And now, pay on doorstep delivery for train reservation through IRCTC

In a first, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has introduced pay-on-delivery for rail tickets delivered home to passengers, allowing them various payment options, including cash-on-delivery, in a bid to improve customer service.

Passengers can now book tickets online and pay at the time of delivery, enabling ticket reservations even in times of cash shortage.

The pay-on-delivery payment option for customers is available on IRCTC's website and mobile app, said a senior IRCTC official.

The expanded payment options and door-step delivery is expected to prod more passengers to tap IRCTC's online rail reservation service. Besides, more passengers are likely to shift from ticket counters to online medium in view saving in cost and effort.

For train reservation through IRCTC, the customer will have to register once for availing PoD as a payment option. Also, passengers have to tender either Aadhaar or PAN card to avail of this payment option.

PoD charges will be Rs90 plus sales tax for transactions up to Rs5,000 and Rs120 plus tax for transactions over Rs5,000.

Customer will be liable to pay cancellation and delivery charges in case of refusal to accept tickets or for cancellations before delivery.

The service will be available across 600 cities / towns covering more than 4,000 pin codes and would be initially available for 5 days before the departure date.