Myth vs. Fact: Debunking the False Claims Coming out of NYC

Earlier today, the New York Department of Consumer and Worker Protection issued a report claiming DoorDash is tricking consumers to reduce tips.

The report gets a lot wrong. Here are the facts.

Myth #1: DoorDash is "Hiding" the Option to Tip

Fact: Consumers can tip after delivery - just as DCWP suggested.

Moving tipping to after checkout isn't novel or nefarious - it's how tipping works in most areas of life. In fact, the DCWP suggested this exact approach in their 2022 study. Don't take it from us. Here's the DCWP on tipping in their own words:

"Apps could choose to reduce consumers' costs through changes to the user interface that discourage or eliminate tipping (or, equivalently, consumers could choose to tip less in light of workers' higher pay, independent of any changes engineered by apps)."

Consumers are free to make their own choices about how much to tip, especially given they know workers earn a guaranteed $21.44 per hour and have seen earnings rise by over $1 billion dollars.

Myth #2: Lower Tips = Lower Earnings

Fact: Workers earned $1.2 billion more under the new rule.

It is true that consumers in New York have decided to tip less than they used to. It is also true, per the DCWP's own report, that delivery workers earned $1.2 billion more than they otherwise would have under the city's new minimum pay law. In fact, Dashers earn almost $30 per hour while on delivery, BEFORE tips - more than many first responders in the city.

The DCWP reports cherrypicks data on tips, while ignoring that total pay has close to doubled. According to DCWP data, between when the minimum pay rules came into effect Q4 2023 and Q2 2025, total earnings per overall hour for NYC delivery workers nearly doubled. DCWP also states that total earnings per overall hour for all delivery workers in Q2 2025 was $24.03, roughly 40% higher than NYC's minimum wage.

Myth #3: DCWP is 'blowing the whistle' on a hidden scheme.

Fact: DoorDash announced the changes publicly in 2023.

You can't blow the whistle on something that was announced in a press release. We publicly announced these changes back in December 2023 when the rules took effect. Since then, the changes have been covered by the New York press extensively.

Myth #4: New tipping law gives consumers 'user-friendly options'

Fact: It discourages consumers from considering the quality of service when deciding if and how much to tip

DCWP is framing the new tipping law as being user-friendly. It would require platforms to display a tipping option at checkout, including a 10% tip option.

Instead, particularly in NYC where new minimum pay rules have led to increased consumer fees, it makes sense for consumers to consider the quality of service received when they decide if and how much to tip. In addition, dictating how tips should be solicited will also mean that consumers who decline to tip-or can't due to the cost of living-will likely face slower deliveries with fewer delivery workers willing to accept those orders.

The Bottom Line:
Consumers can tip after delivery. Dashers always keep 100% of tips placed on DoorDash, and the tipping option still exists in NYC.