NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at improving the earnings of its driver-partners in India, ride-hailing major Uber has rolled out a tipping feature on its app. According to reports, the feature will allow passengers to opt to add a tip to their bills at the end of their ride.
The option has been tested in pilot rollouts two months ago, according to the company, initially introduced in Mumbai and is now available across 50 cities in India. The feature had first been launched in the United States two years ago. In India, riders have been tipping an average of Rs 25 for their rides during the pilot phase.
“Driver-partners are at the heart of everything we do at Uber and we are always looking for opportunities to showcase both respect and greater appreciation for them. Every year riders in India reward hundreds of thousands of driver-partners with 5-star ratings. Uber’s new tipping feature now enables them to also say thanks to driver-partners who deliver exceptional service,” said Uber India South Asia head of city operations Prabhjeet Singh.
The feature is currently available to riders paying through the Paytm wallet and will be offered for rides taken in cabs, autos and bikes (UberMoto) on the platform. After the completion of a ride, passengers paying through Paytm are given the option to tip the driver-partner with four options displayed: Rs 25, Rs 50, Rs 100 and ‘enter custom amount’.
According to Uber, driver-partners keep 100 per cent of the tips received and riders may go back to previous trips to add a tip. Uber and Ola charge the driver-partner a commission on the trip fare, while offering certain incentives to drive for the platform.