Now you can recharge Railways smart card online

August 24, 2021 Finance Talk Valli Sarvani No comments

Indian Railways launched smart cards to be used at Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) and designated counters for journeys. However, passengers need to visit the ticket booking counters at railway stations to recharge their smart cards. But, now the recharge process can be done online.

To help passengers purchase unreserved tickets, Indian Railways enabled a facility. Using this facility, rail passengers who have smart cards to buy unreserved tickets and platform tickets can now recharge them online by registering on the UTSonmobile web portal.

The online recharge facility can help passengers avoid visiting railway stations during the pandemic and long-standing queues.

Here is a step-by-step guide for using this facility:

Register on the website: www.utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in.
After logging into the portal, click on the Smart Card Recharge option.
Pay the amount through internet banking, debit card or credit card. UPI payment option is also available.
After the confirmation of the payment, you need to visit ATVM within 15 days or card expiry, whichever is earlier.
Your recharge details will be fetched by the ATVM automatically as soon as you place your smart card at ATVM and select the Recharge Smart Card option.
Then the amount will be topped up on the smart card, and your smart card is ready for use.

Those who do not have smart cards but want to buy can follow the below-mentioned steps:

Passengers can buy smart cards at booking offices at all suburban stations.
The initial cost of the smart card is ₹70, out of which ₹50 is a refundable deposit, and the remaining ₹20 is the recharge value.
Passengers can get 3 per cent extra value on every recharge.
While the minimum recharge value is ₹20, the maximum recharge is ₹9,500.
The card validity is one year from the last recharge.

Image Credit: Arne Hückelheim / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons