Should You Tip Walmart Delivery Drivers? A Guide to Grocery Delivery Orders vs. Walmart.com Shipping Orders

In the ever-evolving landscape of delivery services, tipping has become a topic of lively debate, especially when it comes to Walmart deliveries. The consensus? Tipping is encouraged for grocery deliveries due to the extra effort involved, but it’s generally considered acceptable to forgo tipping for Walmart.com (non-grocery) orders where you select shipping (not delivery) at checkout.

Grocery Deliveries: A Little Extra Goes a Long Way

When you order groceries from your local Walmart store, drivers often handle a large quantity of items that could potentially be heavy and sometimes fragile and they have to fill up at least a decent part of their personal vehicle with your grocery items. This requires careful handling, sometimes a decent drive, and often significant physical effort depending on where they are leaving them for you. Obviously the size of your grocery order (and perhaps the distance to your local Walmart store) should be considered when considering your tip.

“Depending on the order size, I give a tip of $5-15.” – Reddit User

This sentiment reflects an appreciation for the labor-intensive nature of grocery deliveries. Walmart of course does factor-in that many people won’t or simply can’t afford to tip, and does have a system in place to ensure drivers are still getting compensated fairly. Tipping your local Walmart delivery driver is  something for you to decide on personally. I like to think of it as the “how would you like to be treated rule” and tend to leave a tip which I consider fair based on my specific economic resources, the size of my grocery delivery order, and also factoring in the distance to my home from the local Walmart store (which is a bit further than most). You have to imagine that even a dollar or two (if you can spare it), could make a big difference to someone working as a local delivery driver. These guys work extremely hard to earn a living, and I know I certainly am very appreciative of what they do!

Non-Grocery Walmart.com Shipping Order Deliveries: A Different Perspective

For non-grocery items, the tipping expectations are less clear. Some customers feel that since these deliveries often involve smaller packages and less effort, tipping isn’t necessary.

“No way I’m paying for Walmart+ AND tipping on top of that. Does anyone here tip your Amazon delivery drivers? Didn’t think so. It’s the same deal.” – Reddit User

Since there is no option to add a tip to Walmart.com shipping orders (that get picked up and delivered by local drivers), it is important to note that the drivers are not expecting a tip (of course, they would still welcome a cash tip if you are feeling generous!).

I know the first time a local delivery driver showed up with a single package of Celestial Seasonings Tea, I felt a little guilty. I was pretty sure I had marked it as shipping but wasn’t sure because I had never received a shipping order by local delivery courier in the past. Turns out, this is becoming a standard practice for Walmart.com shipping orders, as it ends up saving the company money (I would assume) by batching orders together and creating their own routes (rather than paying FedEx or UPS and having to waste additional packaging materials).

A Walmart driver explained how non-grocery deliveries work:

“They batch them (Walmart.com shipping orders) with 10-20 other orders and pay us $50-80 for 30-50 miles and around 2 hours. The drivers know these customers can’t tip and choose to take these orders. Don’t feel bad, you’re not doing anything wrong.”

This insight clarifies that non-grocery deliveries are structured differently and that drivers take these orders with full knowledge of the tipping situation.

Driver Insights: The Impact of Tips

From the driver’s seat, tips can significantly influence earnings. A report highlighted that Walmart Spark drivers have faced challenges like ‘tip baiting,’ where customers promise a tip to get their order prioritized, only to reduce or remove it after delivery. This practice can be disheartening for drivers who rely on tips as part of their income. This seems like an especially evil practice to us, considering you are dealing with someone who is likely hustling pretty hard to earn a living as a delivery driver for Walmart.

Another delivery driver emphasized how tipping affects individual grocery delivery decisions:

“Wal-Mart starts an individual delivery off, in my area, around $6 or $7. If you tipped $10, that makes the initial offer $17. If you live less than 10 miles from the store, I might consider taking the order. If you tipped $15, I would fight to take the order, but only after checking to make sure you don’t live in an apartment (stairs, gate codes, bad neighborhoods) …or ordered 5 cases of water.”

Translation: If you have a gate code or special instructions the driver needs to be aware of, make sure you add them to the order at checkout so they aren’t left waiting around for you to respond with the gate code to your community.

Finding the Balance

While tipping is ultimately a personal choice, being mindful of the effort involved in your delivery can guide your decision.

• For grocery orders: A tip can be a meaningful way to acknowledge the driver’s hard work.
• For smaller, non-grocery Walmart.com shipping orders: It’s generally acceptable to skip the tip, especially knowing how these shipping orders are picked up in batches by delivery drivers who aren’t expecting tips for these kinds of orders.

Final Thoughts

Remember, a little generosity can go a long way in supporting those who bring convenience to our doorsteps. If you’re ever in doubt, consider the effort the driver put in, put yourself in their shoes, and tip accordingly!

Sources

• Reddit Discussion on Walmart Deliveries
• Business Insider Report on Walmart Spark Drivers