Uber Will Add Tipping Option To App In NYC

NEW YORK, NY — Tipping is coming to Uber apps in NYC, the company announced Tuesday.

After repeated requests from drivers, the ride-sharing company will add a tipping option to its app, the company said on Tuesday. The change in tipping policy comes amid a slew of changes for the beleaguered business, whose CEO Travis Kalanick resigned late Tuesday night amid widespread allegations of sexual harassment at the company in addition to other accusations of mismanagement.

Tipping was first rolled out on Tuesday to three cities — Seattle, Minneapolis, and Houston — and will gradually expand nationwide by the end of July. Sources told Patch that tipping is expected to come to New York City by the end of July, making is one of the last major cities to get the update. The tipping expansion will include UberEats, the company's food-delivery service. (Want more local news? Subscribe here for free breaking news alerts, features and neighborhood updates from Patch.)

In Uber's previous app, there was little opportunity for drivers to receive tips, which the company said were up to the rider's discretion. The app was designed to be completely cashless, according to Uber's previous policy, and tips could only be paid in cash. The charge that riders are automatically billed at the end of a ride does not include gratuity.

"Uber is designed to be an entirely cashless experience in most cities," the company website still reads. "Tipping is not required on Uber rides. Giving a driver a cash tip is left to your discretion."

Other ride-sharing companies like Lyft and Juno have long included in-app tipping options for customers.

The Independent Drivers Guilt in New York, a group that represents app-based drivers, hailed the change.

"Today’s tipping announcement is an important win for drivers and proves that thousands of drivers coming together with one voice can make big changes," the group's founder Jim Conigliaro Jr. said in a statement to Quartz. "Cuts to driver pay across the ride-hail industry have made tipping income more important than ever."

Lead image credit: Spencer Platt / Staff / Getty Images News.