The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has initiated action against the ride-hailing platform Rapido. The CCPA’s investigation revealed that the Rapido app encouraged riders to pay higher fares while their bookings were still being processed. This practice raises concerns about consumer rights and fair pricing in the digital marketplace.
The examination of Uber and Ola is still ongoing, PTI reported. The action followed the CCPA’s examination of cab and bike-taxi aggregators over pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing. The authority has also issued notices to Uber, Ola, Rapido and Namma Yatri under the 2023 guidelines on dark patterns.
What action has been taken?
As reported by Hindustan Times, the app displayed the message about higher prices increasing the chances of getting a ride in green when users moved the slider upwards. Lower fares triggered red or orange warnings, while the interface provided more room to increase the fare than reduce it. The regulator rejected Rapido’s explanation that the prompts were part of real-time negotiations between riders and drivers. The CCPA has directed Rapido to stop using the disputed prompts and interface designs. The penalty and directions form part of the regulator’s wider examination of dark-pattern practices across ride-hailing and bike-taxi platforms.
Try adding +10, +20, +30” while riders were waiting for their bookings to be confirmed. It also referred to the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which state that tipping should be offered after the journey and not during booking or the ride. The company must submit a compliance report within 15 days of receiving the order, HT reported.
The CCPA found that Rapido displayed messages such as “Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride” and “Captains aren’t accepting at ₹ 60. Rapido first quoted a fare and then prompted riders to increase the amount by suggesting that drivers were not accepting the original price, according to the authority. The CCPA said this created the impression that riders needed to pay extra to secure a ride. It classified the practice as “Confirm Shaming”, a dark pattern that creates urgency or fear of losing a service if a consumer refuses to pay more. The authority also examined Rapido’s “Set your price” slider. The CCPA classified this as “Interface Interference”, another dark pattern that uses design elements to influence a consumer’s choice. It said the platform generated the fare and controlled both sides of the transaction. It said the fare shown at the time of booking already considers factors such as distance, travel time, traffic, tolls and the amount payable to the driver. The authority said a tip is ordinarily voluntary and should not be presented as a condition for providing a service.
The CCPA also questioned Rapido’s practice of asking riders for an additional payment before the journey began.
