Food DeliveryTip Calculator
Restaurant or grocery delivery — tell us about the order and the trip, and we'll help you land on a tip that fits
How much should you tip a food delivery driver?
Tipping food delivery drivers is customary in the U.S. A common range is 10%–15% of the order, with a $2–$5 minimum on a small order — more for bad weather, a long distance or a lot of stairs.
- Typical U.S. range
- 10%–15% of the order, with a $2–$5 minimum on a small order
- Common reference
- 15% of the order
What’s common in the U.S.
Delivery drivers are a different case from a counter worker: the trip itself is the service, so etiquette guidance treats delivery as customary rather than optional, with 10%–15% of the order as the common range. On a small order that percentage can come out under a couple of dollars, which is why the same guidance points to a $2–$5 floor regardless of the math. Distance, weather and stairs are the usual reasons people go toward or past the top of the range, since the driver's time and effort went up but the order total didn't.
What tippos suggests
tippos suggests starting at 15% of the order (or the $2–$5 minimum on a small one, whichever is more), and adding a little for a long trip, bad weather or a walk-up delivery with no elevator.
Tipping is always your decision. These numbers are context, not a requirement, and no amount is ever preselected for you.
Sources & methodology
Sources reviewed: September 7, 2026
tippos compares the references below to provide practical U.S. context. The final amount is always your decision.
- Kiplinger — A Practical Guide to TippingSupports 10%–15% for food delivery, alongside its wider U.S. tipping guidance.
- The Emily Post Institute — General Tipping GuideTreats delivery as a customary tip, distinct from optional counter and take-out tipping.