Ola now lets you ride cashless in autos and cabs

BANGALORE, INDIA:  Ola has announced the launch of cashless rides through its in-app Ola money wallet for auto rickshaw bookings from its app across Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Bangalore.

Through the Ola app, customers can book an auto with one touch on their phones without having to haggle for fares/ spend time waiting on the road. Driver details are sent via SMS as well and the location of the auto is traceable in real time.

Customers get increased visibility of autos from around them and the nearest auto. With this feature, customers will not have to pay cash to the auto drivers and the fare amount shall be automatically deducted from their Ola Money account. This solves for two primary pain points for users- the need to carry cash and the hassle to find the exact change after the ride!

Pallav Singh, vice president - Operations at Ola said, “Autos and Kaali-Peelis are the most ubiquitous modes of personal transportation available in our cities today. However, for decades they have been operating without leveraging the benefits of scale and efficiency. By bringing them on the Ola app, we have been able to connect auto drivers and customers with absolute ease, bringing more convenience to users and more income for drivers. With cashless rides for autos and Kaali-Peelis now, the experience for both customers and drivers becomes seamless. We believe digital payments will shape the future of personal transportation in India.”

With cashless payments, drivers will now be saved from the hassle of carrying and finding change after every ride. Also, drivers will now have their daily earnings deposited into their account with Ola, linked to a prepaid card usable at ATMs or any merchant, helping them inculcate financial discipline on a daily basis.

How the entire process works:

To pay through the in-app wallet, the customer has to simply inform the auto rickshaw driver that the payment will be made with Ola Money. On completion of the ride, the driver shall enter the fare displayed on the meter, followed by the four-digit OTP that the customer will receive through an SMS. Ola money is then automatically deducted from the customer’s account. Drivers can withdraw their payments anytime from the prepaid ATM card that is linked to their Ola account.