How to Tip a Cab Driver

Tipping a Cab Driver

Listen for the fare. When the trip is over, the driver will tell you how much you owe. Calculate the tip as a percentage of this fare, or "eyeball" the amount by rounding up to the nearest $5 or $10 bill increment. Most cabs feature a fare ticker which allows you to watch the price of the ride rise as you approach your destination. If you're in a hurry, you can use this to predict, calculate, and prepare your tip before it's time to get out of the cab.

Calculate the tip as a percentage of the fare. 10-15% of the overall fare is usually fine. If the bill is less than $10, feel free to give a 10% tip, but do not tip less than $1. If the bill is more than $10, give at least a 15% tip. Any percentage-based tip will be a rough representation of the duration and quality of the ride, made slightly arbitrary for the sake of convenience. Try to choose the tip percentage that best fits the situation. If the driver did an exceptional job, consider tipping them 20% or more. Perhaps you had a great conversation, or they gave you useful advice about sightseeing in the city, or they worked hard to get you to your destination on time despite an awful traffic backup. The credit card machines inside some cabs suggest default tip percentages between which you can choose. In New York, for instance, cabs offer three default tip levels: 20%, 25%, and 30%. Feel free to choose any of these options or to choose your own amount.

Add a few dollars if your driver helps you with baggage. Add $1 per bag if you have five bags or fewer. Add $2 per bag if you have five bags or more, or if your bags are extremely heavy. Remember that these are not hard, fast rules – these are guidelines within which you will work on a case-by-case basis.

Give the cab driver an even bill. If the amount is close to an even amount, just give the driver an even bill and tell him/her to "keep the change". For instance: $17.28 is close to $20, and $2.72 is slightly more than 15% of $17.28. You don't need to calculate the exact tip percentage as long as you give the cab driver a reasonable amount. This strategy is useful if you find yourself in a hurry. From the cab driver's perspective, a $20 bill may be easier to store and spend than a few crumpled bills and a handful of loose change. If your fare comes to less than $4, give the cab driver a $5 bill. You should not tip less than $1, and a %15 tip for any amount lower than five dollars will come to less than $1. If your fare comes to $7-9, give the driver a $10. If your fare comes to $11-13, you can give the driver $15. If your fare comes to $33-35, just give the driver $40.

Gauging the Quality of a Ride

Review the quality of the ride. Weigh factors like the driver's knowledge of the area, the speed of his service, his extra effort, and his general demeanor. These indices are absolutely subjective – so follow your gut and adjust your tips on a case-by-case basis. Follow these general guidelines for tipping based on quality: Tip 5-10% (or not at all) if the service was particularly poor. Perhaps the driver took the longest route to get you to your destination; perhaps he was rude to you, or made you feel uncomfortable. Tip 15% for a solid, middle-of-the-road cab ride. The driver brought you to your destination in a reasonable amount of time and made you feel comfortable, but didn't do anything exceptional. 15% is acceptable in most cases. Tip 20% or higher if this was one of the better cab rides you've ever had. Maybe you had a great conversation with the cabbie, and s/he gave you some interesting ideas for exploring the area; maybe s/he took a lesser-known back-road that got you to the airport much faster than if you'd sat through traffic; maybe s/he helped you haul your bags to the doorstep.

Consider the speed of service. A driver should take the most efficient route to get you to your destination on time. If the ride took longer than expected, but there was a lot of traffic, it probably wasn't the driver's fault. However, keep an eye out for drivers who intentionally drive slowly or take detours to hike up the fare.

Ask yourself whether your driver went the extra mile. If the cab driver doesn't offer to help out with your luggage, don't feel obliged to tip any more than normal. If s/he goes above and beyond to get you to your destination, or if s/he gives you useful insider tips about local attractions, s/he may have earned a higher tip than the average cabbie.

Think about the driver's demeanor. Consider how friendly and helpful the driver was. If s/he was nice and provided helpful information, s/he's earned a higher tip. If the driver was rude to you, or if the driver brusquely demanded a tip, s/he may have earned a lower tip &ndash or no tip at all.

Gauge the driver's area knowledge. The cab driver should not need to ask for directions, and s/he should know which routes to take to make the ride as quick as possible. The driver should be aware of alternate routes in case of accidents and traffic jams. If you are a tourist, your driver should be able to suggest attractions and activities for you to check out while you're in town.

Other Tips for Tipping

Use a tip calculator app if you are riding with multiple people. It can be difficult to determine what everyone owes, but tip calculators can easily split the tip according to the fare, the tip percentage, and the number of tippers. You can download these apps to your phone, or access a tip calculator site through your phone's web browser. Some such apps give you the option to choose your location to better calibrate the tip amount. This way, if you aren't sure, you can try to base your tip on local factors: the cost of housing, the minimum wage, and the going rate for service tips.

Tip an Uber or Lyft driver. The taxicab industry is rapidly changing; depending on where you live, you might be much more likely to use a peer-to-peer ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft than to hire a traditional cab service. The payment process for these services runs entirely through the app, so the tipping protocol is murky. Be aware, however, that these drivers do not receive tips through the service unless you give it to them in person. Unless you are using the uberTaxi service, there is no way to tip your Uber driver through the app – so feel free to tip him or her with cash, exactly as you would a traditional cab driver.

Consider tipping the cab driver with an item or gesture that is equivalent in value to the amount of money you would tip. Make sure that you give the driver something that he or she actually wants – an unwanted gift can be more of a burden than a blessing. Do not present a non-monetary tip as a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum; instead, if you have something worth offering, give the cab driver the option to take the object instead of a traditional tip. Try to leave a cash tip unless you have spent absolutely all of your available funds on the fare. For example, if you have an old (but unexpired) $10 gift card to a restaurant you will never visit, offer it to the driver in lieu of money. Say, "I can give you a cash tip for the ride, but I have this Applebee's gift card that I'm never going to use. Would you take that instead?" Bear in mind that many cab drivers are hustling to pay their bills. They must pay a daily or weekly lease on their cab, plus rent on their house or apartment, plus gas – all out of their own pockets. Card-swipe fare payments don't usually pay out in the same day, so it's common for drivers to take rides on credit unless you pay them in cash. Thus: a non-monetary tip may feel unique and whimsical, but odds are that most drivers will prefer cash.

Be polite and respectful. Trust begets trust. Tell the cab driver where you want to go as soon as you get into the cab, and respect the vehicle while you're inside. Pay promptly when you reach your destination, and tip the driver before you leave the vehicle. Thank the driver, and perhaps even tell him/her to have a great day. Monetary tips are great, but a few kind words can take your tip to the next level.