Drip pricing in a loan journey
Charges every customer must pay, shown late or added as the journey goes on.
What it is
Drip pricing is when a charge that every customer has to pay is not shown until late in the journey, or when the total grows as the customer moves forward. RBI's illustrative list of dark patterns names it, and so do the consumer authority's 2023 dark-pattern guidelines.
What it looks like
On a fictional lender's offer screen, the customer sees “13.5% a year, EMI ₹10,181”. They enter their details and agree to a credit check. Only on the final screen do a processing fee and a documentation charge appear. By then the customer has spent time, shared data and mentally accepted the offer.
Why it matters
A customer cannot weigh a loan they cannot fully see. Late fees also change the real cost of the loan, so a low headline rate can mislead.
How to avoid it
- Show every mandatory charge on the offer screen, next to the rate and EMI.
- Show the total cost to the customer, with the Key Facts Statement, before they accept.
- Keep amounts identical from step to step, and explain any change before it happens.
- Test the journey screen by screen and write down every amount you see.
How it is tested
This pattern only shows up when you compare screens, so a single page cannot reveal it. Checks that span several screens are part of a ConductLens baseline audit; the free snapshot looks at one page. In either case a person confirms every finding against the requirement before it appears in a report.
Keep reading
- RBI's dark-pattern rules from 1 January 2027: a checklist
- Basket sneaking: add-ons the customer never chose
- Confirm shaming: when saying no is made to feel wrong
Sources
- Outlook Money: banks and NBFCs to face stricter oversight on dark patterns
- Basis Point Insight: RBI bars mis-selling by banks, trains gun on dark patterns
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and not an opinion on any institution's position. Requirements change: check the official RBI text for your entity category before relying on anything here.