Delivering orders for customers is an important service that many Walmart delivery drivers provide. A common question that many Walmart customers have is whether delivery drivers can see if a tip was included before they deliver the order. Understanding whether tips are visible to drivers ahead of time can help customers know if tips factor into delivery service. This article will provide insight into Walmart’s tipping policy and answer whether drivers see tips upfront.

What is Walmart’s Official Policy on Tipping Delivery Drivers?

Walmart has an official tipping policy that allows customers to tip delivery drivers, although tipping is not required. Tips are meant to be an extra “thank you” for good service if customers choose to offer them. Walmart emphasizes that tips are voluntary. The company does not include an automatic gratuity or service charge on delivery orders.

Walmart also makes it clear that drivers are not allowed to solicit tips from customers. Asking for tips is against company policy. Instead, Walmart focuses on trying to provide a good base compensation for drivers rather than relying on tips as essential income.

Do Walmart Drivers See Tips Before Delivering Orders?

According to Walmart’s tipping policy, delivery drivers are only able to see the tip amount after an order has been successfully delivered. This means drivers do not know if a tip was included or how much the tip will be until after they finish the delivery.

Tips on Walmart delivery orders can only be added by customers after the order is delivered. When placing an order initially, there is no option to add a tip. The tipping process occurs retroactively.

Once an order is complete, customers receive a delivery confirmation and the option to rate their experience and include a voluntary tip. This information is then passed along to the driver after the transaction is finished.

Why Doesn’t Walmart Show Tips to Drivers Beforehand?

Walmart intentionally designed the tipping process this way to prevent tips from influencing how drivers deliver a customer’s order. By keeping tips unknown until the order is complete, the company aims to ensure consistent and fair service.

Showing tips upfront could result in drivers providing preferential treatment to orders with larger tips. It may also discourage drivers from putting care into orders that don’t have tips added at checkout.

Walmart wants to promote an equal delivery experience for all customers regardless of whether and how much they tip. The delayed tip process helps prevent these issues and make sure drivers focus on doing quality work for every order they fulfill.

How Much Should You Tip Walmart Delivery Drivers?

How much to tip is always up to the customer’s discretion. Walmart does not provide any official guidance on recommended tip amounts. Customers can choose to tip whatever they think is appropriate for the service they received.

Some common tip amounts for Walmart grocery delivery tend to range between $5-10 or 10-20% of the total order cost. Of course, customers can tip more or less than these amounts based on their individual experience.

Factors like the size of the order, weather conditions, heavy lifting or stairs required, and the driver’s friendliness can all be taken into consideration when deciding how much to tip if customers choose to include one.

Do Delivery Drivers Prefer Cash Tips Instead?

Some customers may wonder if giving a cash tip directly to the driver would be better than adding a tip through the app afterwards. However, handing cash directly to Walmart delivery drivers is discouraged.

Drivers are required to immediately report any cash tips received to Walmart per company policy. These cash tips are then added to the driver’s paycheck and taxed appropriately rather than kept by the driver directly.

This policy is intended to prevent any fraud issues and ensure transparent accounting of all tip income. As a result, tipping through the app provides the same benefit to drivers as cash tips. App tips just offer a more convenient no-contact method for customers.

Will You Get Better Service if You Include a Big Tip?

A large tip does not necessarily guarantee better service from Walmart delivery drivers. As mentioned earlier, drivers have no way of knowing if an order includes a tip or how much it is until their job is done.

Walmart delivery drivers are expected to provide quality service on every order, not just the orders that end up including big tips. Drivers who consistently get poor ratings can be terminated, regardless of tips received.

So while drivers surely appreciate generous tips, they can’t grant special treatment to those orders ahead of time. Customers can tip whatever they think is fair without worrying it will impact the service level.

Why Do Some Customers Choose Not to Tip?

There are a few reasons why some Walmart customers opt not to include a tip on their delivery order:

• They believe the delivery fee sufficiently covers the driver’s work already.
• They think the driver was paid hourly by Walmart rather than relying on tips.
• They may not have realized tipping was even an option on delivery orders.
• They simply cannot afford an extra tip expense at the time of their order.

Because tipping is voluntary, customers aren’t required to add one if they prefer not to or feel unable to. Each customer can decide whether tipping fits into their budget and beliefs about gratuities.

Will Drivers Refuse Orders Without Tips?

No, Walmart drivers do not see any info about tips or lack thereof before accepting and completing an order. They are unable to pick and choose orders based on potential tips.

Once a delivery route is assigned, drivers are expected to fully finish it. They would face disciplinary action for refusing to take certain orders without a valid reason. Lack of a tip does not qualify as a valid reason to refuse an order.

Rest assured drivers have no idea if your order includes a tip when they first get it. They are simply focused on providing fast service to your location, not judging orders by potential tips.

Key Takeaways on Walmart Delivery Driver Tips:

• Tips are optional; drivers cannot solicit tips from customers
• Drivers don’t see tips until after successful delivery
• Hiding tips prevents service bias based on tip amount
• Typical tips range from $5-20% of order cost
• Cash tips must be reported and are not additional income
• Large tips don’t guarantee better service for those orders
• Drivers can’t refuse orders from non-tippers

Understanding Walmart’s tipping timeline and policy provides helpful insight into the delivery process from the driver’s perspective. While tips are certainly appreciated, they play a limited role in how drivers approach and complete each order assigned to them. The priority is always providing fast and accurate service to every customer.