The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Rapido’s parent company, Roppen Transportation Services Private Ltd, for unfair trade practices, an unfair contract and the use of dark patterns in its ride-booking app.
The authority said Rapido’s pre-ride tipping prompts and colour-coded “Set your price” feature steered riders towards paying more while a booking was still being processed. It directed the company to discontinue “misleading prompts and practices” that influence consumers to increase the amount they offer for a ride.
According to the CCPA, Rapido displayed messages including “Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride” and “Captains are not accepting at ₹60. Try adding +10, +20, +30” during the booking process. The authority said these prompts created a false impression that a rider’s chances of securing a ride quickly depended on offering an additional amount, at a stage when the consumer had already initiated the booking and had limited scope to negotiate.
The regulator classified the prompts as “Confirm Shaming”, a dark pattern that creates urgency or fear of losing access to a service if the consumer does not agree to pay more. It also identified the design of the “Set your price” slider as “Interface Interference”. Raising the amount turned the slider green, while lowering it triggered a red or orange warning. The CCPA said the interface provided more room to increase the price than to reduce it and visually directed riders towards higher payments, independent of the accompanying text.
The authority said the fare shown at the time of booking already accounts for factors including distance, time, traffic and tolls. It found no justification for subsequently suggesting that a rider pay an additional amount before the journey had begun. “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,” the CCPA said.
The regulator also referred to the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which require tipping features to be made available only after completion of a ride, and not during booking or the journey. The finding places the timing of payment prompts within a wider regulatory framework governing how app-based transport services interact with passengers.
Rapido argued that tipping was voluntary, that its matching algorithm continued to operate regardless of whether a rider paid an additional amount, and that the prompts reflected real-time negotiation comparable to an offline conversation between a rider and a driver. The CCPA rejected those submissions, holding that the timing and design of the prompts placed pressure on riders.
The authority also said Rapido had not submitted data showing that paying more actually increased the likelihood of securing a ride. It therefore held the claim to be unsubstantiated and misleading. The action follows a sector-wide examination of cab and bike-taxi aggregator platforms covering pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing. The CCPA said its examination of Uber and Ola on the issue is ongoing.
