They have lost their value prop - which was simplicity and transparency.

Not saying I'll never use them again but they used to be my primary ride. Now they are not. :(

I've been Lyft-first for a while now, so on the surface Uber's change doesn't affect me too much.

But I wonder if it'll affect the availability mix between Lyft and Uber. People who drive for both have told me they prefer to accept Lyfts first, presumably in part because of the tipping. When tipping is permitted in both systems, I wonder if I'll lose a little "Lyft edge" with those drivers.

It may not be a huge deal...in most cities, both Lyfts and Ubers are always close by. But 3 months from now, I wonder if that will remain true.

Lyft's base rates are lower, suggesting that Lyft drivers make a *little* less on the base, but find it worth it to get a full tip on top of that.

Not sure if this is still true - about a year ago drivers said that Lyft's commission was less than Uber so would it be a fair assumption that the net amount to the driver (sans tip) is essentially the same (Lyft = smaller commision, Uber = larger commission)?

Just as important - more Lyft drivers commented that Lyft were more responsive to driver questions than Uber whenever they called or emailed in.

My personal $0.02 / observation both as a Lyft and Uber pax (currently with a 4.86 Uber pax rating averaged over 200 rides)

In that case, I'm surprised Lyft isn't completely killing Uber on the driver side.

Uber is global and in many more US cities domestically than Lyft hence it's a limitation of market presence depending on the city. Since most drivers have told me they prefer Lyft so I do my best to log into Lyft first however there are times that I just default to Uber out of convenience simply because, as a user, I need to get to/from the airport quickly and forget where I am (whether Lyft is an option or not).

Uber has also metastasized into many apps and ecosystems I was never a fan of seeing uber in google maps or UA's app

Does anyone tip using Uber app?
 

Yeah, I read some disgruntled drivers on Reddit talking about tips.

I always top at least a dollar (bearing in mind my typical trip is under $10) unless there was a service issue.

I managed to get $600 of Uber gift cards for $400 recently, so I'm Ubering on the cheap.

Posts have been relocated from Air Canada forum for further discussion.

tcook052
Air Canada forum moderator

Yes, same as I would for a taxi. Roughly 15%. If it's a route with which I'm familiar and the rate is high due to "surge pricing" I tip based on the approximate non-surge fare because the surge is the premium to get the driver out in the first place.

As a driver, I'd say I receive a tip on about 20% of my rides. Of those that tip, most are via the app (vs cash).
The way Uber presents it to us, indicates we are getting the full tip amount ... if they say you tipped $3, then $3 is added to my pay statement.
I hate saying it, but I don't trust the company. There isn't any way for me to know the amount you physically tipped. Having said that, I don't feel Uber is cheating drivers out of tip money. Yet. And I prefer the in-app tips ... anonymous and no dealing with change. I think most drivers would disagree with me. It does surprise me that Uber doesn't try to re-coup their credit card fee on the increased amount.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that some states have laws which may not allow the deduction of processing fees from tips - Uber may have just chosen to apply that policy nationwide. An example of this kind of law is California Labor Code § 351, but I do not know if that would apply only to restaurant workers or to all tipped positions.

Given Uber's scale though, I also wouldn't be surprised if they negotiated down the processing fees on the tips down to a level where could absorb it.

I usually tip depending on the value proposition for the ride. If I take a pool ride and I'm alone, I'll tip a bit more. Last month I took a pool ride that was $7.50 for a one-mile ride and as far as I could tell didn't take the driver out of his way, so I didn't tip.

I stopped driving before Uber allowed tips on the app. Travis once swore that Uber would allow tipping over his dead body; it was part of their "Let's be a kinder gentler Uber" campaign.

I do remember once though that I gave someone a $7 ride and they leaned forward from the back seat and put money on the front passenger seat. When I got to where I could see (it was night) I noticed it was 2 $1 bills and a $20. I assumed the pax meant to tip me $3. I knew their address so I wrote to them and sent them a check for $19, telling them they could make it out to themselves, or to charity, or tear it up. It wasn't 100% altruism. I didn't want the guy swearing to himself that he'll never ever tip again. (He wrote back and returned the check, but thanked me.)

IME Uber has always split the charge into separate transactions.

Lyft, on the other hand, makes a single transaction if you add a tip within 24 hours.