Dollar ranges
| Band | What to bring |
|---|---|
| Typical | 15–20% of the order. $4 minimum so a $12 burrito is not a $1.80 tip. |
| Generous | 25% for a long run, stairs, rain, snow, or a stacked order they protected. |
| Skip | $0 extra if you already tipped in the app, the order never arrived, or the driver was hostile. |
Edge cases
Already tapped 20% in the app
That is the tip. Cash on the porch is only for something well beyond the drop.
Restaurant’s own driver vs gig app
Same percent band. Cash still reaches a restaurant driver more reliably than a line on some POS tickets.
No-contact drop
Still tip in the app. Leaving food at the door is the job, not a reason to zero the tip.
Where this applies
United States (default)
Tipping delivery drivers is customary in the US. These ranges are compiled custom, not any app’s own policy.
High-cost cities
20% is typical. Long parking hunts and walk-ups are the modifiers that matter.
Outside the US
In some countries delivery is not a tipped job. Follow local practice.
Questions people actually ask
- How much do you tip a delivery driver?
- Plan on 15–20% of the order in the US. Use a few dollars minimum on small tickets so the percent does not collapse to coins.
- Do you tip DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub the same?
- Yes for the percent band. Tip in whichever app took the order; do not stack cash on top unless they earned it.
- Should you tip before or after delivery?
- Most apps ask before. Adjust after only if the platform lets you and the drop went wrong or unusually well.
- What about bad weather?
- Add a few dollars for rain, snow, or extreme heat. That is a named bump, not a new percent forever.