[hnuser132]

While this was definitely not clear to the consumer, it ended up being a preferable model for the drivers as they would get a higher pay on most orders. Not saying that it should be that way, but saying they did that just to steal tips is not true. It was used to guarantee a minimum amount on orders that don't make sense financially.

[jonfw]

What the company should have done, ethically, is to just increase base compensation for drivers. You shouldn't be able to dynamically change base compensation based on the quality of the tip that the driver is rewarded, that is pretty antithetical to the entire idea of a tipping economy.

[hnuser132]

That's a very valid viewpoint and what's done by Grubhub or Caviar I believe. But it results in lower pay for the drivers overall because the guaranteed minimum is lower than the one DoorDash usually offers.