A food delivery order in Singapore has sparked debate online after a customer claimed that a delivery rider requested an additional cash tip before completing the delivery.
According to reports, a woman surnamed Li placed a large takeaway order from KFC through Grab on behalf of a friend’s company lunch gathering. The order reportedly totalled more than S$133 and included 10 meal sets.
Li had also left instructions for the rider to contact her friend upon arriving at the office location. However, she allegedly did not reopen the app after the rider accepted the delivery request.
The incident later escalated when Li’s friend informed her that the rider had contacted him asking for an additional tip due to the size of the order, Shin Min Daily News reported.
Rider Allegedly Asked Customer To Cancel Order
Screenshots shared by Li reportedly showed the rider claiming the order was “too large” and asking whether a cash tip could be provided.
The rider allegedly added that if no tip was available, the customer could cancel the order and assign another rider instead.
When asked how much he expected, the rider reportedly requested S$10 in cash.
As the food was already being transported, Li’s friend agreed to pay the amount to avoid delays to the office lunch gathering. The customer later noticed through the delivery tracking feature that the rider had stopped moving near the destination and only resumed the journey after the tip was agreed upon.
The food eventually arrived after 11:40am, later than the initial estimated delivery timing.
Li claimed the situation left her feeling pressured and uncomfortable, alleging that the rider appeared unwilling to complete the order unless the additional payment was made first.
Grab Says Tipping Is Entirely Voluntary
In response to media queries, Grab stated that tipping on the platform is completely optional and customers should never feel forced into making extra payments.
The company added that delivery partners are expected to complete orders professionally regardless of whether tips are provided.
Grab also encouraged customers who encounter similar situations to submit reports through the app’s Help Centre so investigations can be carried out.
At the same time, the platform acknowledged that handling large and bulky food deliveries can sometimes be difficult for riders, especially during busy periods.
The company highlighted that it has introduced operational features such as “Split Order”, which allows larger orders to be shared among multiple delivery partners without additional cost to customers.
Online Discussions Over Delivery Expectations
The incident has since triggered conversations online regarding tipping culture in Singapore and the challenges faced by gig economy workers.
While tipping is common in some countries, Singapore’s food delivery industry generally does not operate on mandatory gratuities. Many customers expect the listed delivery fee to already cover the service provided.
Others, however, pointed out that large corporate food orders may require additional effort, particularly when riders are using bicycles or motorcycles during peak lunch-hour traffic.
The case also reignited broader discussions surrounding delivery platform earnings, rider welfare, customer service expectations, and how gig economy companies manage oversized orders in Singapore’s increasingly competitive food delivery market.
Image from Shin Min, and Shin Min via Stomp