Tipping on Shipt isn’t required. But the person shopping your list is an independent contractor, and tips are part of how they get paid.
Here’s how much to tip, when to do it, and what happens if you want to change it later.
Why the checkout tip matters
Shipt calls it a pre-tip. If you leave one at checkout, shoppers see it on the order before they claim it.
Skip it, and shoppers may see an estimated tip instead. Shipt builds that from your past tipping, your order history, how many items you ordered and general shopping trends. So if you’ve been a stingy tipper before, your new order can look less appealing than the one next to it.
Bottom line: if you plan to tip anyway, tip up front. Your order gets picked up by someone who knows what they’re getting.
How much to tip your Shipt shopper
Shipt doesn’t set a number, so this is our take. Start around 15% of the order and adjust.
Go higher for cases of water, pet food, bulk paper goods and anything else that’s a pain to haul. Same for stairs, long drives, rain and snow. A shopper who texted you about a swap and got it right earned a little extra too.
Tiny order, easy drop-off, shopper in and out in ten minutes? A few bucks is fine. Just don’t leave zero on a full cart and wonder why your orders sit.
Got a sale item or a buy one, get one deal? The shopper did the same work either way, so tip on the full price if you can, not the discount. Your call.
Ways to tip on Shipt
- At checkout, as a pre-tip. Best option, for the reason above.
- Cash at the door. Works fine, but your shopper has to track it for taxes, since it won’t show up in their Shipt pay report.
- After delivery, in the app or on the website. Shipt reminds you to tip and rate your last shopper the next time you log in.
One thing that catches people: Shipt credits and Shipt gift cards can’t be used for tips. The tip comes off your regular payment method.
Can you change a Shipt tip after delivery?
Depends on what you want to do.
- Add a tip: yes, any time after the order is delivered.
- Change a tip you already left: only for a limited window in the app, and Shipt doesn’t post how long. After that, contact Shipt Support.
- Ordered through the Target app: you get up to 14 days after delivery to add a tip.
Delivery fees and membership aren’t tips
This is where a lot of folks get tripped up. You’re paying Shipt for delivery, and none of that is the tip.
A Shipt membership runs $10.99 a month or $99 a year, with free delivery on orders over $35 (there’s a 14-day free trial). Orders under $35 cost $7 to deliver even with a membership, and alcohol orders can add a $7 charge too. Those amounts change by market.
The tip is the one thing you pay that goes 100% to your shopper. Fees are Shipt’s charges, separate from that.
Shopping for Shipt? How tips hit your pay
Flip it around. If you’re the one with the cart, here’s what to know.
You keep 100% of every tip, and Shipt never changes the amount. Customers can add a tip as long as they want after delivery, and they get a short window to change one (it’s there for typos).
Tips land with the pay period they’re captured in, which is why a Sunday tip can show up in the next week’s payout. And a tip of $50 or more skips Instant Pay and comes with your weekly payout instead.
Shipt’s own advice is not to ask customers for tips. Lingering at the door reads as bad service, so just do the job well and let the app do the asking.
Shipt Shopper
- What it is
- Shopping and delivering grocery and household orders for Shipt, which is owned by Target.
- What you do
- Claim an order, shop it, hand it off at the door. Shipt also has package delivery routes.
- How much it pays
- Each order pays a base amount tied to how long and how hard Shipt figures it’ll be. Bonuses and your full tips sit on top. Friday is payday for the prior week, and after one weekly payout you can use Instant Pay up to 3 times a day.
- The catch
- You need a reliable car you’re insured on, and part of your pay depends on how customers tip.
Worth it? Yes if you like shopping and have a car. Run it next to another app so slow hours don’t kill your day.
FAQ
Does the Shipt shopper get the whole tip?
Yes, all of it. Checkout, cash or after delivery, Shipt passes 100% to your shopper.
Do Shipt shoppers see your tip before they take the order?
If you leave a tip at checkout, yes. If you don’t, they may see an estimated tip based on your tipping and order history, how many items you ordered and shopping trends.
Can I tip my Shipt shopper with Shipt credits or a gift card?
No. Shipt credits and Shipt gift cards can’t be used for tips.
Is the Shipt delivery fee a tip?
No. Delivery fees and membership are charges from Shipt. The tip is separate, and 100% of it goes to your shopper.
Next step
Also order on Instacart? Here’s how much to tip on Instacart, and the rules are a little different.
Using DoorDash too? Here’s DoorDash tipping in plain English. Other delivery guides live in the app-based gigs hub, and if you want side money of your own, see what’s paying right now.
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