Changes Introduced in Delhi Metro Smart Card Add Value And Refund Rules

The DMRC is introducing some changes in its smart card add value and refund rules from 21st May, 2014 as most of the Delhi Metro’s smart card users today are regular travelers and with the opening of Rapid metro & more corridors of Phase 3, the maximum fare required for travel will increase as the commuters would cover more distance. Therefore, increasing the minimum add value of the cards will help the commuters as they won’t have to stand in queue & recharge their cards time and again.

Therefore, the initial minimum add value of the smart cards has been increased from existing Rs. 50/- to Rs 100/- (refundable security of Rs. 50/- is kept unchanged).

Subsequently, from the next transaction the minimum add value will be of Rs 200 and further add values can be in multiples of Rs. 100(e.g. Rs. 200, 300,400…1000/-).

In case of web top-up, minimum add value amount will be Rs. 100/- and multiple of Rs. 50/- i.e. Rs. 100,150,200,250…… Up to 1000/-).

About 12000 smart cards are refunded every day, of which 9% of smart cards are purchased & refunded on the same day. Similarly around 30% smart cards are purchased & refunded within the same month. This has resulted in a pile up of 9 lakh Smart cards to be refurbished at a cost to DMRC. Therefore, the administration charges for the refund of smart cards will be revised from Rs 5/- to Rs20/-. This measure has been taken to offset increase in cost of transaction & discourage the frequent/daily refund of smart cards.

The new measures will help in streamlining the refund system.

Today about 70% of Delhi Metro travelers are smart card users, who are able to avail a discount of 10% on all their journeys by the Metro whenever they use smart cards.