A woman ordered Papa John’s delivery and went to sign the receipt the driver brought with her. When the driver asked for a tip, she was confused and learned something surprising about where online tips might go.
In a video with over 69,000 views, TikToker Astin Hancock (@yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit) asks viewers to weigh in on a bizarre interaction she had with a Papa John’s delivery driver the night before.
Why Did The Papa John’s Delivery Worker Ask For A Tip?
She explains that she left a tip on the online ordering platform. So, she was surprised when the driver asked if she wanted to add another tip.
“She was like, ‘[The online tip] goes to the store, not the driver,'” Hancock recounts. “So we leave a tip online, and it goes to the store?”
Hancock explains that one of her family members used to deliver pizzas and told her that he got online tips through his paycheck.
She says she found a $5 bill and gave it to the driver just in case she was telling the truth about not receiving online tips.
At the end of the clip, she asks other Papa John’s delivery workers to share what the chain’s tip policy is.
“I want to know so I can tip the right way next time,” she says.
Do The Chain’s Delivery Drivers Get Online Tips?
According to Papa John’s delivery workers, there’s a bit of nuance to which drivers get the full online tip. Delivery drivers who are employed by Papa John’s directly get the entire tip. However, sometimes drivers with third-party delivery services, like DoorDash or Uber Eats, may not get the full online tip amount.
Drivers on the r/doordash_drivers subreddit said the tipping discrepancy is a major issue.
“Yes, all pizza places were the orders are placed on the merchant website tips are retracted or just stolen completely when they send it out through doordash,” one claimed.
“Last night after two stacked LARGE orders from Papa John’s, which both ended up being no tip orders, I really started thinking and realized it’s ALWAYS this restaurant that does this…” another said.
However, some said that the tips go to third-party drivers, too. They suggested that the issue could be whether the individual Papa John’s location reports the tip to the delivery app or tries to pocket it for themselves.
What’s The Right Way To Tip Pizza Delivery Drivers?
In the comments of the now-viral TikTok, delivery workers shared their advice for customers who want to make sure the tip goes to the driver.
“Always cash tips!! Always. If it goes to her paycheck via the store, the store takes a cut and the tips are taxed,” one wrote.
“As a former pizza delivery driver I never tip online or on receipt! Just give the driver the cash! That they always for sure keep,” a second commenter agreed.
Others suggested different reasons the delivery driver may have asked for an additional tip.
“Miscommunication. The driver probably thought you were talking about the delivery fee, which does not go to the driver, and they probably didn’t see the part on their copy that showed that you had already tipped,” a viewer said.
@yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit Question for pizza delivery drivers. Where to electronic tips go!? #tip #tips #pizzadelivery #deliverydriver #papajohns @Papa Johns
BroBible reached out to Hancock via email and Instagram direct message and to Papa John’s via email for further comment. We will update the story when they reply.