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| There is some confusion if the service charge waiver is limited to card payments or applies to net banking as well. |
May 29, 2016, NewsCrunch
Your train tickets just got Rs 30 cheaper, if you are paying for them through credit or debit cards.
The Hindu reports that Indian Railways has decided to waive off service charge on tickets purchased using debit/credit cards at computerised reservation counters.
That is the good news. The bad news is there is no clarity if the waiver has been extended to online ticketing as well.
There is also some confusion if the waiver is limited to card payments or applies to net banking as well.
Question 7 of the FAQ on IRCTC website says - Services charges Nill for all classes - adding to the confusion.
The Railways move seems to be a follow up on a Union Cabinet decision in February this year to waive off service charge on card and online transactions to encourage cashless payments.
The cash-strapped Railways seems to have gone just the half way to implement this as service charges bring in a significant flow of money.
The percentage of people who make card payments at the counters would be small as they would rather get their tickets online. So by limiting waiver to the counter-level card payments, Railways get to implement a cabinet policy decision but without denting a revenue flow.
Time someone tweeted the Minister to clarify.