IRCTC launches new payment gateway iPay for booking train tickets

The Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC) has launched its payment gateway IRCTC-iPay. The service is now live for customers to purchase train tickets online.

The gateway has been launched with the aim of making it easier for travellers to book their train tickets. Using the service, customers can book train tickets in a matter of seconds without any trouble. The payment gateway is part of Indian Railway's drive to provide better services to its customers by introducing new features.

IRCTC-iPay is expected to save a lot of time as it processes transfers much faster compared to the payment gateways of whichever bank the customers are using. iPay is also expected to be passenger-friendly and easier to use.

iPay has options of credit card, debit card, international card and UPI (Unified Payment Interface) to make payments. Other payment options such as IRCTC prepaid card-cum-wallet and auto-debit are expected to be added to the payment gateway soon.

IRCTC will have full control over the payment gateway due to its direct relationship with banks, card networks and other partners. iPay aims at reducing the gap time with banks in order to decrease chances of payment failure while booking seats.

In case an online payment fails or an error pops up, IRCTC will be able to directly contact the bank for problem resolution. By launching this payment gateway, IRCTC has eliminated dependence on any intermediary or third-party source, thus making the process of booking train tickets faster and trouble-free. Users of the service can expect a quick refund upon cancellation of tickets.

Delhi-based MMAD Communications has been bought on board as IRCTC's technology partner in order to support the functioning of the payment service.

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