Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces $104 million in delivery tips for NYC workers; 'this is only the beginning'

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a groundbreaking initiative to return $104 million in delivery tips to the city’s workers, addressing a significant decline in earnings due to app design flaws. The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection revealed that platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash had hidden tip buttons and set default tips below 10%, leading to a staggering 79% decline in tips for delivery workers.¹³

Since the implementation of new rules under Mamdani's administration on January 26, delivery workers are projected to earn an average of $2,287 more annually. The changes are expected to benefit the city’s estimated 70,000 app-based delivery workers, who have faced significant financial challenges. “For years, delivery apps buried the tip button to pad their own bottom line, and delivery workers paid the price,” said Mamdani.⁴⁵⁶

The new regulations have already shown positive results, with average tips rising from $0.93 to $2.29 per delivery in the four weeks following implementation. Workers are on track to earn more than $184 million in tips this year. “Allowing consumers the clear ability to tip hardworking deliveristas benefits our workers and strengthens our economy,” Mamdani added. Assemblyman Charles D. Fall emphasized, “A city is judged by how it treats people who do its hardest work.”⁷⁸⁹¹⁰