tip for delivery? ›

A good rule of thumb is to tip $3-$5 or 15-20% of the bill for a difficult delivery.

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