Intro
Rider tip and compensation:
From idea to CEO proposal in 3 days
Implemented the rider-to-driver gratitude flow, from ride history and fare clarity to one-tap tipping and compensation for cancelled rides
Brought the full journey from idea to working prototype and CEO proposal in 3 days, and made fare + tip and compensation totals visible so riders and drivers see the full picture
Why this matters
- Riders have no way to tip or acknowledge drivers after completed or cancelled rides
- Drivers don't get clear, structured compensation for no-shows or last-minute cancellations
- This is a missed opportunity to reinforce Empower's promise of driver fairness and strengthen driver satisfaction
What I've designed
A lightweight flow integrated into the existing app:
- Entry: Home → Menu → Ride History → select a ride
- Completed rides: Ride details + "Thank your driver" (tip + optional message)
- Cancelled rides: "Compensate driver" flow (tip/compensation + optional message)
- UI follows the existing Empower design language
Challenge
Riders had no clear way to thank or compensate drivers in the app
Based on my personal experience: I once requested a ride that was later cancelled, and I wanted to compensate the driver — but couldn't find a way to do it in the app. That led me to notice two gaps:
After a cancellation
Riders had no cancellation fee or the way to send compensation
After a completed ride
There was no obvious path to add a tip
Business problem
A missed opportunity to reinforce Empower's promise of driver fairness
Research
Discovery
I talked directly with drivers and riders to ground the design in real behavior and pain points
Drivers
Tips and compensation matter to them
Riders
They wanted to tip or compensate but didn't know where, how much, or if it reached the driver
Solution
How might we let riders thank or compensate drivers in a way that feels natural and visible inside the app?
- A single, obvious entry from ride history
- Clear breakdowns of fare, tip, and compensation
- A brief riders/drivers thank-you message
Feature 1
Cancelled ride compensation
For cancelled rides: I took the confusion out of compensating drivers after rides being cancelled
I added a dedicated "Compensate Driver" flow with a visible breakdown, a clear "You compensated $X" confirmation on the same screen, and list totals that show base + sent so riders always see what's owed
Feature 2
Completed ride tipping
For completed rides: I made it obvious how to thank your driver and to see that it went through
I kept riders on the same screen with a clear "You tipped $X" state and showed fare + tip as one total in the list
Feature 3
Thank you message
After tips & compensations: A clear moment of closure after every tip or compensation
Next steps
Suggested next steps
Align on compensation rules
Determine roadmap priority and rollout strategy
Test rider adoption and measure driver satisfaction impact
