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Mamdani: Delivery Apps have stolen $550M by hiding tipping from customers - this will change
(nyc.streetsblog.org)
In December 2023, NYC set delivery driver's minimum pay to $21.44/h. On the same day, Uber and DoorDash updated their checkout process to prompt for a tip after you'd already paid for your order.
Average tip per order went from $3.66 to $0.76 after this change. I would hazard a guess that many people hit 'confirm order', see some type of confirmation, then exit the app without proceeding to the next screen that would prompt them to tip. Even so, I'd be rather annoyed if this happened at a restaurant.
"In the midst of an affordability crisis, the New York City Council has turned tipping into essentially an added tax by forcing platforms like DoorDash to pressure consumers to tip at checkout," DoorDash said at the time.
As if these companies don't employ every tactic under the sun to pressure their customers. From inflated menu prices to dark patterns, these overzealous middleman know no bounds.
Ordering directly from the restaurant is and always will be the best way to support them.