Railways introduce an OTP-based refund system for e-tickets booked through authorized agents

The Indian Railways has initiated a new One Time Password (OTP) based refund system for tickets booked through RCTC authorised agents, the rail ministry said on Tuesday.

In order to ensure that ticket booking agents cannot cheat customers on refunds against cancelled or waitlisted tickets, the Indian Railways has initiated a system, wherein, the OTP along with information about the refundable amount is sent directly to the passenger/customer registered mobile number, which he or she is required to share with the agent for getting a refund.

"Indian Railways has initiated a more transparent and customer friendly system for reserved e-tickets which are cancelled or which are fully waitlisted dropped tickets. The new system has been implemented by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd. It is an OTP based refund system wherein OTP will be received as SMS on the registered mobile number of the passenger. This system is applicable to those e-tickets which are booked through IRCTC authorised agents only," said IRCTC in a press release.

"Under the new process, whenever a ticket booked through authorized IRCTC agent is cancelled by the customer or fully waitlisted dropped tickets, OTP SMS will be sent on customer/passenger mobile number along with the refund amount. The customer/passenger will be required to share the OTP with the agent who booked the ticket, for getting the refund amount," it read.

IRCTC said that OTP based refund process will ensure more transparency in the system to the advantage of the customer.

"It is a user-friendly facility wherein passenger will come to know about the exact refund amount received by agent on his behalf against cancelled ticket or fully waitlisted dropped ticket," it read.