MoRTH tells Uber, Ola and Rapido to remove pre-ride tipping prompts
India’s road transport ministry has directed ride-hailing platforms to allow tips only after trip completion under the 2025 Aggregator Guidelines. Any tip collected must be transferred in full to the driver, requiring changes to app flows and payment interfaces.
The development
MoRTH directed Indian ride-hailing aggregators to remove pre-ride and in-ride tipping prompts under the 2025 Aggregator Guidelines. Tips may be offered only after trip completion and must be transferred entirely to drivers, affecting Uber, Ola and Rapido app design.
The numbers
- Clause 14.15
- 100% of tips must be credited to drivers
- 78% of app-based taxi users reported intrusive prompts
- August 11, 2026
- November 2025
Why it matters to operators and investors
Uber, Ola and Rapido must redesign tipping and payment flows quickly, shifting prompts to post-trip while ensuring full tip pass-through and clear driver/customer communication.
What to watch next
- MoRTH or state-level compliance deadlines, penalties, audit notices or clarification on what constitutes an impermissible in-ride tip prompt.
- Changes in post-trip tip conversion rates, average tip value and total driver earnings after app-flow removal.
- Driver protests, lower acceptance rates, higher cancellations or migration toward platforms offering stronger guaranteed earnings.
- Fare increases, expanded surge pricing, new rider fees or larger driver incentive budgets from Uber, Ola or Rapido.
- Consumer complaints regarding post-trip prompts, hidden fees or fare inflation.
The counter-case
The commercial impact may be modest: pre-ride tipping is likely a low-frequency revenue or driver-earnings lever in India relative to fares, incentives and surge pricing. Platforms can preserve conversion through post-trip prompts, loyalty mechanics or fare-product redesigns, while the rule could improve rider trust by reducing perceived price pressure. Enforcement may also be uneven unless states and licensing authorities actively audit app interfaces.