Shipt acknowledges tipping error, will begin quarterly reviews

Target-owned grocery delivery service Shipt acknowledged an error in its tipping system Friday after dozens of shopper complaints.

In an email sent to shoppers affected by the glitch obtained by The Hill, workers were told the tips that failed to transfer would be added to their accounts next week.

Shoppers affected by the glitch will receive an additional $5 on top of the refunded tip.

Shipt chief communications officer Molly Synder told The Hill that the company “discovered a system glitch that caused a very small number of tips from being transferred to shoppers.”

“The glitch was not specific to any one retailer and has been resolved,” she continued.

Synder also noted that the glitch affected “less than .01% of delivered orders and the average tip value was $10.”

The company will audit all tipped and failed orders quarterly moving forward.

Shipt’s shoppers have long complained about the glitches leaving them without tips, a source of income that has been especially crucial for many during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Washington Post reported on the glitches earlier this month, citing interviews with several shoppers.

Willy Solis, a leader of a worker campaign to improve conditions called Shipt Shoppers, told The Hill that shoppers remain skeptical despite the company’s commitment to do audits.

“This is second time this year they have acknowledged a ‘glitch’ with tips,” he said Friday. “The app is plagued with ‘glitches’ that are affecting shoppers’ pay.”

Solis noted that few details of the audit process have been made public and that Shipt has not disclosed what the issue was that caused the glitch.

“We are still receiving reports related to tip issues,” he continued. “We will continue to monitor tip and pay issues and demand transparency and accountability from Shipt.”

Shipt, along with other grocery delivery companies, has expanded massively in 2020, hiring thousands of new gig workers and expanding to partner with new stores, including Walmart.

Its shoppers have gone on strike multiple times this year, saying that Shipt has failed to protect them during the coronavirus pandemic while also lowering pay by instituting new opaque algorithms.