You’re probably already accustomed to grocery shopping at Kroger, the second-largest retailer in the US with about 3000 locations.

In 2022, Kroger, like the majority of grocery stores, now provides curbside pickup and home delivery, making shopping there much more efficient.

You might be curious how much to tip the driver or roadside helper if you select the home delivery or curbside pickup choices. In light of this, we analyzed the data by examining the specific typical policy for tipping grocery delivery drivers and the appropriate timing and amount to provide.

Should You Give Tips to Kroger Delivery?

It is normal to tip a grocery delivery driver, and when you get the checkout, the Kroger app/online store automatically adds a 7.2% tip. Of course, you can alter this and leave whatever tip you’d like or just give the driver cash when he or she arrives at your house.

What are the Tips Policies at Kroger?

On its website, Kroger explicitly states that tips are not required. However, they do add that its partners expect tips. Although there isn’t a way to tell the difference between a Kroger delivery driver and an Instacart driver, we think they mean by this that there is no need to tip if it’s a Kroger delivery driver rather than an Instacart one. 

We found out those tipping delivery drivers when we inquired if you should tip Bob’s delivery, so suffice it to say that we do advise tipping Kroger delivery regardless of whether it is being made by Instacart or Kroger’s driver. When determining whether to tip AAA tow truck drivers, we came to a similar conclusion.

Do You Leave Tips for Kroger Curbside Pickup?

Curbside helpers are not expected to accept tips, and the Kroger checkout does not give customers the chance to do so. The curbside pickup service costs $4.95, but there is no provision for leaving a tip.

If you want to leave the curbside helper a tip, stick to the national average found in the US (between 10 to 20 percent of your order) or a flat fee of $1 and $10, depending on the size of your order.

When examining whether or not to tip for Target delivery and curbside pickup, we discovered that several other stores don’t charge for this service.

What Are the Wages for Kroger Delivery Drivers?

When determining whether or not to tip a Kroger driver, many customers will want to consider their income.

According to our observations, customers are likelier to tip well if a worker makes less than the industry standard. As mentioned above, Kroger employs Instacart for their deliveries; according to Nerd Wallet, they pay a minimum of $5 for every delivery and $7 to $10 if the shop and delivery are done simultaneously. To us, this is a paltry sum.

With a US annual salary of $41,535, $26,619 is significantly less than the average. Having said that, it appears that Instacart drivers make little money, and this may well motivate you to provide a tip.

You must remember that Instacart’s corporate policy is to pay drivers the tips they produce, so there shouldn’t be a hassle with them getting what you offer. Another good incentive to reach for your wallet is that Instacart drivers are expected to cover their earnings in tips.

What is the Price of Kroger Delivery?

It would be best if you also thought about how much it will cost to have Kroger deliver anything to you. If the delivery cost is higher than normal, we predict that many individuals will wish to cut back on or altogether forego a tip. Depending on where you reside, Kroger delivery ranges from $9.95 to $11.95 for each order.

This is far more expensive than the $5 per delivery that Quartz estimates to be the US median for supermarket delivery costs. However, based on our experience, you should plan to pay significantly more, specifically for next-day service.

Regardless of the evidence, we disagree that $9.95 to $11.95 is excessively high, but we’ll let you make up your own mind about that.

How Much Is a Kroger Delivery Tip?

We advise staying with at least 7.2% of the total amount of your order; that is the standard tip on the Kroger website. The standard tip in the US is between 10% and 20%, so 7.2% is definitely the absolute lowest you should provide. 

If you’d prefer to leave a fixed tip rather than a percentage, we advise tipping somewhere between $5 and $20, depending on the size of your purchase.

When to Tip and When Not To

It’s likely too late to withdraw the money if you gave the Kroger driver a tip at the register unless you file a formal complaint and demand a refund.

Because of this, you might decide that it’s better to wait off on leaving a tip online or through an app and instead give it in person once the delivery has been completed.

Consider not giving a tip if:

• Delivery is delayed.
• The incorrect address is used for delivery.
• The order isn’t complete, or some things are missing
• The driver is impolite or disrespectful.
• The package is left unattended in an unsafe area.

As an alternative, you can opt to tip or increase your tip if:

• The driver is friendly and expert.
• The driver exceeds the requirements of the job (for example, by taking your shopping inside or helping you pack it away)
• Holidays are in full swing.

Final Note

In the US, tipping delivery drivers is considered polite, and we don’t see any reason why Kroger ought to be any different. Giving tips is usually a personal decision, so don’t be afraid to refuse one, especially if the service is subpar.

However, keep in mind that a tip is automatically added to your purchase at Kroger’s checkout, so if you want to assess the level of service before handing over your hard-earned money, you might want to wait until the delivery has been made.