We’ve covered tipping etiquette extensively in our tipping guides and in this article we examine whether you need to tip Target workers.
Target is one of the most popular retailers in the US with a massive $100b per year turnover.
If you don’t fancy traipsing around your local Target store, they now offer a bunch of convenient options including:
- One-day delivery by Shipt – Where contractors from the company, Shipt, will deliver items to your door
- Two-day plus delivery – Where Target will deliver items to you usually within 2-7 days depending on stock availability
- Drive up (curbside pickup) – Where you drive to your local Target store and the items you’ve ordered are brought to your car
- Pick up – Where you go to your local Target and pick up the things you’ve ordered from in-store
This article will cover in detail what the etiquette is for tipping for each of these options and will cover whether you need to tip, how much to tip, what Target workers earn, how much these options will cost, and much more.
Keep reading to find out…
Do I Need to Tip Target Delivery?
If you’ve ordered goods from Target, whether that be from Target.com or using the Target App, you’ll have the option to tip.
Target offers either same-day delivery which is shipped to you using the third-party contractor “Shipt” or standard 2-day delivery using their own couriers.
If the items you’ve ordered qualify for Shipt same-day delivery (and not all items do) then you should generally tip the Shipt delivery workers who are known as “Shipt Shoppers”.
It is customary to tip this kind of third-party gig economy worker as we discovered when we looked at whether to tip Kroger drivers who use a similar type of service.
If you’ve ordered goods using the 2-day delivery service, then we again recommend tipping. It is customary to tip grocery delivery drivers and we see no reason to make an exception for Target drivers.
How Much Should I Tip a Target Delivery Driver?
If you’ve opted for the same-day service then we’d recommend tipping 10-20% if you want to use a percentage.
You can apply this against the total cost of the goods you’ve ordered which, for example, would be $10-$20 on a grocery order of $100.
Or alternatively, you can simply provide a fixed amount which is probably more sensible if your order is, say, a $500 TV. Otherwise, your tip becomes hugely disproportionate and unaffordable to many people.
If you decide to tip a fixed amount then we’d suggest $10-20 for orders over $100 and $3-9 for an order under $100.
Tip more if the items are bulky and heavy or cumbersome to carry.
We’d apply the same logic if you’re using the 2-day delivery service which isn’t shipped by Shipt.
You should note that the same-day Shipt delivery service costs $9.99 so remember to factor that in when deciding whether and how much to tip.
How Do I Tip A Target Delivery Driver?
If you’ve used the same-day delivery service by Shipt then you can tip either using the app or at Target.com:
To tip usingTarget.com
- Go to your Target account
- Choose Orders
- Go to the Online section
- Choose your Order
- Tip and provide feedback on your shopper after delivery
For the Target app:
- Log in to the app
- Choose the Online button and Purchases
- Choose your order
- Tip and provide feedback on your shopper after delivery
If you’ve used the 2-day delivery option then we’d recommend just tipping the driver when he arrives. You can also tip in person if you use the Shipt option – it’s entirely up to you.
We often recommend tipping in person as you’re then assured that the tip is going to the correct person.
How Much Do Target Delivery Drivers Earn? Do They Need a Tip?
According to Indeed, the average Shipt delivery driver earns $21.38 per hour. If the worker works 35 hours per week on average then this equates to a monthly income of $2,993.20 or $35,918 per year.
Given the average US salary is around $50k per year, it’s clear that Shipt delivery drivers earn well below this.
Therefore, it’s probably no wonder that it’s customary to tip them as they rely on tips to supplement their poor income.
This is a lot lower than some other delivery drivers. For example, Costco use Fed-Ex and UPS who pay their drivers $52,717 and $68,369 per year on average respectively according to our research.
Indeed, this is the same conclusion we reached when we looked at whether to tip Walgreens delivery drivers.
Do I Need to Tip Target Drive Up Curbside Pick Up?
As above, Target now offers a curbside pickup service where you can drive to your local Target and a Target employee will bring your items to your vehicle.
This service is provided free by Target which is great to see given that Kroger charges a $4.95 fee for the same service, Food Lion $3.99+, and Meijer $4.99.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tipping for this service.
It isn’t customary to tip so any amount of tip is likely to be welcomed.
We’d suggest $3-$10 is more than enough.
What About Target Pick-Up?
Another service Target provides is allowing you to make your order online or in the app and then pick it up from the Target desk in-store.
Again, there are no hard and fast rules when tipping for this service but we’d be less inclined to tip than when using the delivery service or the curbside pickup simply for the fact that the worker is doing much less and you’re still doing most of the work by having to go into the store.
However, Target employees generally earn less than the average US yearly salary so this may convince you to dip your hand into your pocket.
However, there are no requirements to do so, and therefore you are unlikely to turn any heads if you don’t tip for this service.
Related Article:
Target Furniture Return Policy
When to Tip More or Not at All at Target?
Here are some examples of when we’d think about tipping more or offering a tip when we wouldn’t usually:
- If the driver has delivery in bad weather such as snow or ice;
- If the driver has gone beyond the call of duty. For example, delivering up your stairs or to a remote place in your house;
- If it’s the holidays;
- If the driver has been professional and courteous.
We’d keep our wallet closed if:
- The delivery is to the wrong address;
- The delivery is late;
- The delivery is for the wrong item;
- The driver is rude or discourteous;
- If your items are damaged.
Summary Table
| Service | To Tip or Not to Tip? |
| Home delivery | Tip 10-20% or $3-9 for orders under $100 and $10-20 for orders over $100 |
| Curbside pickup | Tip $3-$10 |
| In-store pickup | No need to tip |
Final Thoughts
In summary, it’s certainly customary to tip a grocery delivery driver and especially those from gig economy companies like Shipt. They earn measly salaries and rely on tips to get by.
The jury is still out as to whether you need to tip for curbside pickup but we generally advise doing so, albeit perhaps not as much as we would when tipping for home delivery.
As for in-store pick-up, we’re less inclined to tip for this service but we’ll leave that to your good conscience as to whether you think it’s warranted.
