According to a survey, customers have complained about 8 different types of dark patterns, i.e., methods that mislead customers, on online banking platforms.
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New Delhi: As digital banking services expand in the country, customers are facing a variety of issues. The most common problem on online platforms is “dark patterns,” which mislead customers. According to a LocalCircles survey, customers have complained about eight different types of dark patterns on online banking platforms. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken these complaints seriously, directing banks to make all their digital platforms “dark pattern-free” by July 2026.
According to the LocalCircles survey, three methods are most commonly used. The first is drip pricing, i.e., hidden charges. This involves showing a low fee initially and then adding additional fees at the end. The second is basket sneaking, i.e., adding something without informing the customer. In this method, banks add additional products or services without the customer’s knowledge. The third method is forced action, which is the most common. In this method, another service is declared mandatory for an essential service. For example, making a credit card mandatory for making an FD (Fixed Deposit) investment, one in two customers admitted to having encountered these practices.
How much fraud is there on charges?
22% of customers said they encountered hidden charges very often.
42% said it happened sometimes.
30% said they never experienced it.
Misleading Language Games
13% of customers said they were misled very often.
32% said it happened sometimes.
18% said it happened rarely.
31% said they never had a problem.
Top Customer Concerns
- 64% of customers reported being bothered by hidden charges.
- 57% reported being subjected to uninformed extra charges.
- 51% reported being forced to switch to another service.
- 46% reported being bothered by repeated notifications (nagging).
RBI takes a major step in the interest of customers
The Reserve Bank believes that transparency and fairness are essential in digital banking. By July 2026, banks must remove all deceptive designs and processes from their apps, websites, and digital interfaces that mislead customers or impose fees without their explicit consent. This decision by the Reserve Bank is completely in the interest of customers. However, many banks still operate on outdated and slow systems that lack adequate attention to user experience and transparency.
