Consumer watchdog slaps ₹10 lakh fine on Rapido for misleading ads, unfair practices
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
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹10 lakh fine on ride-hailing platform Rapido for engaging in unfair trade practices and deploying misleading advertisements, as reported by The Hindu on September 15, 2026. The investigation, which encompassed multiple cab and bike-taxi aggregator platforms in India, focused on issues related to pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing.
The authority found that Rapido's app displayed deceptive 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. The CCPA identified this as a "Confirm Shaming" dark pattern, which creates a false sense of urgency and fear in riders, leading them to pay more than initially quoted.
Additionally, the regulator noted that Rapido's "Set your price" slider was color-coded to influence riders' pricing decisions, despite the fare displayed taking into account various factors such as distance, time, traffic, tolls, and the amount payable to the driver. The authority rejected Rapido's submissions regarding tips, stating that tips are voluntary payments and should not be presented as a condition for service provision.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
