New Delhi, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, operator of the ride-hailing platform Rapido, for misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, an unfair contract and the use of dark patterns to encourage riders to pay more before their rides were confirmed.
The action followed a sector-wide examination by the consumer watchdog into cab and bike-taxi aggregator platforms, particularly their practices concerning pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing.
During its examination, the CCPA found that the Rapido app displayed prompts including “Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride” and “Captains aren’t accepting at Rs 60. Try adding +10, +20, +30” while bookings were still being processed.
According to the authority, the app initially quoted a fare to a rider. After the booking was made at that price, the rider was prompted to pay an additional amount on the grounds that captains were not accepting the original fare.
The CCPA said the practice could create the impression that paying more would increase the likelihood of securing a ride quickly, particularly after the consumer had already committed to the booking.
The authority classified the practice as “Confirm Shaming”, a dark pattern identified under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. It said the prompts created a sense of urgency and fear of losing the ride if consumers chose not to increase the payment.
The CCPA also examined Rapido’s “Set your price” slider and found that its colour-coded design could influence users’ fare decisions. Increasing the fare displayed a “higher chance of getting a ride” message in green, while lowering it triggered red or orange warnings.
The authority further noted that the slider provided more scope for increasing the fare than reducing it.
The CCPA is headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra.
The consumer watchdog’s action comes as part of its broader scrutiny of practices adopted by ride-hailing platforms that may influence consumer decisions during the booking process.
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