If you’ve ever ordered a box of pizza, then you might have been confused about how much to tip pizza delivery driver.
Some argue they are to be tipped according to the cost of your purchase while others feel they shouldn’t be tipped in the first place.
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Technically, you are not under any form of obligation to tip a pizza delivery person. However, not leaving a tip out for them could be perceived as ungrateful.
This could affect how quickly your orders are delivered and how well you are attended to.
So, if you have it in mind to tip your pizza delivery driver then you should check out these tips on how you could achieve that.
How much to tip for pizza delivery?
Popularly delivery guys are tipped an average of $3 for every order that isn’t more than $20. For deliveries over $20, you could opt to tip between 10 to 15% of the original price of your order.
Some orders also go overboard the normal pricing as a result of the quantity of your order. You might try to order for a birthday party, family hangout, or whatever big event that has pizza on its menu.
These orders take more as the delivery guy has to load tens of boxes into your home. So, for these kinds of orders, I’d recommend a minimum 20 % tip.
Also, if your order was completed in a good attitude then you should consider adding some extra dollars. This would be a form of appreciation to the driver.
By the way, you can use our simple pizza tip calculator to find out how much to tip a pizza delivery guy.
Get The Right Tip Amount With Our Tip Calculator
Looking for the fastest way to answer this question? Use our pizza tip calculator.
Why tip a pizza delivery driver?
Plenty of times we are concerned about why we are expected to tip that guy that brings our pizza. Some believe these guys are paid enough to keep them boxed up, but are they? How much in tips do pizza delivery drivers make?
Well, let me show you a few reasons why those guys should be handed that arm of favor.
The delivery fee rarely goes to the driver:
When you order a box of pizza and pay to have it delivered, the fee goes through a chain of command. From the business owners and finally to cover the expense of running the vehicle. On rare occasions do the drivers get a sneak of the cash as it is passed along the channels.
Also, some businesses may split the fee with the driver while some smaller ones give the entirety to the driver to supplement their pay. These fees are barely enough to get them through.
However, the delivery fee is just that after all (just gets the box to your house). It doesn’t pass for a tip and never should be allowed to get in the way of passing that tip along.
Assumptions get in the way of a substantial pay:
That fact delivery guys are assumed to get sufficient tips makes their pay substantially lower than other staff members. This gets them just enough to work another day.
Some businesses pay tipped employees much lower than minimum wage by Federal standards. non-tipped employees make about $7 an hour, while tipped employees are paid in the tune of $2 per hour.
By the way, you can use our simple pizza tip calculator to find out how much to tip a pizza delivery guy.
Get your box delivered on time:
Remember, tipping that driver is still a choice!
Nobody is waiting to spank you in the butt when you don’t give out a few notes to that delivery guy. But then, do you want to withhold that tip from them?
Customers who don’t tip are always shoved to the bottom of the delivery list. So, if your box constantly arrives cold you should check how often you tip the driver.
Drivers do all the jobs:
Drivers are what you’d call the grunts of the store, and they do every job inside it. From cleaning the store at the opening, fold boxes to taking orders, down to boxing them, and a lot more. They serve as support staff members and gets the store running.
Drivers are the last employees to the office just behind the manager on duty. They are also the first to arrive. Combine that with their unimpressive pay and the fact that they deliver your food, you’d realize that they work quite hard.
Related – Is pizza delivery a flexible job? – Refusing a pizza delivery.
Tipping Etiquette FAQs
Do I tip the driver if there is a delivery charge?
Please never think of replacing the tip with a delivery fee. I’d advise you tip the same as you would on a good day. The fee is just an additional payment on your bill for the business and hardly ever gets to the driver.
However, even big and popular chains of pizza fast food like Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut, do not get this fee to the driver. Pizza companies pretend to have low prices just for the appeal, so they use the fee to add up.
Drivers have always thrived on tips and receive a minimum wage. This started in years before the emergence of delivery fees. Companies that offer drivers $4 per hour, would have a $2.50 delivery charge, yet not give it to the driver. They always believe the tips would make up the difference.
The surcharge is expected to cover the rising cost of raw materials and hourly wages for their employees. In a small store, the delivery fee makes up the pay for the driver’s hourly wage. They most likely start the driver wage at nothing or a $2 hourly pay and then make it up with the fee.
How the fee is spent varies from business to business as even a small store might keep some of the fees for itself. At their best, the store uses the fee to subsidize the gas reimbursement that we get. Look at it like this, if my store charges about $2 for delivery then at most I’m likely to get $1.29 per delivery to cover for the gas.
Some stores expect us, the delivery guys to get paid by customer tips and are less concerned if you don’t. Some national pizza businesses state it clearly on the side of their box that the delivery fee is not a tip.
