What The Tech: Amazon brings back “Tip Your Driver” option for the holidays
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Technology Reporter
Amazon is rolling out its “Tip Your Driver” promotion again for the holiday season.
It’s a simple idea that gives customers a chance to thank the person who delivers their packages. And Amazon is putting real money behind it.
Here’s how the program works: When a package is delivered by an Amazon driver, some customers will see a message in the app or on an Alexa device asking if they want to tip their driver. If they say yes, Amazon gives that driver a $5 bonus. The customer pays nothing, Amazon covers the entire amount. Only certain drivers qualify for the bonus.
It’s available for Amazon Flex drivers who deliver out of their own cars, and Amazon DSP drivers who are in those familiar blue vans. Postal Service carriers and UPS drivers are not included.
If your package comes from one of those couriers you will not see the tip option. Customers who don’t check the notifications or open the Alexa app can also add the tip by asking any Amazon Echo devices, “Alexa, tip my driver”. That will cover any eligible purchase from the previous 14 days.
There is no limit on how many bonuses an individual driver can earn. If multiple customers tip, those bonuses add up. Amazon employs some 400,000 drivers during the holidays and many of them might deliver 200-300 packages per day.
The only restriction is Amazon’s nationwide cap.
Once the company reaches the total amount it plans to give to drivers ($2 million this season), the promotion ends. Not every customer will receive the prompt. Amazon says the message only appears for qualifying deliveries and may disappear once the daily bonus pool runs out. Even with the restrictions, drivers say the program makes a difference.
