How Much Do You Tip Shipt Shoppers?
Optimize your Shipt tipping strategy. Understand recommended amounts, key factors, and the easiest ways to properly compensate your shopper.
Shipt provides a convenient service, allowing customers to receive groceries and other goods delivered directly to their homes. Shipt shoppers are independent contractors who fulfill these orders by personally shopping for items in stores and then delivering them. Tipping is a common practice across various service industries, serving as a direct way to acknowledge the effort and quality of service provided. For Shipt shoppers, tips form an important part of their overall earnings, compensating them for their time, effort, and personal vehicle usage.
Understanding Tipping Guidelines
When considering how much to tip a Shipt shopper, a common recommendation is to base the gratuity on a percentage of the total order value. Many sources suggest a range of 15% to 20% of the order total as a standard tip for satisfactory service. This percentage aims to provide fair compensation for the shopper’s time spent selecting items, waiting in checkout lines, and transporting goods. For smaller orders, where a percentage might result in a very low amount, a minimum tip, often $5 to $10, is advised. Shipt states that 100% of the tip goes directly to the shopper.
Shoppers often rely on tips to supplement their income, as their base pay per order can vary and may not fully cover their operating costs, such as fuel and vehicle maintenance. The delivery fee paid by the customer typically does not go entirely to the shopper, making tips a significant component of their earnings.
Factors Influencing Tip Amounts
Several factors can influence how much a customer might adjust their tip, moving beyond the standard percentage. The complexity of an order, such as a large number of items or the inclusion of heavy goods like multiple cases of water or pet food, often warrants a higher tip due to the increased physical effort and time required. Longer delivery distances also contribute to increased operational costs for the shopper, making a larger tip appropriate in such situations.
The quality of service provided by the shopper is another significant determinant for tip adjustments. Exceptional communication, accuracy in item selection, careful handling of fragile goods, and timely delivery are all aspects that can lead customers to increase their tip. Furthermore, adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain or snow, or accommodating special requests or last-minute changes, demonstrate a shopper going above and beyond, meriting additional gratuity.
How to Tip Shipt Shoppers
Customers have straightforward options for providing tips to their Shipt shoppers. The most common method is to add a tip directly through the Shipt application after the delivery has been completed. The app typically provides an option to tip on the order’s receipt, allowing customers to select from pre-set percentages, often ranging from 10% to 25%, or to enter a custom amount. This in-app tipping feature is usually available for a limited time after delivery, and customers may receive a reminder to tip and rate their shopper the next time they log into their account.
Alternatively, customers can choose to provide a cash tip directly to the shopper at the time of delivery. While less common than in-app tipping, cash tips are generally appreciated by shoppers.