GuideEnforcement · Drip pricing · Basket sneaking · Updated 8 October 2026
What the Zepto order means for your checkout
India's consumer regulator fined Zepto ₹7 lakh for two dark patterns in its checkout, weeks after Zepto had filed a declaration that its platform had none. The order is the clearest guide yet to what the regulator looks at, and why a self-declaration on its own isn't enough.
01What happened
From notice to penalty, in five steps
As reported from the Central Consumer Protection Authority's order and a Rajya Sabha reply. The penalty is under appeal.
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30 January 2025: show-cause notice
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued Zepto Marketplace a show-cause notice after inspecting its app and site.
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2025: a self-declaration of "no dark patterns"
In June 2025 the CCPA advised e-commerce platforms to self-audit for dark patterns. Zepto was one of 26 platforms that sent self-declarations; its declaration said it had reviewed its interface and workflows and found none of the 13 specified patterns. As reported, it gave no method, no scope and no independent review.
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4 December 2025: ₹7 lakh penalty
The CCPA found drip pricing (a handling charge that appeared only at the final checkout step) and basket sneaking (Zepto Pass, a ₹1 paid add-on, pre-selected without the customer choosing it). One example: an item listed at ₹170 came to ₹177.4 at checkout.
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20 January 2026: penalty stayed on appeal
Zepto appealed to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and obtained an interim stay of the penalty. The appeal is pending.
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August 2026: nine platforms penalised
A written reply in the Rajya Sabha listed nine platforms penalised for dark patterns, about ₹20 lakh in all, and said Zepto had withdrawn the practice.
02What the order asked for
Four directions, one of them new
- Show every charge upfront, from the start of the purchase, not only at the last step.
- Remove default selections of paid add-ons.
- Send proof of the changes within 15 days.
- Self-audit regularly and publish it. As reported, the order asked Zepto to put its self-audit declarations in public, in consumer interest.
The order also tied the fees to price law: once mandatory checkout charges were added, the amount payable went above the item's declared MRP, which the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 don't allow. A customer, it said, should be able to rely on the price shown first.
03Three lessons for every store
What this changes for you
A declaration is not evidence
Zepto said it had checked. The regulator tested the checkout and found otherwise. From 1 January 2027, Rule 4(15) asks every e-commerce entity for a yearly self-audit. Write down what you tested, how, and what you found, so the statement can stand up to a second look.
Small amounts still count
The add-on cost ₹1, and the gap on the example item was ₹7.40. Size didn't matter: what mattered was that the customer didn't choose it, and didn't see the charge until the end.
The first price is the promise
The test is the price a customer sees first. Handling, platform, convenience and packing fees that are mandatory belong in it, or must be shown clearly from the start.
04This week
Check your own checkout
Buy something on your own store, on a phone, as a new customer. At each step, ask:
- Is every mandatory charge (handling, platform, convenience, packing, COD) shown or included from the product page on, or does it appear only at the end?
- Is anything paid already ticked: insurance, protection plans, memberships, donations, gift wrap, priority delivery?
- Does the final amount show before the pay button, without opening a "bill details" panel?
- For packaged goods, can the final amount ever exceed the MRP?
- Did you keep screenshots of each step, with the date? That's the start of your evidence.
See it before you look for it. Our demo shop has drip pricing and basket sneaking you can switch on and off, so you know what they look like in a real flow.
Want it tested properly? An Audit Sprint runs these checks with sealed, dated evidence for every finding. See a sample report.
05The wider picture
The nine platforms penalised so far
From the government's written reply in the Rajya Sabha, as reported on 5 August 2026.
| Platform | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Zepto Marketplace | ₹7 lakh (stayed on appeal) |
| PhysicsWallah | ₹5 lakh |
| Anuj Jindal | ₹3 lakh |
| FirstCry | ₹2 lakh |
| PharmaEasy | ₹1 lakh |
| McAfee | ₹1 lakh |
| SpiceJet | ₹1 lakh |
| IndiGo | Not stated |
| BookMyShow | Not stated; directed to remove a pre-ticked ₹1 contribution |
Sources
- Inc42, CCPA slaps ₹7 lakh penalty on Zepto over dark patterns, 5 December 2025.
- MediaNama, Zepto fined ₹7 lakh for dark patterns, 6 December 2025, and the explainer on the final order, 30 December 2025.
- Inc42, Regulatory issues come into focus ahead of Zepto's IPO (appeal and interim stay).
- Outlook Business, CCPA fines 9 digital platforms, 5 August 2026.
A summary of public reporting, not legal advice. We have no connection with any platform named here.