DMRC launches top-up facility for Delhi Metro Smart Cards

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has launched another way to recharge smart cards! So instead of standing in long queues, commuters can now recharge their smart cards like they recharge their phones by simply visiting an official vendor of the ICICI Bank Business Correspondent Network in the National Capital Region (NCR).

There are currently 800 vendors/outlets of ICICI bank throughout the NCR and these should not be mistaken with the bank branches. These outlets will operate from neighborhood mobile recharge shops or other local stores which’ll enable users to add value to the card just as mobile top ups are done.

Delhi Metro Smart Card – photo: India Today Hindu, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

As per a news release by the DMRC, the entire process has been outlined below:

1. These outlets can be easily located by the DMRC commuters by sending an sms to: METROPin Code to 9222208888.
2. After reaching any of these outlets, the customer needs to provide the Metro Smart Card Number (i.e, Card Engraved ID which is written on back side of the smart card), the recharge amount (Minimum is Rs. 100/- and Maximum is Rs. 3000/- at present) and the mobile number to the agent at the outlet.
3. The customer now can pay this amount to the agent through cash. The agent will then initiate the request.
4. In few seconds, the customer will receive a final status of the transaction through sms on his/her mobile number.
5. In case of successful transaction, the customer needs to validate the top up amount in the smart card by tapping it at any of the add value machines (AVM-white colour machine) installed near customer care centre of 86 Metro stations (List of stations attached) in order to complete the top up process.
6. In case of unsuccessful transaction, the customer will be notified of the reason through an sms

The only hurdle or draw-back that I see here is that recharges done through this method will have to be validated at a metro station by tapping the card at any one of the value machines (AVM-white colour machine) installed near the customer care centre. That’s an extra hassle of a couple minutes that could have been avoided. Perhaps it has been implemented to prevent fraud from occurring.

As per DMRC’s data, about 70 per cent of metro commuters use smart cards presently while around 16,000 smart cards are sold every day from the various stations of the 190 km long network.

– TMRG