The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹10 Lakh on ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, parent of ride-hailing platform Ola, for misleading customers into paying extra to improve their chances of getting a ride.

In an order dated November 10, the consumer watchdog said Ola’s advance tipping feature is an unfair trade practice and an unfair contract under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The CCPA also directed Ola to stop the practice immediately, pay the penalty within 15 days of receiving the order and submit a compliance report within the same period.

The proceedings followed a complaint received against this issue where the app prompted users to pay extra to get bookings faster.

“Adding a tip might help increase the chances of getting a ride faster,” a message read.

Customers were initially offered preset amounts ranging from ₹10 to ₹40. These later increased to as much as ₹140, while customers could also enter custom amounts of up to ₹499.

Ola argued that the payment was voluntary and went directly to drivers. It said the feature encouraged drivers to accept rides that were less attractive to them, particularly those requiring longer distances to reach passengers. The company also said that tipping did not affect its ride allocation system or guarantee faster ride confirmation.

However, the CCPA found that Ola’s own data did not support its claims. Data for June 1-15, 2026, showed that in Delhi, drivers accepted 38% of ride requests with an add-on, compared with 62% of requests without one.

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