Ola joins Uber, denies implementing phone model-based pricing in India

Ola and Uber received notices from an Indian government consumer body on Thursday, directed by consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, following media reports and complaints that Apple users pay more

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Indian ride-hailing firm Ola Consumer on Friday said it does not set fares based on a user's phone model, a day after global rival Uber denied allegations of differential pricing for Android and Apple phones.

Ola and Uber received notices from an Indian government consumer body on Thursday, directed by consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, following media reports and complaints that Apple users were charged higher for the same ride than those using phones that ran on Android operating systems.

"We have a homogenous pricing structure for all our customers and we do not differentiate based on the operating system of the user's cellphone for identical rides," an Ola Consumer spokesperson said.

"We have clarified the same to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) today, and we will work with them to clear any misunderstanding in this regard."

Apple and Google have not yet responded to Reuters' requests for comments.