Tipping UI as Labor‑Cost Lever

Platform companies can intentionally redesign checkout flows (timing of tip prompts, default visibility) to shift compensation balance between base wages and voluntary tips. Measured effects can be large and rapid — NYC regulators say changes tied to a local wage rule cut average tips from $2.17 to $0.76 and cost drivers >$550M over two years. — This reframes gig‑platform regulation: interface design is a de‑facto wage policy tool that regulators, labor advocates and antitrust authorities must control alongside formal pay rules.