By the way, you can use our simple pizza tip calculator to find out how much to tip a pizza delivery guy.
Do I tip less if the driver is late?
There are a lot of factors that contribute to late deliveries. The fault might be from the delivery guy or even the kitchen themselves. In cases where the kitchen boxes the wrong order, the delivery guy is obligated to correct it, which might cost him a substantial amount of his pizza delivery time.
This extra time cause late deliveries and a lot of customers might not understand this, which isn’t their fault. They might move on to refuse to tip the delivery guy which is somewhat unfair.
Other factors that could cause late deliveries are traffic and how fast are the drivers in front of them. Anyways the customers only recognize factors they feel are convenient for their timing. But if he shows up on time, also up his tipping to be just.
Furthermore, some drivers have a reputation for getting the pizza delivered past the required time. But, if the lateness is prominent from different drivers from the same store, then it most likely isn’t the driver’s fault. The inside staff were probably to blame and he doesn’t deserve to be stiffed.
Note, you should keep in mind that each stiff might build your reputation as a popular stiffer. Word may get out and cause drivers to delay your order on purpose.
How much do I tip for large catering orders?
Large catering orders require the delivery guy to carry more boxes and exert more energy than a regular order. Shouldn’t he then be tipped for the extra stress? Well, this is something you should consider.
For big orders, you shouldn’t tip less than 10%. Any more than four items and means that the driver is going to need extra hot-bags, carry extra weight, and you probably got your pizza earlier than normal. Most delivery guys respond to you faster because they expect a bigger tip.
As the size of the order goes up, the tip amount should as well. People who argue that tipping a percentage isn’t necessary because the driver isn’t doing any extra work lack exposure. If you’ve ever tried carrying up to 20 pizzas up a flight of stairs then you’d know it’s a big deal.
I’d recommend tipping about 20% for such a large delivery but 10% would be okay at the least.
Am I to tip less if the driver is incorrect?
Mistakes are inevitable parts of human living. Orders have been delivered wrongly for a long time now and it shouldn’t be alien to you anymore.
Never forget that the delivery guys don’t cook your food!
If your order is wrong then it isn’t their fault!
They are drivers, not the cook, and not the person you should take out your frustrations on. If your order is wrong then they have to come back out to your home. This would cost them extra gas money and time, even though it isn’t their fault.
So, I’d recommend that you still tipped. Delivery guys are just delivery guys!
By the way, you can use our simple pizza tip calculator to find out how much to tip a pizza delivery guy.
How am I to tip a pizza delivery guy when I only have a credit card?
When the box gets to your home, you might have just exhausted all the spare change lying around. Some others do not even like the idea of having any of those lying around and opt to handle all their transactions with a debit card.
In cases like this, the pizza delivery guy would come along with a document for you to sign. In the receipt, a line for tips would be included as is obtainable in regular restaurants. So, all you need do is include your tip, add up the total, and sign off.
For this option to work, you need to readily pay online or call to give out your credit card number. Some drivers are equipped with a card reader that you can easily slide your card across, but it isn’t a popular option.
Do I tip differently if I get pizza from a chain restaurant?
It doesn’t work like that. Chain restaurants like Domino’s, Pizza hut and Papa John’s have similar delivery policies as the smaller stores. They are quite as reliant on tips as their colleagues in smaller stores and not tipping them would be unfair.
I’d recommend you consider them as tip worthy as any other in their line of work.
By the way, you can use our simple pizza tip calculator to find out how much to tip a pizza delivery guy.
Do you tip Uber Eats?
If he delivered the pizza to your home? Then, yes!
The tipping culture remains unchanged no matter the application you order from. Just stick to the normal service of at least $3 or even more, depending on how great the service was.
Do I still need to tip the delivery driver if I ordered online?
This shouldn’t be up for debate if you already have a culture of tipping the delivery driver. Placing your orders online is merely a convenience for you but everything remains unchanged for the delivery guys.
So, if the delivery guy is still performing his or her duty then I’d suggest you find some spare cash and place a smile on their faces. For instances where you cannot pay with cash then you can sign the receipt he would provide you. There you would find the tip line.
Conclusion:
Tipping that pizza delivery guy is not compulsory, but then putting a smile on a person’s face wouldn’t be that bad. A number of these guys don’t get paid enough to cater to the transportation expenses. They are compelled to rely on these tips to keep them afloat.
You might try to argue that some deliveries end badly but on most occasions, they are hardly traced back to the delivery guys. So, if you are not satisfied with your box, I’d recommend you hit up the store manager and find out why.
Don’t fault a delivery guy for things that are beyond their control.