Does my driver get my tip? What we know, and what to check.

The short answer.

Walmart’s help page says tips on store-to-home delivery are optional and that 100% go to the driver. Spark Driver says drivers keep 100% of confirmed customer tips. That’s the stated policy.

In February 2026, the Federal Trade Commission and 11 states announced a settlement that alleged Walmart didn’t always live up to that promise.

What the FTC alleged about tips.

According to the FTC’s complaint, Walmart:

• told customers that “100% of tips go to the driver,” yet on multiple occasions failed to provide collected tips to drivers, and didn’t refund those tips to customers either;
• showed drivers an advertised tip without telling them the tip hadn’t been preauthorized, so drivers wouldn’t receive it if the customer’s payment for the tip failed; and
• split tips when a customer’s delivery was divided among several drivers, without telling the drivers it would.

A complaint states a regulator’s claims. It isn’t a court’s verdict. Walmart agreed to a $100 million judgment to resolve the case.

What the settlement requires.

Under the order the FTC filed with the court, Walmart is required to:

• pay $79 million directly to drivers, as part of the $100 million judgment;
• run an earnings verification program for ten years, to make sure drivers are paid the earnings and tips they were promised;
• stop changing base pay, incentive pay or tips after an offer is made, except in limited circumstances such as a customer canceling or a driver not completing the work; and
• stop misrepresenting the earnings shown in its delivery offers.

The FTC’s case page tracks where the order stands in court.

What this does and doesn’t mean for you.

It doesn’t mean tipping is pointless, or that your driver never got your tip. Nothing in the FTC’s announcement says every tip was affected, and the order exists so that drivers are paid what an offer promised.

It does mean “did my driver get it?” is a fair question with a documented history, and that there’s now outside oversight. The basics haven’t changed: tips are optional for you, and for the driver they’re part of what the job pays.

How to make sure your tip counts.

• Check your order history. Walmart says you can add or edit a tip from Purchase History. Confirm that the amount shown is the amount you meant.
• Know the windows. You can edit a tip for up to three hours after delivery and add more for up to 24 hours. Here’s how the windows work.
• Expect splits on split orders. The FTC’s complaint says Walmart divides tips when a delivery is shared among drivers. If your order arrives in more than one trip, the tip may be shared.
• Remember cash. A cash tip goes straight to the person who did the work. Only an app tip, though, shows up in the offer before a driver accepts.
• Raise a problem. If you think a tip you gave didn’t reach your driver, contact Walmart customer care with your order number.

Drivers who think they’re owed money from the settlement can find the process in the FTC’s Spark FAQ.