The Authority has directed Ola to immediately discontinue the practice, observing that it misleads consumers, constitutes an unfair trade practice and employs a prohibited dark pattern.

The order was passed by the CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, following an examination of the feature that encouraged consumers to make additional payments while the app was searching for a driver, suggesting that doing so could improve their chances of securing a ride faster.

Although Ola subsequently renamed the ‘tip’ feature as an ‘add-on’, the underlying practice remained unchanged.

CCPA Finds Ola's Payment Prompts Misleading

The CCPA examined different versions of the Ola app interface and 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!” suggested that paying extra could help consumers secure a ride more quickly.

The Authority observed that these messages appeared while the app was searching for a driver and were displayed directly above pre-set payment amounts, creating the impression that an additional payment could speed up the booking process.

It further held that the use of qualifying words such as ‘might’ and ‘chance’ did not change the overall impression conveyed to consumers.

The Authority also pointed out contradictions in Ola's position. While the company maintained that the add-on payment did not influence ride allocation, its app interface suggested that paying extra could improve the chances of getting a ride sooner.

Furthermore, consumers were not informed that the platform's own data showed lower acceptance rates for requests carrying an add-on. They were also not provided with information about how the suggested payment amounts were calculated.

The CCPA held that these omissions amounted to the concealment of material information under Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Why the CCPA Considered Advance Tipping an Unfair Trade Practice
The Authority observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment made after a service has been provided. Soliciting it before the completion of a journey effectively turns a voluntary gratuity into a pre-service payment. Simply renaming the feature from ‘tip’ to ‘add-on’ did not change the nature of the practice.

The CCPA also identified several concerns:

Additional payment despite upfront fares: 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 location. Seeking another payment on account of the same supply constraints amounted to charging an additional premium.

Undisclosed calculation of suggested amounts: The suggested payments were generated by the platform on an undisclosed basis. These amounts increased from ₹10–₹40 in May 2025 to as much as ₹140, while the interface allowed consumers to make payments of up to ₹499.

Lack of transparency: Consumers could not independently verify whether an additional payment was necessary, as information about driver availability was controlled by the platform.

Unfair contract concerns: Making an additional payment appear necessary for the timely acceptance of a ride that had already been booked also raised concerns about unfair contractual practices.

The Authority further found that the practice violated Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which provides for a tipping feature only after completion of the journey.

The CCPA noted that Ola continued displaying the payment prompt even after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways clarified on August 11, 2026, that such prompts could not be displayed before the completion of a ride.

Under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, unfair trade practices include deceptive methods and false or misleading representations regarding the benefits or usefulness of a service. The CCPA held that Ola's additional payment prompts fell within this provision.

Ola's App Interface Accused of Using 'Confirm Shaming'

The CCPA also examined the feature under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.

According to the Authority, the prompts appeared when consumers were waiting for a driver to accept their booking. By suggesting that an additional payment would improve their chances of securing a ride, the interface implied that consumers who chose not to pay could face delays or might not get a ride.

The Authority held that this created a sense of fear and amounted to ‘Confirm Shaming’, as specified under Clause 3 of Annexure I to the guidelines.

The CCPA identified several other elements of the interface that encouraged additional payments:

Pre-set payment amounts displayed below the prompts anchored consumers to higher payment figures.

The message “Generous Add On!” further encouraged consumers to make additional payments.

The interface did not provide an option to close the prompt.

The prompt appeared after the ride had already been booked, when consumers were waiting for confirmation and had limited information about driver availability or the actual impact of making an additional payment.

The Authority also noted that Ola's booking data reflected requests originating from hospitals, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and airports.

It observed that patients, elderly persons, travellers carrying luggage and individuals travelling alone or at night could be particularly vulnerable to such prompts.

Ola Ordered to Stop Pre-Ride Payment Prompts and Pay ₹10 Lakh

The CCPA has issued the following directions to Ola:

Immediately discontinue all pre-ride payment prompts: Ola must stop displaying any prompts, messages, pre-set amounts or interface designs soliciting payments over and above the upfront fare before completion of a journey. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the payment is described as a tip, add-on, additional fare or by any other name.

Ensure regulatory compliance: The company must strictly comply with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019; the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023; and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.

Pay a penalty: Ola has been directed to pay a monetary penalty of ₹10 lakh.

The CCPA has also initiated suo motu action against other cab aggregator platforms over similar practices.

It had earlier passed an order against Rapido, operated by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd., imposing a penalty of ₹10 lakh.

Proceedings against Uber and Namma Yatri are currently under investigation.