How gratuity works with us
Every quote we send is one number, and the driver's gratuity is inside it, along with the vehicle, the chauffeur, fuel, insurance and taxes. You don't collect for a tip, and nobody passes a hat on the curb at the end of the night.
Some groups still want to add something when a chauffeur handled a hard night well: a resort porte-cochère at closing time, a stadium lot after a game, a driveway full of prom parents. That's what this calculator is for. It's a thank-you, not a bill.
For a sense of scale, the middle of our Phoenix quotes sits around $1,250 for a night. On that, 15 percent is about $190 and 20 percent is $250. Your own quote will differ, so use the number on your paperwork rather than ours.
Tip on the trip, not on your own share
If you're adding something, apply the percentage to the charter total for the ride, then divide. A few percent of the total is plenty, because the standard gratuity is already in there.
Don't let people tip on what they personally paid. One percentage on one total, split afterward, means the rider who paid $85 and the rider who paid $90 chip in the same amount, and nobody has to do fractions in a moving vehicle.
Cash in an envelope at the final drop-off is the simplest way to hand over an extra. If you'd rather it went on the final payment, ask us when you book. Either way, collect it from the group ahead of time. Hunting for an ATM in Old Town at midnight is a bad use of your booked hours.
Collect it up front, not at 1 a.m.
The typical Phoenix group is fifteen people. Fifteen people at the end of a long night will not produce exact change. Passing a hat in the dark gets you a short envelope and one generous friend quietly covering the gap.
So if the group wants to add something, collect it with the fare. A $250 tip across fifteen riders is under $17 each, which folds neatly into the payment request you were already sending. The split cost calculator has an extras field for exactly this, so the ride and the tip go out as one number.
- Pick one person to hold the gratuity. Usually that's whoever booked.
- Track who's paid alongside RSVPs in the guest list manager.
- Hand it over at the final drop-off, with a thank-you, before everyone scatters.
Long days and more than one vehicle
Most tipping advice assumes a four-hour night, because that's what most Valley groups book. Longer charters change the picture. A Sedona day trip keeps a chauffeur on duty from morning to evening with mountain driving in between, and a percentage of a bigger total already reflects that. Plenty of groups add a little for a day that went especially smoothly.
Wedding transportation often runs two vehicles, say a limo for the wedding party and a 40-passenger coach for guests. Tip each chauffeur separately, based on that vehicle's share of the total.
Hand the envelopes to a planner, a parent or the best man before the ceremony. The couple should not be dealing with cash at their own reception.
What good service looks like out here
You're tipping for service, so it helps to know what good looks like in Phoenix specifically.
- The cabin is already cold when the doors open, even on a 110-degree afternoon.
- Drop-offs happen at the door, which matters a lot on a Scottsdale nightlife run where two blocks in heels and heat is genuinely awful.
- You're told where the vehicle will wait, and it's there when you come out.
- The driving is smooth and unhurried, with everyone seated while the bus is moving.
- Headcounts at each stop get handled patiently, including the friend who's always last out of the bar.
Your group has a part in this too. Our party bus safety tips cover what riders can do to make the chauffeur's job easier, which tends to make the whole night run better.
