[Maven]

Please answer the Poll. In those markets where it's been activated, how does in-App Tipping compare to the old cash-way of getting Tips? Remember, Uber must now report on your 1099-form, all Tips received through the App, to the IRS as income, subject to the 15.3% self-employment tax plus your current income tax rate. Related questions:

1. How many passengers who said "Gee! I really, really wish I had some small bills to tip you.", but did not ask "Do you have change of a $20?" are actually utilizing the new in-App tipping feature?
2. Are passengers that used to give cash tips of $10 or $20 or more now giving less, more, or the same using the in-App tipping feature?
3. Are you concerned that Uber may decide to add tips when calculating driver income to justify future driver pay cuts?
   
4. A few drivers used Square to collect tips by credit card. Is there any reason to continue this practice? Perhaps, for private fares, not using the App, where cash does not work?

 

[DRider85]

There was no option that says ''A little more tips.''

 

[TactiTaco]

Last night in Savannah, I made $106 from uber fares, 2x $2 in app tips and 2x $20 tips for a total of $150 for 11pm - 4am . I don't think it negatively effects cash tips, but I'm a 5 star uberX

 

[olygirl]

For this weekend I did 25 trips ($304 in fares) and got a whopping $2 of in-app tips. And that $2 was from the drunk guy that also gave me a $10 cash tip. Total was about $60 in cash tips, so cash is still king in my book.

 

[Garrett82]

My Uber account has been frozen since Tuesday night because I got numerous in at tips totaling $300 that they were supposed to double but now they're saying they're going to investigate him because that's too much but now they're not even showing up that I received them and Uber is saying you can't force riders to leave tips but the tips were on there as of Tuesday night and now there gone. They unlocked my account today but it seems I'm not able to pick anyone up because I have been logged in for 6 hrs and have not had one customer. So I'm shifting over to lyft

 

[OGT]

My Uber account has been frozen since Tuesday night because I got numerous in at tips totaling $300 that they were supposed to double but now they're saying they're going to investigate him because that's too much but now they're not even showing up that I received them and Uber is saying you can't force riders to leave tips but the tips were on there as of Tuesday night and now there gone. They unlocked my account today but it seems I'm not able to pick anyone up because I have been logged in for 6 hrs and have not had one customer. So I'm shifting over to lyft

So your scam didnt work?

 

[Garrett82]

but it wasn't a scam they were legit tips. One of the people try to tip $50 but the app wouldn't let him tip me that much I didn't try to run any kind of scam. I actually thought it was kind of cool that Uber was going to do that even though most people don't tip and almost nobody even knew about the in-app tipping that I picked up until I explained it to them

 

[Trafficat]

A few drivers used Square to collect tips by credit card. Is there any reason to continue this practice? Perhaps, for private fares, not using the App, where cash does not work?

Since Uber charges no credit card processing fee, in-app with Uber is better.

But if UBER pulls a LYFT, then in-app tips may count against earning guarantee promotions. So during those particular rides in-app tips are the only tips that suck so a card reader would be better.

Are you concerned that Uber may decide to add tips when calculating driver income to justify future driver pay cuts?

I'm more concerned that Uber may throttle down ride requests for people who get more money in tips. i.e. $15 in tips means that your next closest rider doing a $15 fare might get passed on to another nearby driver to "equalize" things.

Uber is a data hungry machine that seems to use every data point in some algorithm that tends to work against the driver. In-app tips is yet another data point for their machines to crunch, but in what way remains to be discovered.

 

[columbuscatlady]

I only do UberEats and now that there is tipping I am getting more cash tips than in-app tips. I have discovered that certain parts of town the people just aren't going to tip anyway and stay away from those areas now.