Customer posts flag higher Grab Unlimited fares vs regular accounts

EXCLUSIVE: Grab explains subscription-based pricing discrepancy vs. regular account.

Ride-hailing app Grab clarified that fare differences seen across accounts are driven by real-time pricing factors, not whether a user is subscribed to services such as Grab Unlimited.

This comes after a user claimed that her Grab Unlimited subscription resulted in a higher fare compared to a regular account for the same trip.

In an online post, the user showed that her mother’s basic account quoted around ₱192, while her Grab Unlimited account totaled ₱216 after the 8% subscription discount perk. She noted, however, that when she tried booking the same trip again later that night, her Grab Unlimited account showed a cheaper fare.

Grab speaks out: “Seconds matter”

In response to the situation, Grab exclusively told radar Business that prices are generated dynamically when a booking is made, based on factors such as supply and demand, distance, travel time, traffic conditions, and driver availability. Because these variables can change within seconds, even identical routes may produce different fares across devices or sessions.

The company emphasized that its system applies the same base pricing logic to all users, with discounts, vouchers, or subscription perks applied on top. Still, Grab acknowledged concerns raised online and said it has launched an internal review of reported cases, while committing to improving transparency on how pricing works.

The issue highlights broader concerns in the ride-hailing sector, where fluctuating fuel costs and demand-driven pricing continue to put pressure on platforms to clearly justify fares as commuters seek more reliable and affordable transport options.