Mumbai : Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha has openly conceded that the quick-commerce startup misjudged its recent pricing and fee strategies, acknowledging that some of the platform’s design choices unintentionally misled users. In an interview with Forbes India, the 23-year-old entrepreneur said the company received justified criticism and has since eliminated the features that sparked significant public backlash.
Users Call Out Hidden Fees and Confusing Pricing
The platform came under fire after customers took to social media to highlight a range of unclear or concealed charges. Reports surfaced of inconsistent MRPs, misleading discounts, and several layered fees—including a “Rain Fee,” extra GST on certain add-ons, “Cash Handling Fee,” “Item Handling Cost,” “Convenience Fee,” “Small Cart Fee,” and a “Processing Fee,” all stacked on top of standard delivery charges.
The frustration even led to the formation of a dedicated Reddit community cataloguing these alleged opaque practices.
‘The Criticism Was Fair,’ Says Palicha
Palicha explained that the company had been experimenting with various pricing structures but acknowledged that some choices didn’t sit well with consumers.
“We tested different delivery fee models, tried a few things, and learned from them. A lot of the feedback from users and social media was completely fair,” he said.
He emphasized that the decision to undo the changes stemmed from user sentiment—not government intervention.
“There was no regulatory push. It simply wasn’t the right experience for customers. The feedback was strongly negative, so we reversed course. Within a month and a half, we fixed it and moved forward.”
Commitment to Avoiding Dark Patterns
While noting that certain complaints—such as expired products—were exaggerated, Palicha admitted that concerns about misleading design tactics were valid.
“To be very honest, it was a mistake. We removed those features. It’s not something we plan to repeat,” he stated.
Earlier in November, Zepto scrapped all surge fees, handling costs, and convenience charges as part of a revamped pricing framework aimed at restoring transparency and winning back customer trust.
