PhonePe has introduced the ‘RuPay On-The-Go’ Card, a National Common Mobility Card designed to enable seamless and offline payments for public transport across India. The initiative supports the government’s ‘One Nation One Card’ vision, aimed at simplifying and digitising transit payments nationwide.
The PhonePe ‘On-The-Go’ Card functions as a unified transit solution, allowing commuters to make quick tap-and-pay transactions across multiple NCMC-enabled services including metros, buses, trains, toll plazas and parking facilities. The interoperable card is intended to make everyday travel more convenient for passengers using public transport.
One of the key advantages of the card is instant issuance, enabling commuters to obtain and start using it without delays. The prepaid card follows a stored-value model in which the balance is held directly on the card’s chip. This structure allows passengers to complete contactless payments even without internet or network connectivity. Users can load up to Rs 2,000 on the card, while the maximum offline transaction limit is set at Rs 500.
Commenting on the launch, Deep Agrawal, Head of Payments, PhonePe, said the solution is aimed at millions of commuters who rely on public transport daily. He noted that the tap-and-pay functionality allows users to complete transactions instantly using the balance stored on the card, even in areas without internet access. The initiative also marks the company’s initial step towards integrating its digital payments ecosystem with national public transport infrastructure through the NCMC framework powered by RuPay.
The rollout has begun with the Hyderabad Metro in partnership with L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited. In the first phase, commuters can purchase the card at metro ticket counters after completing a one-time password verification of their phone number. The card can then be recharged at the counter through Unified Payments Interface, cash or debit and credit card
Although initially issued in Hyderabad, the card is interoperable and can be used or recharged at any NCMC-enabled transport network across the country, including in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
The launch marks PhonePe’s entry into the transit payments segment, with the company offering services such as NCMC card issuance and transaction acquiring. In addition to the physical card, PhonePe will continue to support digital ticketing, transit passes and smart card recharges through its mobile application, enabling a comprehensive digital commuting experience.
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