Delivery Drivers Report More Customer Questions About Tips

Delivery drivers for DoorDash and Walmart Spark say customers are asking more often whether tips entered in the apps were received. Four drivers, three working for Spark and one for DoorDash, told Business Insider the conversations have increased over the past year. The questions follow high-profile settlements involving both services.

Walmart agreed this year to pay $16 million to settle Federal Trade Commission claims that it misled Spark drivers by stating 100 percent of customer tips would reach them. Walmart has sent adjustment payments to drivers in recent months, with some receiving several hundred dollars.

A Walmart spokesperson said drivers retain 100 percent of customer-confirmed tips in addition to base pay and that workers can contact Spark support if they believe a tip is missing. A DoorDash spokesperson said its workers keep 100 percent of tips given through the app and that the company will investigate any reported errors.

Some customers now give cash tips at delivery instead of using the apps. One Spark driver in South Carolina said a customer handed him a $5 bill and mentioned reading about the Walmart settlement. A DoorDash driver in New Hampshire said he encourages cash tips so customers can adjust the amount based on service quality and avoid uncertainty about where the money goes.