Tips on tipping your Uber driver

Uber users now have a choice to tip drivers. What is the etiquette around tipping your Uber driver?

Give them the same amount you would a taxi driver, usually 15 to 20 percent, based on expediency, friendliness, cleanliness of car, inclement weather circumstances and any other special treatment.

However, tipping is always optional. If the service is awful, don’t tip. If it’s average, though, then yes, but start at 15 percent. You should absolutely give more if the person goes above and beyond.

Since an Uber fare is so economical, it’s almost a shame not to tip your driver. Tipping is not only the right thing to do, it’s good karma. Many people rely on their tips to pay their mortgage and feed their families.

You can tip as much as you want, depending on your budget and the level of service provided to you. — Jacqueline Whitmore, international etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach. Like any tip, it should be based on your individual experience and the services provided. That being said, tipping should be a reward for a job well done.

It is OK to skip the tip if the car smells bad, is dirty, the driver does not arrive at your location as expected and you have to get in touch, or if the driver keeps getting lost.

You can decline to tip if drivers make small talk on topics you shouldn’t talk about, such as religion, politics and sex, make you feel uncomfortable or if they try to guilt you into tipping. — Constance Hoffman, founder and president of Social & Business Graces Inc.