Ola introduces 0% commission model nationwide, drivers to retain 100% of earnings

Ride-hailing platform Ola said on Tuesday that it has rolled out a 0% commission model nationwide, allowing over a million driver-partners to retain 100% of their fare earnings—without any ride or income limits. The policy now extends across autos, bikes, and cabs on the platform.

“The launch of the 0% commission model pan-India marks a fundamental shift in the ride-hailing business,” an Ola Consumer spokesperson said. “Removing commissions empowers driver partners with much more ownership and opportunity. They are the backbone of the mobility ecosystem, and giving them complete control of their earnings will help in creating a more resilient and sustainable ride-hailing network across the country.”

The new model allows drivers to select their plans and retain full fare earnings, giving them unlimited earning potential. Ola emphasised that this empowerment not only strengthens driver loyalty but also enhances the broader sustainability of the mobility industry. Ola said its shift to 0% commission was executed in phases, beginning with Ola Autos, followed by Ola Bikes, and now Ola Cabs.

Rival ride-hailing platform Rapido is already a zero-commission model, using its platform as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. It extended its SaaS model to autorickshaws in February last year. In December 2023, Rapido launched Rapido Cabs, a zero-commission cab service.

In February, Silicon Valley-based giant Uber discarded its commission-based model for two and three-wheelers, opting for a subscription-based model instead, which enabled drivers to use the platform for as low as ₹9 for using its platform. At the time, an Uber spokesperson had said that the company conceded to the market trends set by its rivals and had to adopt a similar strategy to stay competitive in the low-cost mobility rides.

Launched in 2022, Namma Yatri, a homegrown app-based ride-hailing service that charges zero commission and was built after consulting the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU) in Bengaluru, who endorsed the app as it challenged the long-standing issue of hefty commissions charged by other aggregators, such as Uber and Ola.

Available in 15 cities, it has completed approximately 10.22 crore trips since its launch, with about six lakh drivers raking in cumulative earnings of ₹1685.28 crore, according to its dashboard. Namma Yatri is the only aggregator that has made its data available to the public.