The Ministry of Railways announced the introduction of a nominal flat merchant discount rate of five rupees on high-value Unified Payments Interface ticket transactions exceeding 2,000 rupees across IRCTC booking portals and station ticketing counters, effective October 15. The standardized digital processing charge is designed to cover maintenance expenditures for inter-bank switching gateways handling millions of passenger reservations every day.
Railway authorities quickly clarified that individual train passengers will encounter zero additional surcharges or booking fees on their travel itineraries, as the processing levy will be settled internally through institutional accounting arrangements between the ticketing corporation and acquiring banks. Ordinary passenger tickets and low-value commuter bookings priced below the 2,000-rupee threshold will continue to operate under a completely zero-cost digital payment framework.
Digital payment analysts noted that establishing a modest, fixed ceiling prevents escalating percentage-based gateway fees on expensive long-distance family bookings and luxury express trains. The railway administration reaffirmed its dedication to promoting digital booking channels while safeguarding commuters against hidden financial deductions.
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Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/article/education/today-news-headlines-for-school-assembly-september-22-2026-imd-issues-orange-alert-for-6-kerala-districts-suchika-tariyal-given-bronze-in-asian-games-2026-10887004/