Delhi Metro launches new smart card with automatic recharge feature

Out of service for over 4 months now due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is gearing up to make travel safer when the metro services resume in the capital city. In this view, the DMRC Wednesday launched a new type of smart card having an auto top-up feature.

New Delhi:Delhi Metro commuters will now be able to avail the facility of a new type of smart card which comes with an auto top-up feature. This will enable the commuters to recharge the card automatically at automatic fare collection gates at the metro stations, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced on Wednesday.

DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh said, "This initiative is in line with the DMRC's commitment towards supporting the digital drive to promote cashless transactions among the Delhi Metro commuters. This new feature empowers a commuter to get their smart card auto topped up which will help them to have seamless travel without worrying about top-up from time to time".

The smart card is available for customers through the application called 'Autope'. It will offer auto top-up functionality whenever the value of the card goes below Rs 100 and will automatically recharge the card with Rs 200 at the fare collection gate itself. The amount will be auto-debited from the customer's linked card or bank account the next working day.

The feature assumes significance at a time when there are new travel protocols which call for social distancing and contactless services due to the ongoing pandemic. The DMRC, however, clarified that irrespective of the new card, the existing smart cards owned by the commuters will continue to remain valid in the same manner as they used to be.

"Those commuters who already have existing metro smart cards can also get the top-up feature enabled in their cards by registering through the application. Such existing cardholders need to visit the customer care centre of any station three days after registration to get their smart cards activated for this facility as a one time exercise," the DMRC said in a statement.

This new measure will eliminate the need for queuing up at the metro stations to recharge the smart card. Generally, even in case of online recharges, the card needs to be presented to add value machines for the store value to get validated; 'Autope' eliminates the AVM layer as well.

Apart from the auto-top-up facility, the benefits extended by 'Autope' also include home delivery of new cards, besides their customisation facility and five per cent additional discount on each top-up, said the rail corporation.

To avail the services of the smart card, the users will be required to register by downloading the 'Autope' app, available on Google Play Store for Android users and Apple store for iPhone users, or register at Autope's mobile site autope.in and link their bank, credit card, UPI account to the card as a one-time exercise. A nominal fee, maximum of one per cent, will be charged as convenience fee from the customer for each transaction.

'Autope' smart cards are supported by the auto-debit facility for recurring payments launched recently by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) and allows the customers to set up UPI Mandate for their metro payments. 'Autope' is developed by Anduril Technologies Private Limited in association with DMRC and NPCI.

The Founders of Autope, Anurag Bajpai and Pankaj Gambhir, said, "The current Covid-19 situation has highlighted the importance of contactless services and we remain committed to offer full scale and smart and hassle-free platform supported by innovative and scalable technology solutions to all our clients."

Besides this, there are several other methods for cashless recharge of smart cards. They can be recharged through using credit, debit or cash or online payment at www.dmrcsmartcard.com, through e-wallets like Paytm, point of sale machine, ticket vending machines at the metro stations.

Delhi metro, which used to ferry more than 20 lakh people daily, halted its operations when the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March.

(with inputs from IANS)