CCPA finds “Confirm Shaming” and “Interface Interference” in Rapido’s ride-booking interface
CCPA directs Rapido to discontinue misleading prompts and practices that steer consumers towards paying more
CCPA’s action follows sector-wide examination of advance-tipping and dynamic pricing practices by ride-hailing platforms
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), headed by Chief Commissioner Smt. Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Shri Anupam Mishra, has imposed a penalty of ₹10 lakh on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, which operates the ride-hailing platform Rapido, for misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, unfair contract and dark patterns in the manner in which riders were prompted to pay more before their rides were confirmed.
The action follows a sector-wide examination of cab and bike-taxi aggregator platforms operating in India undertaken by CCPA to examine practices relating to pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing. During its examination of various platforms, CCPA found that the Rapido app displayed prompts such as “Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride” and “Captains aren't accepting at ₹60. Try adding +10, +20, +30”while a rider’s booking was still being processed.
CCPA finds prompts amount to “Confirm Shaming”
CCPA found that Rapido’s algorithm first quoted a fare to the rider and, after the rider booked at that fare, prompted the rider to pay more on the ground that Captains were not accepting the original price. CCPA held that this practice creates a false impression that a rider’s chances of getting a ride quickly depend on paying an additional amount, at the precise stage when the rider has already committed to the booking and has limited scope to negotiate. The practice was held to constitute “Confirm Shaming”, a dark pattern identified under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, as it creates a sense of urgency and fear of losing the ride if the consumer does not agree to pay more.
Colour-coded pricing slider found to be a second dark pattern
CCPA also examined Rapido’s “Set your price” slider and found that it was colour-coded to influence the rider’s pricing decision.
- Raising the price displayed “higher chance of getting a ride” in green.
- Lowering the price triggered a red or orange warning.
- The slider provided more room to increase the price than to decrease it.
CCPA held that this amounted to a second dark pattern “Interface Interference” as the design of the interface visually steered consumers towards paying a higher amount, independent of the accompanying text.
Advance payment cannot be presented as a genuine “tip”
CCPA noted that the fare displayed to a rider at the time of booking already takes into account factors includingdistance, time, traffic, tolls and the amount payable to the captain. In this context, CCPA found no justification for subsequently suggesting that the rider pay an additional amount for the same ride before the ride had commenced. CCPA observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment made after a service has been rendered and should not be presented as a condition for the service to be provided.
CCPA also referred to the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which require that any tipping feature be made available only after completion of the ride, and not at the time of booking or during the ride. Rapido had argued that tipping is voluntary, that its matching algorithm continues to operate irrespective of whether a rider pays an additional amount, and that the prompts merely reflected real-time negotiation similar to an offline conversation between a rider and a driver.
CCPA rejected these submissions, holding that the timing and design of the prompts placed pressure on the rider at the very moment when the rider was most dependent on the platform’s further noted that Rapido had not placed any data on record demonstrating that paying an additional amount actually increases the likelihood of a rider getting a ride. The claim was therefore held to be unsubstantiated and misleading.
Sector-wide scrutiny of ride-hailing platforms
The action against Rapido forms part of CCPA’s wider scrutiny of advance-tip and dark-pattern practices across ride-hailing and bike-taxi platforms. CCPA had earlier issued notices to platforms including Uber, Ola, Rapido and Namma Yatri, directing them to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023and submit self-declarations regarding compliance. CCPA’s examination of Uber and Ola in this regard is currently ongoing.
CCPA reiterates commitment to consumer protection
In exercise of its statutory mandate under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, CCPA continues to take proactive measures to protect consumers as a class, prevent unfair trade practices and ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made in respect of goods or services. Consumers having complaints or grievances relating to misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices or dark patterns may register their grievances through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) at 1915or write to CCPA at com-ccpa[at]gov[dot]in.
The Final Order is available on the CCPA website.
