CCPA Fines Ola Rs 10 Lakh Over Pre-Ride Tip Prompts

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined ANI Technologies Private Limited, which runs the ride-hailing platform Ola, a penalty of Rs 10 lakh for asking riders to pay extra before their journey through a pre-ride tip, later renamed an add-on. The platform has been told to stop the practice at once. The order was passed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra.

What the app was doing

While the app searched for a driver, riders saw lines such as an offer to improve the chance of quicker ride confirmation, placed directly above pre-set amounts. The Authority held that this created the impression that paying more would fetch a cab sooner, and that words like might or chance did not soften that impression. Renaming the tip as an add-on changed nothing in substance.

The company's own data

Booking records for 1 to 15 June 2026 told a different story. Requests carrying an add-on were accepted less often than requests without one, at 38% against 62% in Delhi, 40% against 68% in Bengaluru and 39% against 68% in Mumbai. Riders were never told this, nor how the suggested amounts were arrived at. The CCPA treated that silence as concealment of material information under Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Why it is an unfair trade practice

A tip is normally paid after a service is given, so collecting it in advance turns a voluntary gratuity into a pre-service charge. The fare had already been fixed upfront, including surge and the driver's distance, so a second demand on the same ground amounted to an extra premium. Suggested amounts had climbed from the Rs 10 to Rs 40 range in May 2025 to as much as Rs 140, while the screen accepted up to Rs 499. The practice was held to violate Section 2(47) of the Act and Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which permits tipping only after a journey ends. The prompt stayed on the app even after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways clarified the position on 11 August 2026. Under the dark patterns guidelines of 2023 the design was classified as Confirm Shaming, since riders who did not pay were made to fear delay. The CCPA has earlier fined Rapido the same amount, and cases against Uber and Namma Yatri are under investigation. Complaints can be made on the National Consumer Helpline number 1915.