Grab to cut fees, refund $151,000 to drivers in Vietnam

Vietnam's National Competition Commission (NCC) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced on Thursday that Grab had proposed six groups of measures to revise its pricing and fee policies and improve transparency following a review of drivers' complaints.

Drivers to keep larger share of fares

Under the revised policy, Grab will reduce platform fees for short GrabBike and GrabCar rides by VND1,000-2,000 ($0.04-0.08) per trip.

The maximum app usage fee charged to GrabBike drivers will fall from 28.76 percent to 25 percent of passenger payments, while the rate for GrabCar drivers will drop from 28.28 percent to 25 percent.

Grab will also cap its combined platform and app usage fees at 32 percent of passenger payments, excluding taxes and fees collected on behalf of third parties.

Previously, the combined deductions could reach 40.6 percent for GrabBike and 39.81 percent for GrabCar.

According to the authority, after fees and taxes, GrabBike drivers will retain at least 60.59 percent of passenger payments, while GrabCar drivers will keep at least 59.68 percent, compared with the previous minimum of around 52 percent.

For a GrabCar trip costing VND100,000 ($3.87), a driver will receive at least VND59,680 ($2.31), up from VND52,000 ($2.01) previously.

$151,000 in refunds, expanded driver support programs

During its review, Grab found that around 0.13 percent of trips since 2024 had been subject to revenue-sharing deductions exceeding 35 percent.

The company attributed the excessive deductions to supply-demand fluctuations or algorithmic errors that caused fees to exceed configured limits.

Grab plans to refund approximately VND3.9 billion ($151,000) to affected drivers starting Thursday.

Active drivers will receive the money automatically in their digital wallets, while those who have permanently left the platform will be contacted by text message or email to provide bank details by November 30.

Grab has also earmarked VND860 billion ($33.3 million) for driver bonuses and support programs in the fourth quarter of 2026, along with VND52 billion ($2 million) in fuel and electric charging subsidies.

Another VND1.808 trillion ($70 million) will go toward passenger promotions and incentives to stimulate demand.

The company also plans to offer a 10-percent fare discount on trips of at least 10 kilometers from February 26 through the end of 2027, subject to program conditions.

In total, Grab expects to allocate approximately VND2.95 trillion ($114.3 million) to the measures, including revenue reductions from lower fees, refunds, and support programs.

From November 10, the Grab Driver app will also display clearer breakdowns of earnings, fees, taxes, and take-home pay after each trip, allowing drivers to review deductions and request explanations.

In a statement to Tuoi Tre (Youth), Grab Vietnam said it had provided information and documents requested by the competition authority and had proactively proposed measures to improve its pricing and fee structures, increase transparency, and better support its driver partners.

The competition watchdog said it would continue monitoring Grab's implementation of the measures, require regular progress reports, and consider enforcement action if violations were found.

It has also reviewed fee disclosures at rival ride-hailing platform Be, calling for greater transparency over additional charges and paid services selected by default.

The changes are expected to reduce costs for passengers while improving drivers' take-home earnings and making fee deductions more transparent.