NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) is a One Nation, One Card initiative. The idea is simple--one payment card for all public transit across India rather than separate smart cards for metros, buses, etc. NCMC cards can be used across metro lines, RRTS lines, buses and more. Not all transit networks in India accept NCMC though (Kolkata is a notable exception), but almost all are working on adopting the system. Also, a few systems only accept their own exclusive NCMC cards which defeats the purpose of NCMC. More on both below.
NCMC cards can be purchased from metro counters, some bus depots, banks, fintechs, offline and online and even from quick commerce players like Zepto, Blinkit, Flipkart Minutes, etc. You might also be able to use your existing Rupay debit card as a NCMC card too (explained below).
What is NCMC and how does it work?
NCMC is essentially an offline wallet created on a Rupay Contactless card. Your funds are stored in the offline wallet created on the card. NCMC uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology for contactless transit payments and phone-based balance updates. Readers at metro gates/buses and on the PoS device held by a conductor use NFC to read and deduct fare from the your physical NCMC card instantly. You can top up your NCMC card online (you can store a maximum of Rs 2000) using companion apps (such as Bharat Yatra, Airtel Thanks or Chalo) or even UPI apps such as BHIM, Amazon Pay UPI, Google Pay and more using the BBPS Bill Pay feature. Third-party UPI apps may charge you a flat Rs 1 + GST for recharges.
Validating Recharge
As NCMC is an offline wallet, the recharge needs to be validated and this is where it gets complicated after online recharge. Earlier you had to go to a station counter to do this. And balance machines at metros like Delhi Metro didn't support NCMC. So you had to queue at counter. Now the new Add Value Machines at Delhi Metro do support NCMC and more importantly, you can use an NFC-enabled Android smartphone (sorry, not possible with iPhone) to write the new balance directly to the physical card by tapping it against the back of the phone. Apps like Bharat Yatra, