As I climbed into a stranger's Honda Accord earlier this month, there was no way to ignore the large laminated sign hanging from the passenger seat.

The sign was a plea from the driver, that while tips weren't mandatory in the Uber ride-sharing universe, he did in fact accept gratuity from riders.

In the years I have used the popular transportation app -- a superior replacement to hailing a cab, in my opinion -- I always assumed an Uber ride was a completely cashless trip: request a ride on a smartphone, hop in, make small talk with the driver and hop out with no exchange of paper money between the driver and rider.

But this sign filled me with guilt -- has tipping always been an option with Uber?

Apparently, the official answer is and has always been "yes, tip as you see fit."

Craig Ewer, a spokesman for the San Francisco-based company, said since Uber's inception gratuity has been accepted, but according to company policy, it is "neither expected nor required."

Nor is it convenient; with no tipping option in the app, users have to tip in cash, if they choose to at all.

"Drivers are always free to ask for tips and riders can tip their driver if they choose to do so," Ewer said.

After settling two class-action lawsuits in 2016 that classified drivers as independent contractors and not employees, the transportation juggernaut wrote a blog post to clarify their stance on tipping after one of the complaints said Uber had a "prohibition on drivers accepting tips."

In a California class-action lawsuit, the complaint states that "drivers do not receive the tips that are customary in the car service industry," but they would if it "were not for Uber's communication to customers that they do not need to tip."

Patrick McManus, currently a full-time Uber driver, said a seed was planted in customers' purchasing minds in the early days of Uber -- when commission rates were higher for drivers -- that tipping drivers was not a part of the trip. McManus said it is "very, very seldom" that he is tipped after dropping off a passenger. Brett Miada, a former Hudson County Uber driver for three years, said he estimated 1 in 10 riders tipped him over the years.

"If you could throw a couple bucks just for a coffee or to help with gas, it would be appreciated," McManus said. "It's the principle of it."

The uncertainty of tipping

One of the primary reasons users are unaware of the ability to tip their Uber driver is because there is no clear option in the app.

@Uber - maybe you should just add a tip feature on the app!? pic.twitter.com/wsBHA52aqS — Noriko Takuma (@norikotakuma) May 6, 2017

Uber chose not to add such a component -- which does appear in the smartphone interface for Lyft, a competing service -- because they "felt it would be better for riders and drivers to know for sure what they would pay or earn on each trip -- without the uncertainty of tipping," the company wrote in a 2016 blog post.



Lyft, allows riders to tip their drivers with cash or add it to their payment through the Lyft app. Riders can even tip up to 72 hours after the trip if they were unable to immediately after using the service.

Uber has said tipping could give drivers an incentive to spend more time in wealthy neighborhoods where they concluded tips are likely to be highest .

"We've worked hard to provide a service that reliably serves entire cities and is not just concentrated in central business districts," the company wrote.

Regardless McManus, who has driven for Lyft, but favors Uber because of the higher demand, said tips are not common when he drives for Lyft.

"That culture was started by Uber. That tipping option is there, but most seem not to tip," he said.

So, should I tip or not? I'm still not totally sure and Uber isn't exactly giving a concrete answer. Either way, it didn't make me feel great exiting that $7.30 Uber with giving no more than a 'thank you' to the driver.

My new rule of thumb: If I have cash and the driver is wonderful, a tip is in his or her future. Otherwise, I'll save my guilt.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook