Grab imposes S$2 fee on users who cancel rides excessively

SINGAPORE — Grab users will now have to pay a S$2 fee if they cancel their rides more than 10 times a week, the company announced on its blog on Tuesday (Jan 10).

The ride-hailing app said that the move was aimed at creating “a fairer platform” for drivers and passengers, and to encourage people to stick with their bookings.

Although the fee will kick in only after the 10-ride limit, Grab said that it would review and adjust this threshold over time.

The company added: “Cancellations made by drivers or passengers cause huge inconveniences to one another — loss of earnings for drivers already en-route to pick up a passenger and loss of trust for passengers waiting for their ride to arrive.

“We know that there are good reasons for people to cancel their rides sometimes ... (but) we hope this initiative creates a fairer platform for drivers and passengers, and that all of us will think twice before cancelling a booking.”

Grab’s competitor Uber already has a cancellation fee in place. The fee is S$6, but a ride request may be cancelled without charge if it is made between two and five minutes after the initial booking. 

Uber users also do not need to pay a cancellation fee if the driver is running more than five minutes late.