New Delhi, Nov 13: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹10 lakh on ANI Technologies Private Limited, which operates Ola, for seeking additional payments from passengers before their rides were completed, ruling that the practice amounted to an unfair trade practice and a prohibited dark pattern.
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The consumer watchdog has also directed the ride-hailing platform to immediately discontinue all pre-ride payment prompts, including those labelled as ‘tips’ or ‘add-ons’, over and above the fare displayed at the time of booking.
The order was issued by the CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, after examining Ola’s app interface and booking data. The authority found that the platform encouraged passengers to pay extra while they were waiting for a driver to accept their ride request by suggesting that an additional payment could improve their chances of getting a ride faster.
Although Ola subsequently renamed the ‘tip’ feature as an ‘add-on’, the authority found that the underlying practice remained unchanged.
CCPA finds misleading claims about faster ride confirmation
The CCPA examined several messages displayed on the Ola app, including prompts 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”.
According to the authority, these messages appeared while the app was searching for a driver and were placed directly above suggested payment amounts. This created an impression that passengers who paid extra could secure a ride more quickly.
The authority observed that the use of qualifying words such as ‘might’ and ‘chance’ did not remove the misleading impression conveyed by the overall interface.
Ola’s own booking data for June 1–15, 2026, also failed to support the suggestion that additional payments improved ride acceptance rates.
The data showed that requests carrying an add-on were accepted less frequently than those without one:
| City | With add-on | Without add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 38% | 62% |
| Bengaluru | 40% | 68% |
| Mumbai | 39% | 68% |
The CCPA noted that Ola maintained that add-on payments did not influence ride allocation, even as its app suggested that paying extra could improve the chances of securing a ride sooner.
It also found that consumers were not informed about the lower acceptance rates recorded for requests carrying add-ons or how the suggested payment amounts were calculated. The authority held that withholding such information amounted to concealment of material facts under Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Advance tipping termed unfair trade practice
The authority observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment offered after a service has been delivered. Seeking such payment before a journey is completed effectively turns a voluntary gratuity into a pre-service charge.
It also questioned the practice of asking passengers to pay an additional premium after they had already booked a ride at an upfront fare, which takes factors such as peak pricing and the driver’s distance to the pick-up point into account.
The CCPA further noted that suggested add-on amounts had increased from ₹10–₹40 in May 2025 to as much as ₹140, while the app allowed payments of up to ₹499. The platform did not disclose the basis for determining these amounts.
According to the authority, passengers had no independent way of verifying whether an additional payment was necessary, as information about driver availability remained under the platform’s control. The practice also raised concerns about unfair contractual conditions.
The CCPA found the feature inconsistent with Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which provides for a tipping facility only after completion of a journey. It also noted that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had clarified on August 11, 2026, that such prompts should not be displayed before the ride was completed.
App interface flagged for ‘Confirm Shaming’
The authority also examined Ola’s payment prompts under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
It held that the interface employed the dark pattern known as ‘Confirm Shaming’ by creating an impression that passengers who declined to pay extra could face delays or might not secure a ride.
The CCPA identified several elements that reinforced the pressure on consumers, including pre-set payment amounts, the message “Generous Add On!” and the absence of an option to close the prompt.
The timing of the prompt was also a concern. It appeared after passengers had booked a ride, while they were waiting for driver confirmation and had limited information about availability or the impact of making an additional payment.
The authority observed that such prompts could disproportionately affect vulnerable passengers, including patients, elderly persons, people travelling with luggage and those seeking transport from hospitals, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and airports, particularly during night hours.
Ola ordered to remove all pre-ride payment prompts
Apart from imposing the ₹10 lakh penalty, the CCPA has directed Ola to immediately stop displaying any prompt, message, suggested amount or interface design seeking payment beyond the upfront fare before completion of a journey.
The direction covers payments described as tips, add-ons, additional fares or by any other name. The company has also been instructed to comply 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.
Action against other cab aggregators too
The CCPA has initiated suo motu proceedings against other ride-hailing platforms over similar practices. It has already imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Rapido’s operator, Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd., while proceedings against Uber and Namma Yatri are under investigation.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Ola for misleading pre-ride payment prompts and directed the discontinuation of the feature. A firm step against dark patterns, unfair practices and misleading claims, reaffirming the commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring transparency. ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಗ್ರಾಹಕ ರಕ್ಷಣಾ ಪ್ರಾಧಿಕಾರವು (CCPA), ಓಲಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ರೈಡ್ಗೆ ಮುನ್ನವೇ ಪಾವತಿ ಮಾಡುವಂತೆ ಗ್ರಾಹಕರನ್ನು ದಾರಿ ತಪ್ಪಿಸುವ ಸೂಚನೆಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದ್ದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಓಲಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ₹10 ಲಕ್ಷ ದಂಡ ವಿಧಿಸಿದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಈ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ತಕ್ಷಣವೇ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸುವಂತೆ ಆದೇಶಿಸಿದೆ. ‘ಡಾರ್ಕ್ ಪ್ಯಾಟರ್ನ್ಗಳು’, ಅನಗತ್ಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಅನ್ಯಾಯದ ಪದ್ಧತಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ದಾರಿ ತಪ್ಪಿಸುವ ಕ್ರಮಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಕೈಗೊಂಡಿರುವ ಈ ಕಠಿಣ ಕ್ರಮವು, ಗ್ರಾಹಕರ ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ಹಾಗೂ ಪಾರದರ್ಶಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಖಚಿತಪಡಿಸುವ ಬದ್ಧತೆಯನ್ನು ಪುನರುಚ್ಚರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. #CCPA @jagograhakjago
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) November 12, 2026
