Upset Uber customers charged for monthly memberships they say they never

Nora Kelly of Montreal says she feels duped by Uber after she discovered the ride-share platform charged her repeatedly for a monthly membership that, to her knowledge, she didn’t authorize.

Earlier this month, Kelly found five consecutive $11.49 charges on her credit card bills dating back to February for Uber One, a monthly membership program that provides discounts for the company’s ride-share and food delivery services. 

The problem is, Kelly swears she never signed up for a membership. 

“It really was astonishing — shocking, in fact — that they would be able to do this,” she said. “It feels like you’ve been taken for a fool.”

CBC News interviewed five other Uber users from across Canada with similar stories. Each said they were signed up for Uber One without their knowledge, and only caught the problem when they noticed an unusual Uber charge — or string of recurring charges — on their credit card. 

“I felt taken advantage of by Uber,” said Leah Billard of Ottawa. She got hit with a mysterious $108.48 charge in March for Uber One, for which she also insists she never signed up. 

Billard disputed the charge through her bank, which issued her card. 

Bank documents show Uber argued that Billard’s claim was invalid. Nevertheless, the bank ruled in her favour and she got her money back. 

“In my head, it was just, like, totally a fraud charge because I never signed up for anything,” said Billard. 

Following the publication of this story, CBC News received more than a dozen complaints from other people who said they were signed up for Uber One without their knowledge and got hit with one or more monthly charges.

In the United States, complaints about unwanted Uber One memberships prompted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 21 states to file a lawsuit against Uber in December 2025, alleging deceptive billing practices. 

Are dark patterns at play?

Toronto-based tech expert Ritesh Kotak says dark patterns may be to blame when customers discover they’re signed up for a subscription without their knowledge.

These subtle design tricks, embedded in websites and apps, are engineered to manipulate people into making unintended decisions online. 

“Dark patterns are used to nudge individuals psychologically, nudge them into clicking on something,” said Kotak.

A 2024 report by Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner assessed 145 websites and apps accessible in the country and found that 99 per cent included at least one indicator of dark patterns.

Uber customers interviewed by CBC reported having no recollection of clicking on…