Why Indian govt is probing extra charges for cash-on-delivery orders by e-commerce platforms

The action follows the union minister's response to a viral social media post that exposed such charges, sparking public outrage and a broader discussion on what is being described as "dark patterns."

These extra charges are often hidden behind vague names such as "payment handling" or "offer handling", users have alleged.

Earlier this week, a post on the social media platform X went viral, citing a user's concern about an additional ₹226 COD charge on an e-commerce order from Flipkart.