For a limited time two years ago, Domino’s offered its carryout customers a $3 “tip” for essentially delivering their own pizzas. Now they’re encouraging driver tips with a unique value promotion called “You Tip, We Tip.”

It’s a creative way to give Domino’s drivers an income boost as more consumers are expressing impatience with America’s so-called “tipping culture.” 

When customers tip their Domino’s delivery driver $3 or more online, they’ll receive a $3 coupon to use for an online delivery order the following week. The promotion will start on April 29.

Related: How to ease stress for your pizzeria’s servers

“Domino’s drivers have been hustling to deliver hot, delicious pizzas since 1960, and we love that customers have been tipping them for their great service since day one,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president and chief brand officer. “But these days, everywhere you go, there’s a tip screen. The pressure to tip is real, even when no extra service is provided. So, we decided to flip the script and show our appreciation by tipping customers back.”

A 2023 Bankrate survey found that U.S. adults tipped less on average than in previous years while some don’t tip at all. It also found that 41% of those surveyed think “businesses should pay their employees better rather than relying so much on tips.” At the same time, just 16% said they’d pay higher prices if they didn’t have to tip.

A different survey last year reported that 59% of consumers are experiencing “tipping fatigue.”

Domino’s is the first quick-service restaurant to tip customers for tipping their delivery drivers. The No. 1 pizza chain was also the first to “tip” its carryout customers. That promotion began prior to the Super Bowl in 2022 and ran through May 22 of the same year. Customers who placed an online order for carryout could claim a $3 coupon to be redeemed on another online carryout order the following week.

“You Tip, We Tip” is the kind of promotion only a leading chain like Domino’s can afford, but it reflects the country’s growing dissatisfaction with the tipping model used by restaurants and other businesses.

In that same Bankrate survey, 32% said they get annoyed by tip screens with suggested tip amounts. Does that mean independent pizzeria operators should get rid of the tip screens? Not necessarily. But they should think carefully about which employees they’re suggesting tips for. Prompting tips for counter-service employees who simply take an order is more likely to annoy guests than tipping for servers who fulfill tableside orders, bring drink refills and spend a little time chatting with guests.

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