25-07-2025
Zepto Faces Backlash Over ‘Secret Charges' On Cash-On-Delivery Orders: ‘It's Outright Cheating'
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The quick commerce application is under scrutiny after a Bengaluru customer alleged that the company added a "cash handling fee" on COD orders.
Zepto, the popular quick-commerce platform, has come under fire after a customer accused the company of using 'shady practices" and deploying a 'dark pattern" in its application, particularly for cash on delivery (COD) orders.
Bengaluru resident Sumukh Rao alleged that Zepto is quietly adding a 'cash handling fee" to orders paid via COD, without clearly informing users. Rao, a marketing professional at Frido, said the issue came to light when his friend encountered a recurring error that forced her orders into COD mode, even when she attempted to pay online.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the man claimed Zepto has cleverly altered the ordered screen.
Rao said Zepto has changed the default Call-to-Action (CTA) button to 'Pay Cash/UPI on delivery", when previously the user could avail of the 'Pay Online" option. The Bengaluru resident believes this is an exploitation of the customer's muscle memory, as they instinctively choose the COD option and then are confronted with the hidden charges.
'Seems harmless at first, because you would think you just have to pay the delivery executive via UPI instead of paying online. WRONG. This is where the dark pattern starts," Rao wrote.
'When you place the order with the COD option, Zepto automatically adds Rs 15+GST as 'cash handling fees' that most people wouldn't notice." However, this fee is not part of the final invoice viewable before placing the order. What appears instead is the 'time-limited message that vanishes in a few seconds" after the order button is pressed.
Aware of the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) space because of his Frido stint, Rao said he understands the COD fee is charged for physical goods shipping that carries the risk of cancellation or refusal at delivery. But to implement the same in a quick commerce app is unfair to the customers. 'But what business does it have on a quick commerce app???" he asked, before accusing Zepto of 'garbage practices."
Here's How The Internet Reacted
An X user replied to the concerns raised, stating: 'Is this for real? Like, they are charging some amount but not showing that in the final invoice? I hope you are wrong here, else this is not just bad practice but kind of illegal."
To this, Rao replied: 'It shows up in the invoice after delivery, which is fair. It doesn't show up in the pricing summary before you order."
Another Zepto customer revealed their ordeal, having paid Rs 25 extra for the COD option that she only learnt of at the time of delivery. 'This is not just deceptive. It's outright cheating. The additional charge is not even mentioned when choosing the payment mode. This amounts to a wilful and misleading omission… It's just Rs 25. But it is textbook unfair trade practice," the user wrote.
Another customer wrote, 'Damn…how did you even notice? I have been ordering away on cash in the blind with full trust."
Have you ever noticed something like this happening to you?
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