Namma Metro, also known as Bengaluru Metro, recently started a new initiative that helps commuters book tickets and recharge their cards using WhatsApp. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMCRL) said the chatbot service would go live on November 1.
It is the first metro service in the world to offer WhatsApp end-to-end ticketing system, which means Namma Metro users will no longer have to carry tokens or smart cards when travelling. Users who buy tickets from the chatbot get a five per cent discount on the base ticket fare. Here’s how you can book tickets and recharge your cards using the newly introduced WhatsApp chatbot-based QR code ticketing system.
Namma Metro passengers in Bengaluru can now use WhatsApp to purchase train tickets and recharge travel passes.
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— Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) October 31, 2022
How to book tickets
Available in both English and Kannada, the newly introduced chatbot ticketing system is really easy to use. To get started, the first thing you need to do is to add BMRCL’s WhatsApp number 8105556677 to your contact list.
Once done, launch WhatsApp and find the number you just saved in the contact list and send ‘Hi’. Here, you will see three options – ‘QR Tickets’, ‘Card Info and Recharge’ and ‘More Options’. Choose the QR tickets option. If you would like to book a ticket, tap on the ‘Buy Ticket’ option. You can also cancel your existing ticket or check your recent journeys here.
When you choose the ‘Buy Ticket’ option, there are three options to choose from – ‘Share Location’, ‘Type Station Name’ and ‘Search From List’. The ‘Share Location’ option is useful when you are trying to find a metro station near you.
To continue booking the ticket, you can either type the station name or search for the station from a list. Once done, the chatbot will now ask you where you want to go. Just like above, users can either type the destination station name or choose it from the list.
After you are done entering the source and destination station, tap on ‘Proceed’ and you will have the option to pay using WhatsApp Pay or make the payment online using UPI, credit or debit card among other things. If you happen to enter the wrong station name when booking a ticket, the Namma Metro WhatsApp chatbot can also cancel tickets and automatically refund the amount. In addition to booking tickets, users can also recharge their existing metro cards.
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