'Dark pattern': Ola fined Rs 10 lakh for misleading pre-ride tip feature

NEW DELHI: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on ride-hailing platform Ola over its "pre-ride tip" feature, terming the practice misleading. The authority directed ANI Technologies Private Limited, which operates Ola, to immediately stop seeking additional payments before confirming rides, calling the practice an unfair trade practice and a dark pattern. Dark patterns are deceptive designs in apps and websites that push people into making choices they didn't intend to make, like hidden fees or hard-to-cancel subscriptions.

The CCPA found that messages displayed on the app, including "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", gave users the impression that offering a tip could improve their chances of getting a ride. However, Ola's own booking data for June 1-15, 2026, showed otherwise. Ride requests with an add-on had acceptance rates of 38% in Delhi, 40% in Bengaluru and 39% in Mumbai. The rates for bookings without an add-on were significantly higher at 62%, 68% and 68%, respectively.

The CCPA said Ola's position was contradictory. While the company maintained that additional payments did not influence ride allocation, its app interface suggested that paying extra could help secure a ride sooner. The authority, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, also found that suggested additional payments had risen from Rs 10-40 in May 2025 to as much as Rs 140. Users were also allowed to make payments of up to Rs 499.

It identified the practice as 'Confirm Shaming', a dark pattern that creates fear or guilt among consumers for refusing to make an additional payment. The CCPA also held that the feature violated the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which allow tipping only after a journey has been completed. It directed Ola to withdraw all pre-ride payment prompts, regardless of whether they are described as tips, add-ons or additional fares. The authority has also initiated suo motu proceedings against other cab aggregators. It has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on Rapido, while investigations into Uber and Namma Yatri are ongoing.