The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a directive to major ride-hailing companies, including Ola, Uber, and Rapido, requiring them to remove the 'advance tipping' feature from their mobile applications. The government’s stance is that tipping is a discretionary act that should only occur after a service has been successfully rendered. By prompting users to tip before a ride begins, the CCPA argues that companies are effectively pressuring consumers into an additional payment that should remain entirely voluntary.

Nidhi Khare, who heads the CCPA, stated that the current practice of integrating tipping into the booking flow creates an expectation of payment that contradicts the nature of a gratuity. The government maintains that consumers should have the autonomy to decide whether a tip is warranted based on the quality of the service provided during the trip. While the directive focuses on consumer rights and the prevention of unfair trade practices, it also highlights a broader regulatory effort to ensure transparency in digital service pricing. As of now, the companies involved have not issued a formal public response regarding the timeline for removing these features from their platforms, though the government's directive is clear in its intent to standardize the tipping process across the industry.