What is tip baiting?
It refers to when customers lure a shopper to their order by offering a large tip up front.
Shoppers can see the tip when they are accepting the order.
Customers may do this to get speedy and personable service.
Then when the customers order is delivered, they reduce the tip to zero.
Chief among several policy changes, Instacart says it will deactivate customers who consistently tip bait.
Instacart announced changes to its tipping policy one week after the letter.
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Whats In Instacarts Tipping Policy Update?
Instacart packaged a host of app-feature updates and policy changes intoone announcementafter the company received criticism regarding tip baiting.
The changes have been rolling out since early June.
Heres whats going into effect.
Does the Update Stop Tip Baiting?
In Instacart advice groups, several shoppers aired frustration that the updates dont prohibit customers from tip baiting.
Other shoppers say incremental change is better than no change at all.
Did you know?
She said she thinks the new tipping window doesnt stop customers from zeroing out their tips.
If anything, she says, customers will do it sooner within the 24-hour window.
In virtually every instance where a customer adjusts their tip after delivery, they increase it.
Overall, earnings from tips have doubled during the pandemic, the company said.
Other delivery apps dont allow customers to change their tips for very long after the delivery.
For example, Uber Eats gives its customers only an hour after delivery to change their tip.
Shipts customers are prompted to tip post-delivery.
Jen says shes been tip-baited here and there.
She views tipping etiquette for grocery shopping differently than other tip-based work.
[Customers] are tipping us the same as you would a pizza delivery guy.
What Can Shoppers Do If Theyre Tip Baited?
Instacart will judge whether the reason is legitimate or not.
Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
He covers the gig economy, entrepreneurship and unique ways to make money.
Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.
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