COMPANY_GUIDE

Rappi System Design Interview: Complete Preparation Guide

Prepare for Rappi's system design interview with this guide covering format, common questions, evaluation criteria, and a 4-week study roadmap.

22 minUpdated Apr 25, 2026
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Interview format

4 rounds total.

System Design45 min

Design a delivery logistics or marketplace system. Rappi values understanding of real-time location tracking, order management, and multi-vertical platforms.

Coding45 min

Algorithm problem, typically medium difficulty. Focus on practical problem-solving relevant to logistics and matching systems.

Technical Discussion45 min

Deep dive into your past experience, focusing on architecture decisions, scaling challenges, and system reliability.

Cultural Fit30 min

Rappi values hustle, adaptability, and a startup mindset. Expect questions about working in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments.

Commonly asked systems

Design Rappi's order dispatch and courier matching systemDesign a real-time delivery tracking systemDesign a multi-vertical marketplace (food, groceries, pharmacy)Design a dynamic pricing and surge system for deliveryDesign a payment system supporting cash, cards, and digital walletsDesign an ETA prediction system for delivery ordersDesign a restaurant/store inventory management system

What they evaluate

Real-Time LogisticsHigh

Can you design systems for real-time order dispatching, courier tracking, and ETA computation in a dynamic environment?

Marketplace DesignHigh

Rappi operates across multiple verticals. Can you design a flexible platform that supports food, grocery, pharmacy, and more?

Payment SystemsMedium-High

LATAM has diverse payment methods including cash. Can you design a payment system that handles this complexity?

Scalability Under ConstraintsMedium-High

Can your design work reliably in markets with variable internet connectivity and infrastructure limitations?

Practical Problem-SolvingMedium

Rappi values pragmatic solutions. Can you design systems that work well now and scale later, rather than over-engineering?

Tips

  • Study real-time dispatch and matching algorithms — how to pair orders with couriers considering location, capacity, and ETA
  • Understand LATAM payment ecosystems: cash on delivery, local digital wallets, installment payments, and card tokenization
  • Be prepared to discuss multi-vertical architecture — how a single platform supports restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, and more
  • Know how to design ETA prediction systems using historical data, real-time traffic, and courier behavior patterns
  • Discuss offline resilience — courier apps must work with intermittent connectivity common in some LATAM markets
  • Study surge pricing and dynamic pricing models for delivery platforms
  • Prepare for questions about fraud detection in cash-on-delivery scenarios
  • Show awareness of Rappi's super-app model and how it differs from single-vertical delivery companies

Preparation roadmap

Week 1-2Foundations & Logistics Systems
  • ·Review distributed systems fundamentals: geospatial indexing, real-time event processing
  • ·Study matching algorithms for two-sided marketplaces (order-courier matching)
  • ·Learn about geolocation technologies: GPS, geofencing, and spatial databases (PostGIS, H3)
  • ·Read about LATAM super-app models and Rappi's multi-vertical strategy
Week 3-4Core System Designs
  • ·Design a real-time order dispatch and courier matching system
  • ·Design a delivery tracking system with live map updates
  • ·Design a multi-vertical marketplace platform with shared infrastructure
  • ·Practice estimation: orders per minute, active couriers, peak hour traffic in major LATAM cities
Week 5-6Advanced Systems
  • ·Design a dynamic pricing system for delivery fees
  • ·Design a payment system supporting cash, cards, and local payment methods
  • ·Design an ETA prediction system using ML and real-time signals
  • ·Deep dive into fraud detection for delivery platforms
Week 7-8Mock Interviews & Refinement
  • ·Complete at least 4 mock system design interviews focusing on logistics and marketplace systems
  • ·Practice explaining real-time dispatch trade-offs clearly
  • ·Research Rappi's engineering challenges and growth trajectory in LATAM
  • ·Prepare behavioral stories about working in fast-paced startup environments
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