Skip the tip? Your delivery could be slowed, DoorDash warns

Sure, it can be tempting to skip the tip when placing a delivery order, but DoorDash is now warning its users of a potential consequence.

(WGN) — Sure, it can be tempting to skip the tip on your food delivery order, especially after seeing the delivery fees add up at checkout.

But failing to pre-tip on DoorDash may now have consequences: a slower delivery.

Users of the food-delivery app have noticed a new pop-up message that appears during checkout, warning that orders placed with no pre-tip might take longer to get delivered.

"Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do," the notice reads. "Orders that take longer to be accepted by dashers tend to result in slower delivery."

DoorDash said they added the prompt in an effort to be transparent with users and give them the best experience possible. They also said that they want to encourage users to leave tips for the drivers.

"This reminder screen is something that we're currently testing," DoorDash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg told Nexstar. "As with anything we pilot, we look forward to closely analyzing the results and feedback."

If you've ever not left a tip, you may have already experienced slower deliveries.

According to DoorDash, Dashers — those that pick up and deliver your orders — are more likely to accept an order that comes with a tip. When customers don't leave a tip at checkout, a Dasher "can take longer … to accept, resulting in food sitting longer at a merchant’s restaurant, customers experiencing a longer wait time and in turn, a lower quality experience for all involved."

DoorDash has already "seen a substantial decrease in $0 tip orders as a result of this test," Rosenberg noted. It's unclear if or when DoorDash could make this a permanent change on the app.

DoorDash, meanwhile, still offers customers the option of tipping after delivery or adjusting their tips after delivery, according to the service.

Earlier this year, DoorDash began offering an hourly minimum wage for drivers as well as post-checkout tipping, which means the customer can choose to tip a Dasher up to 30 days after the actual delivery.

Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.