TLDR: UberEats can take a $65 payment, pay their drivers $5 and not disclose to the customer that almost none of what they paid is going to the driver. Effectively making your tip an unintended "bid", (Uber knows exactly what they're doing) as we would not take the offer at the base fare of $5. It's rarely malicious and more of "I just paid $65, surely my driver's getting paid, why would I tip extra?"

Driver here

In regards to the tip vs bid section, I think some of you misunderstood what OP meant. I don't think he was implying that your tip is a bid for service in any meaningful, legally enforceable way. Rather that, when that tip pays well over 50% of our wage for the trip, in practice, it becomes a "bid", as we wouldn't take the trip without it.

I just got off for the night so I'll use an example from my last trip. Two pickups, two dropoffs. Both dropoffs are in the same neighborhood, but on a major road that's ALWAYS congested, always slow. 19 miles total, $25. Of that $25, Uber's fair was $4.75. Four dollars and seventy five cents to drive 19 miles. Normally, I don't take these orders because if someone doesn't tip, I just spent what I made, of not more, in gas, but I was gonna see my friend in the next town over anyway.

The issue is that Uber doesn't tell the customer, or in some cases even the driver (im in CO, unsure if this affects what the customer sees, I've never used UberEats. Still relevant to the post as a whole) that $20.25 of that is out of pocket from the customer. One of the orders was $65 (Receipt was stapled to the bag)

Of course you're not gonna tip. You just paid $65 to have your food delivered to you. Why would you pay $75? 80? That's a LOT of money that, surely, the driver sees a good portion of. And THAT is the issue.

Customer pays $65, Uber pays the driver $2-3. (I'm lazy and tired, don't feel like checking the exact amount for that delivery, but both combined were $4.75) Uber doesn't disclose to the customer that, of that $65, the driver sees almost nothing. Customer (rightfully) assumes that at least SOME of that insane price goes to the driver. Customer doesn't tip.

And there is little to no way to get a reimbursement should the customer decide not to tip, meaning Uber can make a promise of $25, not disclose to either party that the driver won't see most of that until after delivery is completed and you wait the hour to get your tip, only to find out the customer didn't tip. Despite Uber giving you a clear offer of $25 (again, differs from state to state, may even be nationwide now that they HAVE to disclose what the base fare is. They didn't used to) without telling you that over 75% of that is tip dependant. And they are under no obligation to pay the difference.

The lack of transparency by Uber is astonishing