Droplet Protects You From Surge Pricing
Frustrated with a rainy day surge? NTUC Income might have just the product for you.
Aptly called Droplet, the product offers users up to 60% of their fares if it’s raining at the time of pick-up. Cancellation fees are also included in the product.
Droplet is only available for Grab users now but it will be expanded to all ride-hailing apps by the end of the year.
And just like surge pricing, insurance premiums will also be dynamic, ranging between $1 and $9.60 a day.
What drives prices up? Wet weather forecasts by the weatherman.
And those who get the product in advance will pay less than those who buy it closer to a rainy day. Users must buy the product at least a day in advance.
How it works
Droplet is a bit confusing, so bear with us.
- You buy Droplet for a trip on Christmas Eve
- It rains on Christmas Eve!
- Your trip from Bishan to Orchard, which usually costs $10 is now $20 because of a rainy day surge
- Give your receipts to Income
- Based on the maximum 60% payout, you can get back $12. This effectively means your trip was $8.
- Payouts will be sent to you via PayNow within 3 days of receipt submission
Is it worth it?
Commuters that MS News spoke to said it wasn’t worth the trouble. For Julian Low, 28, the need to forecast rain was too much for minimal savings.
If I were planning a trip in advance, Ii would just use services like GrabHitch.
But not everyone feels that way. One regular Grab user told The Straits Times that she would get it for days that she needs to travel more.
Still, TODAY reports that at least 34 people have already picked up Droplet.
If only there was something like this for MRT breakdowns.
Featured image from bady qb on Unsplash.
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