Uber finally adds tipping to ride-hail app
“This will have a meaningful impact on drivers’ bottom lines and provide a good incentive to go above and beyond while driving, which will help Uber’s brand,” said Harry Campbell, a Los Angeles driver who runs The Rideshare Guy blog and podcast. On Monday it said drivers had reaped $250 million in tips to date — of which Lyft does not take a cut. Besides allowing riders to select a custom amount, Lyft currently offers $1, $2 and $5 tip options, but said it will add higher defaults ($2, $5 and $10) for rides over $25. Uber had steadfastly refused to incorporate tipping, saying it would detract from the seamless experience it wanted riders to have, in which they could step out of a car and close the door, with payment handled through the app. “In any sort of service industry where you have that human interaction, I think people do feel compelled to tip,” said Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist at Golden Gate University. [...] Campbell pointed out that rates are still a sore point.