Rapido operator fined <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>10 lakh, told to stop nudges asking consumers to pay more

Rapido operator fined ₹10 lakh, told to stop nudges asking consumers to pay more

The authority said the app’s wording and colour-coded interface could steer riders towards higher payments while they were still waiting for a driver.

Ride-booking apps that prompt users to pay more -- with messages such as “Captains aren’t accepting at ₹x. Try adding +10, +20, +30” appearing while the app is still searching for a driver-- will now have to stop using such nudges.

CCPA says prompts pressure riders to pay more

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has now said that such prompts put pressure on consumers to pay more at the very moment they were waiting for their ride to be confirmed.

The authority imposed a ₹1 million penalty on Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, which operates Rapido, and directed the company to stop using the prompts and other interface designs that could steer riders towards higher payments.

The order, dated August 31, 2026, found Rapido guilty of misleading advertising, unfair trade practice, unfair contract and use of dark patterns — design features that manipulate or influence a consumer’s choice.