How Do You Tip An Uber Driver? Company Rolls Out Biggest Policy Change Post Kalanick Resignation

Uber rolled out a new feature on its app Thursday, introducing optional in-app tipping in 121 cities across U.S. and Canada.

"Tipping is neither expected nor required,” the company said on its website.

Despite repeated requests from drivers, Uber did not introduce the feature on the app for six years. The company changed its policy when it introduced the feature in three markets last month, and now it has extended it to major cities including New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company will make the feature available in all U.S. cities by end of the month.

Not just Uber riders, even UberEATS customers in the U.S. will now have the option to tip on the app itself after each trip or food delivery. These tips will directly be given to drivers without Uber charging addition fees. Drivers will only receive information about the tips they made instead of the rider who gave it, to mantain riders' privacy.

Read: In Which Cities Can You Tip An Uber Driver?

Once your trip has ended, you will get a tipping option next to the rating of the driver. In case you don't tip immediately after a trip, you can tip the driver in the next 30 days by either adding a tip by going through the ride history in the app or using the trip receipt you get in your email. For UberEATS, you can retroactively tip within a week of receiving your order.

The company will provide pre-set tipping amounts on the app. But in case a customer wants to tip a different amount, they can click on “Enter custom amount" and tip accordingly. In case you are sharing the fare with friends, the tipping option will be available to the person who originally booked the ride. You can make the payment by clicking on “Done.”

Uber has in the past resisted enabling customers to tip drivers using its app, even though its rivals such as Lyft have performed better in terms of driver satisfaction.

The company announced its “180 days change” to make the service more driver-friendly.

“From great customer service, to making sure every trip counts toward your goals -- your earnings should reflect your effort,” the company said in a post addressing its drivers on its website.

Read: Here's How Many People May Are Going Back On Uber App Now That Travis Kalanick Is Gone

The company has had a scandal-ridden 2017, with allegations of sexual harassment at its offices, allegations of technology theft by Google and an ongoing investigation of its efforts to mislead regulators, which finally culminated in the resignation of its CEO Travis Kalanick.

The new driver-friendly feature seems to be an effort on the part of Uber to smooth over the wrinkles and regain lost reputation.