New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on ANI Technologies Private Limited, which operates the ride-hailing platform Ola, for soliciting additional payments from consumers before completion of their journeys through its pre-ride ‘tip’ or ‘add-on’ feature.
The authority has directed the company to immediately discontinue the practice, holding that the prompts created a misleading impression that paying extra could improve the chances of securing a ride faster.
The order was passed by the CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, after examining the feature and different versions of the Ola app interface. The company had renamed the ‘tip’ feature as an ‘add-on’, but the underlying practice remained unchanged.
CCPA Finds Additional Payment Prompts Misleading
The app displayed messages such as “Adding a tip might help increase the chances of getting a ride faster” and “Tip now to boost the chances of getting a ride sooner” while searching for a driver.
The prompts appeared above pre-set payment amounts, suggesting that an additional payment could help speed up ride confirmation. The CCPA observed that the use of qualifying words such as ‘might’ and ‘chance’ did not change the overall impression conveyed to consumers.
The authority examined Ola's booking data for 1–15 June 2026 and found that ride requests carrying an add-on were accepted less frequently than those without one:
Delhi: 38% acceptance rate for requests with an add-on, compared with 62% without one.
Bengaluru: 40% acceptance rate with an add-on, against 68% without one.
Mumbai: 39% acceptance rate with an add-on, compared with 68% without one.
The CCPA also noted that Ola's claim that the add-on did not influence ride allocation contradicted the message displayed on its app. Consumers were not informed that the platform's own data showed lower acceptance rates for requests carrying an add-on.
The authority held that the failure to disclose this information and the undisclosed basis for suggested payment amounts amounted to concealment of material information under Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Pre-Ride Tipping Held to Be an Unfair Trade Practice
The CCPA observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment made after a service has been provided. Seeking it before completion of a journey effectively turns a voluntary gratuity into a pre-service payment.
The authority also raised concerns over the way the additional amounts were presented and collected. Its findings included:
Consumers were asked to pay extra after booking a ride at an upfront fare that already accounted for factors such as peak pricing and the driver's distance from the pick-up point.
Suggested add-on amounts increased from Rs 10–40 in May 2025 to as much as Rs 140, while the interface allowed payments of up to Rs 499.
The platform did not disclose how the suggested amounts were calculated.
Consumers could not independently verify whether an additional payment was necessary, as information on driver availability remained under the platform's control.
The CCPA also found that the practice raised concerns of an unfair contract and was inconsistent with Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which provides for a tipping feature only after completion of a journey.
The authority noted that Ola continued displaying the prompts even after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways clarified on 11 August 2026 that such requests could not be made before completion of a ride.
CCPA Identifies ‘Confirm Shaming’ Dark Pattern
The authority examined the app interface under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
It found that the prompts appeared while consumers were waiting for a driver to accept their booking. By suggesting that an additional payment could improve the chances of securing a ride, the interface implied that those who did not pay might face delays or fail to get a ride.
The CCPA classified the practice as ‘Confirm Shaming’ under Clause 3 of Annexure 1 to the guidelines.
It also highlighted other elements of the interface:
Pre-set payment amounts encouraged consumers to select higher figures.
The message “Generous Add On!” further promoted additional payments.
The interface did not provide an option to close the prompt.
The request appeared after a ride had already been booked, when consumers had limited information about driver availability and the likely impact of paying extra.
The authority observed that such prompts could particularly affect consumers seeking rides from hospitals, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and airports. Patients, elderly persons, travellers carrying luggage and people travelling alone or at night could be especially vulnerable.
Ola Directed to Stop Pre-Ride Payment Prompts
The CCPA has directed ANI Technologies to:
Immediately discontinue all prompts, messages, pre-set amounts and interface designs seeking payments over and above the upfront fare before completion of a journey, irrespective of whether they are described as tips, add-ons or additional fares.
Ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023, and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.
Pay a penalty of Rs 10 lakh.
The authority has also taken suo motu action against other cab aggregators over similar practices. It previously imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on Rapido, operated by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd. Proceedings against Uber and Namma Yatri are under investigation.
