Rapido under scrutiny for demanding additional fare and pre-ride tips from users; CCPA imposes fine for using "dark practices" Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) - India's consumer watchdog - found bike-taxi aggregator Rapido guilty of using deceptive prompts, a manipulative fare slider, and pre-ride tipping requests to prompt users into paying beyond the originally quoted fare, violating dark pattern regulations. CCPA has fined Rapido Rs 10 lakh for using dark patterns like "confirm shaming" and misleading fare prompts to pressure users into paying more for rides Published on: Sep 16, 2026, 00:30 Updated on: Sep 16, 2026, 00:30 Follow NewsGram WhatsApp Channel Key Points The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) fined Rapido's parent company, Roppen Transportation Services, for using deceptive practices that pressured users into paying more than the initially quoted fare. CCPA classified Rapido's fare-increase prompts as "confirm shaming" and its price slider design as "interface interference," both violations under India's 2023 dark pattern guidelines. CCPA said tips should only be requested after a ride is completed, rejecting Rapido's defense that its tipping prompts were voluntary and mirrored real-world fare negotiation. BIKE-TAXI AGGREGATOR RAPIDO has been fined Rs 10 lakhs for deceiving customers with fraudulent practices and prompting them to pay more for rides. In an order issued on August 31, 2026, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) - India's premier regulatory body for consumer rights protection - imposed a penalty on the service platform and found it guilty of indulging in misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, unfair contracts, and the use of covert practices to prompt riders to pay more before their rides were confirmed. Users complain Rapido's pre-ride tipping and excess pricing during rush hours practices. The CCPA fined Rapido's parent company, Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited. The consumer watchdog body undertook a wide-scale assessment of ride hailing platforms and aggregates operating in India - including Rapido, Ola, and Uber - focusing on dynamic pricing and pre-ride tipping practices. The evaluation was prompted by a complaint filed by a user on May 16, 2026. In the complaint, the user stated that Rapido had introduced a feature prompting users to pay a "tip" to the driver before confirmation of the ride to increase their chances of getting a ride faster. The complainant further alleged the bike taxi aggregator levied excessive pricing during peak hours. During its assessment of Rapido, the CCPA found that the ride hailing platform incited users into paying more to increase their chances of getting a ride. The Rapido application works in a specific way, which begins with it quoting a fare for the requested ride. However, after some time with no rider accepting the request, the application displays a message for the user to add 'additional fare.' "Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride"; "Captains aren't accepting at Rs 60. Try adding +10, +20, +30," are some of the prompts seen on the app's interface asking for additional fare. CCPA argues that such a practice deceives the users into believing that their chances of getting a confirmed ride is directly dependent upon the amount of additional fare they give. They argued that once a user has committed to booking a ride, it leaves limited scope for negotiation. The 'no-so-covert' Rapido prompts that ask for additional fares could create a sense of urgency and fear of losing the ride if the consumer declined to pay more, the CCPA further remarked. The consumer protection body has deemed this practice to be an instance of "Confirm Shaming" - identified under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. According to the CCPA, asking consumers to pay an additional amount after they had already accepted the initially displayed fare could create psychological pressure. The authority said this was especially important because the rider had already reached the booking stage and was depending on the platform to arrange a ride. A message indicating that the likelihood of getting a ride was lower without paying extra could consequently encourage the consumer to spend more. The Consumer Protection Authority also reviewed Rapido's 'Set your price' feature and questioned the manner in which its fare options were displayed. Rapido's app interface allows users to suggest a custom fare amount while requesting a ride. Users can decide upon the custom price by using a "price slider" and setting it upon the desired price. CCPA observed that the slider used different colors to show options for raising or lowering the fare. When users increased the amount, a green message reading 'higher chance of getting a ride' appeared. However, attempts to reduce the fare triggered a red or orange warning. The consumer protection body further pointed out that the slider provided more room for increasing the fare than for lowering it. The authority categorized the design as 'Interface Interference', another type of dark pattern, stating that the interface could influence consumers into selecting a higher fare. CCPA questions Rapido asking for tips before ride starts. The CCPA also questioned the policy of Rapido asking for a tip even before the ride had even started. The body stated that the fare quoted at the time of the trip's booking already takes into consideration various deciding factors such as distance, time, traffic, tolls, and the amount payable to the driver. CCPA commented that it found no justification for asking a user to pay an additional amount for the same ride before the service had begun. In its defense, Rapido's parent company argued tipping wasn't a mandatory requirement after a ride has been accepted and is completely voluntary A tip is a voluntary amount that a user pays to a service provider based upon the quality of the service received, the consumer protection body observed. Citing the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, the CCPA stated that tips should not be presented as a condition for providing the service or as a payment necessary to obtain a ride, and should only be given after the completion of the service. Rapido's Defense and CCPA's Action. In its defense, Rapido's parent company argued tipping wasn't a mandatory requirement after a ride has been accepted and is completely voluntary. It also says that its matching algorithm that connects users with riders continues functioning regardless if a tip is received. The bike-taxi aggregator further argued that the prompts its app displays asking for additional amounts mimics the real-price haggling that takes place between riders and users. The CCPA, however, rejected Rapido's submissions on tipping. As of now, the CCPA has provided Rapido a timeframe of 15 days from the date of the issue of the notice to submit a compliance report. (Edited by Agniva Ray) Suggested reading:

