The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on ANI Technologies, which operates Ola, for soliciting additional pre-ride payments through its ‘tip’ and ‘add-on’ features.
Headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, the Authority ruled that prompting advance payments while searching for a driver misleads consumers into believing it guarantees faster confirmation.
Investigation revealed that Ola’s booking data actually showed lower acceptance rates for ride requests carrying an add-on compared to those without. The CCPA noted that concealing this data and using prompts like “Generous Add On!” amounted to concealment of material information and “Confirm Shaming” under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
Furthermore, the practice violated the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which permit tipping only after journey completion.
The CCPA directed Ola to immediately stop all pre-ride payment prompts exceeding the upfront fare and ensure full compliance with consumer protection laws.
Similar suo motu actions have been initiated against other aggregators, with a ₹10 lakh penalty already levied on Rapido, while investigations continue into Uber and Namma Yatri.
