Data Series: How do tips compare between Uber and Lyft?

Our second post of Data Series, where we crunch the numbers in the world of gig work and share the insights with you, is all about tipping in the rideshare world. Between Uber and Lyft, how do the numbers stack up?

In our first blog post of this series, we discussed the big differences between rideshare and food delivery tips. Let’s drill into rideshare and compare drivers’ tip experience between Uber and Lyft.

All of this data comes from rideshare and delivery drivers who use the Driver’s Seat app to track their own work data and see how it compares to others. You can see the breakdown for your own data by downloading the app.

How do tips compare between Uber and Lyft?

Often we hear from drivers that they notice differences in tipping between the two major rideshare platforms, but they can't be sure without more data. So we took a look at the numbers and analyzed tip frequency, tip size, and tip as share of total earnings. Here's what we learned!

Tip frequency: How likely is it that an Uber or Lyft ride will be tipped?

About one in four rideshare trips are tipped. This tip rate is pretty much the same between Uber and Lyft, with just a 3% difference.

Tip size: Is there a difference between Lyft and Uber?

Yes, but the difference isn't as much as some drivers might think. The typical tip amount for both platforms is around $4.00.


Tips as share of total earnings: How big an impact do rideshare tips have on earnings?

A small impact. Rideshare tips count for only a small portion of driver earnings.


Bottom line—when it comes to tips, are Uber and Lyft that different?

Not so much after all. 

After examining more than 16,000 earnings from our random sample of Driver’s Seat users, we found that the three key aspects of tipping (frequency, size, and share of earnings) are pretty consistent between Uber and Lyft. 

What do you think?

Drop us an email or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook to share your experience.

  • Does the data we've analyzed from these drivers match your own?
  • What other questions do you have about tips?
  • What’s a topic you’d be interested in reading in our next blog post?

P.S. Did you know we recently launched automatic tracking for trips and earnings in the Driver’s Seat app? It’s the easiest way to see how you’re performing with gig work. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play and compare your performance to other drivers!

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