Consumer watchdog imposes Rs 10 lakh fine on Rapido for misleading ads, dark patterns. CCPA says ride-hailing platform pressured riders to pay more after booking by suggesting higher fares would improve their chances of getting a ride. 15 Sept 2026 6:59 AM (Updated:15 Sept 2026 6:59 AM) New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) Consumer watchdog CCPA has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on ride-hailing platform Rapido for unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements, the government said on Tuesday. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) mentioned that the action against Rapido is based on a sector-wide examination of cab and bike-taxi aggregator platforms operating in India. The probe is being done to examine practices relating to pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing. Already, the authority had 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, 2023. Dark Patterns are deceptive user interface designs that mislead or manipulate consumers into making unintended choices. According to an official statement, the CCPA has imposed a "penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, 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 CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, said that its examination of Uber and Ola in this regard is currently ongoing. During its examination of various platforms, the authority 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 Rs 60. Try adding +10, +20, +30' while a rider's booking was still being processed". Elaborating on the findings, the CCPA found issues in Rapido's algorithm. "The 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 drivers were not accepting the original price," the regulator said. The CCPA noted that this practice creates a false impression that a rider's chances of getting a cab quickly depend on paying an additional amount. As the rider has already committed to the booking, there is 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," the authority said. While examining Rapido's 'Set your price' slider, the CCPA found that it was colour-coded to influence the rider's pricing decision. At the time of booking the ride, the CCPA noted that the fare displayed to a rider takes into account factors including distance, time, traffic, tolls and the amount payable to the driver. "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," the statement said. The authority observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment and therefore, should not be presented as a condition for the service to be provided. The CCPA said that it rejected the submissions made by Rapido on the matter of tips. PTI (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh suspends Uber and Rapido licences for six months. The Chandigarh administration has suspended the aggregator licences of ride-hailing platforms Uber and Rapido for a period of six months, citing repeated non-compliance with motor vehicle aggregator regulations. The order, issued by the State Transport Authority (STA), came into effect on September 8 and applies to Uber India Systems Private Limited and Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, the company that operates Rapido. Both firms had been directed on multiple occasions to bring their operations in line with the city's aggregator rules but failed to act on the concerns raised. What triggered the licence suspension. The STA's order follows an extended review during which both companies were issued several notices, subjected to inquiries, and given hearings to explain their position. Despite these opportunities, officials said the firms did not resolve the outstanding compliance issues. A central concern flagged by the authority was the absence of adequate insurance cover for drivers, particularly for riders operating bike-taxi services under the platforms. Officials noted that health and term insurance requirements for these "captains" had not been met. The administration further stated that the companies also fell short on adherence to government-mandated fare structures and were slow to furnish documents requested during the review process. Officials said that despite repeated chances to respond, neither company provided a satisfactory explanation, prompting the decision to suspend both aggregator licences for six months. Chandigarh's Rule enforcement under Aggregator Policy 2025. The action has been taken under Rule 17 of the Chandigarh Motor Vehicle Aggregators Rules, 2025, which mandates that all companies operating cab and bike-taxi services in the city adhere to a defined set of operational and safety norms. The administration has reiterated that compliance with the Chandigarh Aggregator Policy, 2025 is mandatory for any platform running app-based transport services in the region, and that continued lapses will invite regulatory action regardless of a company's market position. Third ride-hailing firm face action after Ola suspension. This is not the first time the Chandigarh administration has taken such a step. In June, the STA had suspended Ola's licence for a similar six-month period after the company, run by ANI Technologies, was found to have ignored repeated compliance directives dating back to July 2025. That case also involved complaints about driver insurance and training, along with questions over the company's fare-setting methods and subscription-based model. A review committee examining Ola's operations had additionally discovered that the company had vacated its local office nearly a year earlier without informing the authorities, further compounding the compliance concerns. With Uber and Rapido now facing the same six-month suspension, three major ride and bike-taxi aggregators have been penalised by the Chandigarh administration within a matter of months - a pattern that raises broader questions about regulatory compliance across app-based mobility platforms operating in the city.