CHENNAI: To encourage people to use the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) mobile application based on Unified Payment Interface (UPI) method for making payments for tickets, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has decided to refund the full ticket fare to five passengers per month who use the application.
According to an IRCTC press release, five passengers will be chosen through computerised random lucky draw based on PNR numbers. The scheme is a pilot project introduced for six months only for those tickets booked through IRCTC website.
Sources said there was is cap on the number of passengers or the maximum refund amount. That is, a PNR with four passengers is also eligible for the refund. However, tickets which are cancelled or Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) raised for refund will not be eligible. Passengers who paid using other modes including credit card, debit card, and IRCTC e wallet will not be considered.
According to official records, during October, 2.25 crore passengers booked through IRCTC, while 5.73 crore passengers booked through 10,137 reservation counters across the country. On an average, about 7.5 lakh passengers booked through IRCTC website a day. For every minute tickets are booked for about 16,000 to 18,000 passengers.
To make the payment through BHIM app, passengers need to sign for UPI method with their bank and should get the 20-digit alpha numeric Virtual Payment address (VPA). While making the payment, passengers should enter their VPA address and approve the payment through mobile.