Improve Catering Delivery Fulfillment Rates Through DeliverThat's Gratuity Lift Program
- May 12
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 2
If your catering or high-value delivery program is experiencing inconsistent coverage, particularly on orders where gratuity is low or absent, the cause is likely structural, not operational.
This article explains how our Gratuity Lift Program works, why it directly impacts fulfillment rates, and how to think about setting it up for your account.
Why Gratuity Drives Fulfillment
DeliverThat's DSP fulfillment data tells a clear story: there is a measurable, consistent relationship between gratuity and delivery coverage rates.
Orders with no gratuity are fulfilled at approximately 85%. Orders with even modest gratuity, $10 or more, are fulfilled at approximately 95% or higher.
That 10-point gap represents real risk to catering programs relying on DSPs for catering delivery. For a program running dozens of deliveries per week, a consistent 10-15% shortfall on no-tip orders means missed events, late arrivals, and guest experience failures that are difficult to recover from.
The driver population on any delivery platform is making rational economic decisions in real time. A $0-tip delivery competes against every other available job; on high-demand days, a $0 or low tipped delivery often loses to more attractive offers.
What Gratuity Lift Actually Does
The Gratuity Lift Program allows brands to select a gratuity methodology that ensures ensuring every completed delivery carries a gratuity payout for the driver. The methodologies vary, but the core mechanics are the same:
All completed DeliverThat deliveries within the configured program receive a minimum or pre-determined gratuity, even those that received $0 in direct customer gratuity
Drivers see gratuity in the offer stage and receive the gratuity in their usual payout, with no change to your billing cycle.
Split deliveries-- the largest orders that require multiple drivers-- are included; each job in a split receives a distribution
The result: No delivery in a participating account reaches drivers with $0 gratuity. Every delivery has a floor that aligns with your area, which means every delivery is attractive to drivers.
Driver Transparency
Gratuity Lift is designed with driver trust in mind. Drivers see always see gratuity before they accept a job. Drivers know what they're taking on before they commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is DeliverThat's Gratuity Lift Program?
DeliverThat's Gratuity Lift Program is a data-driven strategy that sets a gratuity on every catering delivery order. Rather than leaving tip amounts to customer behavior, the program ensures every order goes out with a gratuity that drivers in that market will actively choose. The result is higher fulfillment rates, more consistent driver assignment, and lower reliance on overflow delivery providers.
Q: How does the Gratuity Lift Program improve catering delivery fulfillment?
Catering drivers make real-time economic decisions when accepting orders. When a catering delivery carries the same gratuity as a simpler standard order, most drivers decline , pushing brands into overflowing DSPs that add cost and inconsistency. The Gratuity Lift Program sets gratuity making a brand's orders consistently among the most attractive on the platform. On the DeliverThat network, orders with competitive gratuity are fulfilled at 95% or higher.
Q: Is the Gratuity Lift Program the same for every restaurant?
No, and that's intentional. DeliverThat works directly with each operator to analyze their market, order volume, and fulfillment history before setting a gratuity structure. What makes an order competitive for a driver in Austin differs from Denver or a suburban market. The discipline is consistent; the number is specific to the brand.
How to Get Started
The Gratuity Lift Program is available to DeliverThat account holders. Configuration is handled by your account team. To discuss whether our Gratuity Lift Program is the right fit for your delivery operation, reach out to your DeliverThat account manager or contact us at partnerships@ideliverthat.com
