Reply To: Tipping a delivery boy – Mandatory or Optional?

To KovodHabriyos: “Free delivery” means the merchant does not charge a delivery fee, so nothing is owed to the store that arranges for the delivery or sells the goods. That does not settle the question of whether a Jew is obligated to pay the individual who actually provides the service of delivering the merchant’s goods. I would like to hear from a genuine, qualified rabbi on whether or not one can decline to pay a deliveryman/woman for his/her service. I think prevailing practices and expectations in a community would be important guidance in answering this question.