The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹10 lakh on ANI Technologies Private Limited, operating as ride-hailing platform Ola, for implementing a pre-ride 'tip'/'add-on' feature that solicited additional payments from consumers before journey completion. The authority found that messages such as 'Adding a tip might help increase the chances of getting a ride faster', 'Tip now to boost the chances of getting a ride sooner', and 'Improve your chances of quicker ride confirmation!' created a misleading impression that paying extra would secure faster ride confirmation.
Ola's own booking data for 1-15 June 2026 demonstrated that ride requests with add-ons were accepted less frequently than those without: Delhi (38% with add-on vs 62% without), Bengaluru (40% vs 68%), and Mumbai (39% vs 68%). The CCPA held that Ola concealed this material information from consumers, violating Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The authority determined that soliciting tips before service conversion effectively converted voluntary gratuity into pre-service payments, with suggested amounts increasing from ₹10-₹40 in May 2025 to as much as ₹140, while the interface permitted payments up to ₹499. The practice was found contrary to Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which permits tipping only after journey completion, and continued even after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways clarified on 11 August 2026 that such prompts couldn't be displayed pre-ride.
The interface design was classified as 'Confirm Shaming' under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, as it created fear that non-paying consumers might face delays or not get rides. The design used pre-set payment amounts, encouraging messages like 'Generous Add On!', and provided no option to close the prompt, appearing when consumers were vulnerable during wait times for ride confirmation.
The CCPA directed Ola to immediately discontinue all pre-ride payment prompts, ensure compliance with consumer protection regulations, and pay the ₹10 lakh penalty. The authority has also initiated suo motu action against other cab aggregators, having already penalized Rapido (Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd.) ₹10 lakh, with proceedings against Uber and Namma Yatri under investigation.