No More ‘Tip First’ Prompts Before Your Cab Ride
- pradeep
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Union road transport and highways ministry has directed ride-hailing aggregators to remove tipping prompts and similar payment features shown before a ride is completed.
The government said tipping must remain completely voluntary and should only be offered after the journey ends.
Why The Government Stepped In
The directive came after the ministry noticed prompts used by some aggregators such as “Advance Tip”, “Choose an Add-on” and messages suggesting that paying extra could improve the chances of getting a ride confirmed faster or accepted by a driver.
The ministry said such features could influence passengers into believing that paying more is necessary for better or quicker service.
What Apps Can No Longer Do
According to the ministry, no prompt, message, add-on, payment option or other interface element should appear before the ride is completed if it encourages passengers to pay extra to affect ride confirmation, driver acceptance, allocation, waiting time or service quality.
This means tipping options cannot be shown while booking, before the trip starts or during the ride.
Tipping Is Still Allowed
The government has not banned tipping itself.
Passengers can still choose to tip drivers voluntarily after completing the journey.
The ministry also said the entire tip amount must go to the driver without any deduction by the ride-hailing platform.
Rules Against Manipulative Design
The ministry said tipping mechanisms must not be misleading or manipulative and must comply with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The direction is linked to Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025.
Apps Told To Make Changes Immediately
All motor vehicle aggregators have been advised to immediately review their apps and digital platforms and remove or modify any feature that does not comply with the guidelines.
WHY THIS MATTERS
For millions of cab users, the change could make ride booking feel less like a bidding system.
Passengers should not feel pressured to pay extra just to improve their chances of getting a driver or receiving better service.
The new direction draws a clear line: the basic ride experience should not depend on whether a passenger agrees to tip in advance.
Comments