The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹10 lakh on ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, which operates the ride-hailing platform Ola, for soliciting additional payments from consumers before completion of their journeys through its pre-ride ‘tip’ or add-on’ feature. The Authority has also directed Ola to immediately discontinue the practice, holding that it misleads consumers, constitutes an unfair trade practice and employs a dark pattern.
In a post on X, Consumer Affairs Minister, Pralhad Joshi said, “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.”
The Authority noted that additional payment prompts created a misleading impression of faster ride confirmation. However, Ola’s own booking data did not support this claim. Ride requests carrying an add-on were accepted less frequently than those without one, the Authority noted. It also noted that Ola’s position was contradictory. “While the company stated that the add-on did not influence ride allocation, its app suggested that paying extra could improve the chances of getting a ride sooner,” it noted. Further, consumers were not informed that the platform’s own data showed lower acceptance rates for requests carrying an add-on or the basis on which the suggested payment amounts were generated.
“The CCPA held that these omissions amounted to concealment of material information under Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The Authority observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment made after a service has been provided. Soliciting it before the journey effectively converts a voluntary gratuity into a pre-service payment. Merely renaming the feature from ‘tip’ to ‘add-on’ did not change the nature of the practice,” a statement added.
The practice was also found to be contrary to Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which provides for a tipping feature only after completion of the journey. The Authority noted that Ola continued displaying the prompt even after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways clarified on August 11 that such prompts could not be displayed before completion of the ride.
“Under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, an unfair trade practice includes the use of unfair or 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,” it added. The Authority also noted that by suggesting that an additional payment would improve their chances of securing a ride, the interface implied that consumers who did not 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’ in line with guidelines for prevention of dark patterns.” It also raised concerns regarding “pre-set payment amounts displayed below the prompt anchored consumers to higher figures.
Published on November 13, 2026
