Pricing control

COMPANY

Zoomcar

ROLE

UX Designer

YEAR

2024

Through extensive interactions with Hosts across various cohorts, we have identified three key challenges in the pricing experience that impact trust, clarity, and control:

  1. Lack of Transparency – Hosts struggle to understand how dynamic pricing works, the price range their car falls within, and whether the displayed price represents their earnings or the total booking price. This lack of clarity leads to uncertainty and hesitation in accepting pricing decisions.

  2. Confusion Around Offers – The absence of a clearly defined MRP and the separation of offers from the pricing flow create confusion, making it difficult for Hosts to gauge the true value of discounts and promotions.

  3. Limited Control Over Pricing – Despite the dynamic pricing algorithm’s effectiveness, Hosts feel a lack of control in setting or influencing their car’s price, leading to dissatisfaction and reduced confidence in the system.

Pricing Tiers:


  1. Standard price

  2. Reduced Pricing (for new users) - Since the demand is high users

  3. Premium price - If your car has premium features than other cars

Expected Impact

  1. D30 4.5+ Rated Hosts- Incremental 1-2% increase in retention

  2. 4.5+ Rated Hosts: ~8% churn reduction

To gain deeper insights into Hosts' experiences and validate our initial findings, we conducted in-person interviews with Hosts across different cohorts. These sessions allowed us to observe firsthand how Hosts interact with the pricing system, uncover pain points that may not surface in digital surveys, and understand their mental models around pricing and earnings.

Key takeaways from the interviews included:

  • Emotional Response to Pricing – Many Hosts expressed frustration and uncertainty about fluctuating prices, emphasizing the need for more transparency.

  • Offer Perception Gap – Hosts often misinterpreted discounts and promotions due to the absence of a reference price, leading to skepticism about the actual value of offers.

  • Desire for Greater Control – Hosts consistently voiced a need for more flexibility in setting or adjusting prices, even within the constraints of dynamic pricing.

  • Some hosts feel unfair since they are putting up higher quality cars and receiving same amount as any other car. that makes them lose any motivation to be on the platform and use smart pricing

  • some hosts wants to build trust first by providing cars at a lower rate and receive high rating to to be on the top rated car list.

These insights reinforced our understanding of the problem and shaped our approach to designing a more transparent and empowering pricing experience.