Am I supposed to tip my newspaper delivery guy?

December 10, 2022 7:24 AM

More details inside.

I live in Toronto, and have been getting the Saturday newspaper delivered for approximately two months (which is when we moved into this place). It costs approximately $12 a month. I have never been a physical newspaper subscriber before this.

In this week’s paper, there was an envelope with someone else’s name and address on it, and I assumed we got someone’s card by accident. However, the card inside is addressed to “dear customer” and signed “your carrier”. It also provides his phone number!

Why is my newspaper delivery guy giving me (and presumably all his customers) his name, address, and phone number? I assume it has to do with a seasonal tip. If that’s the case - what is an appropriate amount? Do I just leave it on the steps on Saturday morning before he delivers the paper? I have never actually seen this guy. I am happy to tip (I give seasonal tips to my house cleaners, which always go over well) I have just never encountered this before.

posted by hepta to Human Relations (9 answers total)

Yep, it's a tip envelope. Mail it to him.

If you leave it out for him, it might disappear, plus he has to see it and come to your door rather than just tossing the paper up there.
posted by Etrigan at 7:50 AM on December 10, 2022

The phone number might allow you to send him an electronic payment as well.
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:54 AM on December 10, 2022

Yes, it's a seasonal tip. Back in the days when everyone got newspapers and you saw your carrier regularly because that's who you paid, it was very normal to give a seasonal tip (source: second female newspaper carrier in my city in the 70s - OK, that's not all relevant, but I'm kind of proud of it).

I think amount is going to be regional. I've actually had good luck asking people what their standard tip is - I've never gotten an answer that seemed sketchy, and I've always gone a bit above what they'd told me (my world traveler sister was the one who told me she just asks). So you could call the newspaper office or just give what you give your housekeepers. But so many people think tipping except for restaurants is optional, that your carrier will probably be happy to get something.
posted by FencingGal at 8:13 AM on December 10, 2022

I get a daily paper and two Sunday papers. I live in a big city and when the carrier left it on my steps it got pilfered at least once a week, requiring re-delivery - this began in pre- digital days. Now he gets out of his car and stuffs the paper through my mail slot every single day, a service I suspect is not typical. When I get my holiday card from him with his pre-printed return address, I put a $50 check inside and a note with my thanks.

This is probably not a typical tip, but this isn't typical service, and I really appreciate it.
posted by citygirl at 9:04 AM on December 10, 2022

(Former delivery boy for the Washington Post here) Yes, of course you tip, especially at Christmas. Just round up to the next dollar. Or $5. Or $20. Things have changed; adults moved in, taking this job away from teenagers some time ago. Tip anyway.
posted by Rash at 10:48 AM on December 10, 2022

I did fifty bucks when I had a paper delivered. Same to the mail carrier.
Happy Holidays!
posted by rhonzo at 12:09 PM on December 10, 2022

Nthing that this is a request for a tip, and the envelope is so that you can mail it to him. US $50 is what I give my newspaper carrier. I may go up this year due to inflation.

The phone number may be there to report problems. Some carriers get penalized by their employers if there are too many late/missing paper complaints to the distributor, so they'd prefer that customers approach them first. When I got the NY Times at home, which required 3 days' advance notice of delivery suspensions, I could also text my carrier to let her know if I had missed the deadline and didn't want the paper the next couple days.
posted by brianogilvie at 12:45 PM on December 10, 2022

I got a holiday postcard in the mail yesterday from my mail carrier. It had his home address on it, but I just put the cash tip in an envelope addressed to him (just name, not the address) in the mailbox where he will hopefully see it tomorrow.
posted by sundrop at 6:46 AM on December 11, 2022

We don't have a newspaper sub, but we do tip our mail carrier $50. She's awesome, never crams things into the mailbox but will instead make the short walk to the porch, seems to really enjoy her work. Package volume is up, everyone's capacity for peopleing is down, it's a tough job and she does it well. I'd imagine newspaper delivery is much the same.
posted by xedrik at 8:42 AM on December 12, 2022