A recent examination of Uber’s fare pricing algorithm by Rishabh Singh, a Delhi entrepreneur and founder of engineerHUB, has unveiled potential disparities in fare calculations. Singh conducted a methodical experiment comparing ride fares across different devices and battery levels, sharing his findings on a social media platform. Here are all of the important details that he shared about the mini-experiment he conducted and why the findings might be concerning for the users of the ride-sharing app.
Delhi Man Conducts Experiment On Uber Fare Pricing
The Curious Case of Uber Fare Discrepancies:
Platform and Battery ImpactRide-hailing platforms like Uber have revolutionized transportation, but recent observations raise questions about the transparency of their pricing algorithms.
In this post, I’ll dive into two surprising… pic.twitter.com/nlQCM0Z49B— Rishabh Singh (@merishabh_singh) January 18, 2025
According to the series of posts Singh made on X (formerly known as Twitter), the experiment involved testing identical journey requests simultaneously on four devices. Two of these were Android phones and two were iPhones.
The Experiment:
I conducted an experiment using four devices two Android and two iOS logged into the same Uber account. I checked fares for the same location and ride at the exact same time. Additionally, I observed the impact of battery percentage on pricing. The results were…— Rishabh Singh (@merishabh_singh) January 18, 2025
They were all linked to the same Uber account. Singh’s findings revealed two significant patterns. Firstly, there were notable variations in pricing between Android and iOS platforms, with promotional discounts appearing inconsistently across devices.
1. Platform-Based Fare Discrepancies
Device Type: There was a noticeable difference in fares between Android and iOS devices. Even with identical conditions (same account, location, and time), the prices varied.Promotions: Discounts like “13% off” or “50% off” appeared…
— Rishabh Singh (@merishabh_singh) January 18, 2025
Some users received offers of “13 per cent off” or “50 per cent off” whilst others were shown standard rates for the same journey. Perhaps more intriguingly, Singh discovered a correlation between device battery levels and fare prices.
Does Your Phone Battery Affect The Cost Of Your Cab?
2. Battery Percentage Impact
Low Battery, Higher Fare: Devices with lower battery levels consistently displayed higher fares. This aligns with the theory that users with low battery are perceived as more likely to accept higher prices due to urgency.Behavioral Economics: By…
— Rishabh Singh (@merishabh_singh) January 18, 2025
His research suggested that phones with lower battery levels consistently displayed higher fares compared to fully charged devices. This observation led him to hypothesise that Uber’s algorithm might be employing behavioural economics principles.
Call to Action
As users, we should advocate for greater transparency and accountability in ride-hailing platforms. Companies must disclose whether factors like device type or battery percentage impact fares and ensure their algorithms are fair and ethical.Have you experienced…
— Rishabh Singh (@merishabh_singh) January 18, 2025
It might potentially be exploiting users’ urgency when their devices are running low on power. Singh argues that these findings raise serious questions about the transparency and ethics of ride-hailing services’ pricing mechanisms.
He suggests that the algorithm might be considering device-specific metadata or conducting A/B testing across different platforms, leading to varying fare structures for identical journeys. The revelation has sparked considerable debate on social media, with users expressing concern about the fairness of such practices.
Have you ever noticed any of these findings when you’ve tried to book a cab? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: @merishabh_singh/X (Formerly, Twitter)
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First Published: January 19, 2025 12:54 PM