Dark patterns cost Indian online shoppers up to Rs 28,000 crore

MUMBAI: The checkout button may be just one click away, but for millions of Indian shoppers, the real surprise often arrives at the bill. India’s online consumers could be losing between Rs 25,000 crore and Rs 28,000 crore every year due to so-called “dark patterns” embedded across digital commerce platforms, according to a new report by Datum Intelligence. The study, titled Dark Patterns in India’s Online Marketplaces, paints a troubling picture of how design tactics such as hidden charges, drip pricing, basket sneaking and false urgency are quietly influencing purchasing decisions across the country’s digital economy.

According to the report, 88 per cent of India’s 304 million online shoppers are affected by such practices, resulting in average losses of Rs 78 to Rs 87 per month per consumer. While those amounts may appear modest individually, they add up to tens of thousands of crores annually when scaled across India’s vast online consumer base.

The impact, however, extends beyond wallets.

Datum Intelligence estimates that changing consumer behaviour triggered by negative shopping experiences could place an additional Rs 55,000 crore in gross merchandise value (GMV) at risk as consumers cut spending, switch platforms or move away from digital channels altogether.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 2,590 consumers across 50 Indian cities, conducted during the first quarter of 2026. Researchers also evaluated 12 major platforms spanning e-commerce, quick commerce and online travel services.

To measure the prevalence and severity of deceptive design practices, the firm developed a benchmarking framework known as the B-Index, which scores platforms on a scale of 0 to 100. Lower scores indicate fewer and less severe dark patterns.

The rankings revealed sharp contrasts across sectors.

Among the platforms assessed, Nykaa recorded the highest score at 99.0, while Amazon emerged with the lowest score at 6.7, making it the strongest-performing platform in the study. Researchers noted that while dark patterns appeared across all platforms, their frequency and consumer impact varied significantly.

In the quick-commerce segment, BigBasket recorded the highest severity score at 98.5, while Blinkit registered the lowest score in the category at 23.2. False urgency tactics, including countdown timers and limited-period prompts, were identified as the most prevalent practices across the segment.

The online travel sector displayed similar contrasts. Cleartrip recorded a score of 85.2, while MakeMyTrip scored 9.4. Drip pricing—where additional fees only appear at later stages of a booking journey—emerged as one of the most common concerns.

Perhaps most strikingly, awareness does not appear to offer much protection.

The report found that 81 per cent of consumers can identify dark patterns when shown examples, while 69 per cent support stronger regulation. Yet 85 per cent admitted they had still fallen for such tactics despite recognising them.

Among those affected, 53 per cent complained directly to platforms, but only 23 per cent were satisfied with the resolution they received.

The fallout is beginning to influence consumer behaviour. Between 36 per cent and 45 per cent of users reported reducing spending, limiting platform usage or abandoning services altogether following negative experiences. In online travel, 41 per cent said they had shifted towards booking directly with airlines or hotels.

The findings arrive as regulatory scrutiny intensifies.

India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) introduced guidelines in 2023 identifying 13 categories of dark patterns, and enforcement activity has gathered pace since then. The report notes that Zepto was fined Rs 7 lakh in December 2025 for alleged violations involving drip pricing and basket sneaking, while FirstCry also faced penalties under the framework.

In January 2026, the regulator imposed a combined Rs 44 lakh in penalties across multiple companies for consumer protection violations, including misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.

At the same time, the report acknowledges efforts by some companies to improve transparency and trust. Amazon was highlighted for investments in fraud prevention and consumer-awareness initiatives, while Swiggy was recognised for deploying fraud-detection tools. Zepto was also noted for introducing changes such as removing automatically added products and improving fee visibility during checkout.

Yet the report argues that enforcement alone may not solve the problem.

Researchers point to several grey areas where legitimate marketing tactics and prohibited dark patterns can overlap. Countdown timers, dynamic delivery charges, mandatory account creation and promotional notifications often sit in a regulatory middle ground where intent and execution are difficult to assess.

To address the challenge, the report recommends clearer sector-specific guidelines, independent user-experience audits and more precise definitions that distinguish persuasive marketing from deceptive design.

As India’s digital economy marches towards a projected $1 trillion valuation by 2030, the report suggests the next battle may not be over discounts or delivery speeds, but over something far more valuable: consumer trust.

Because in the world of online shopping, the smallest design choices can sometimes carry the biggest price tags.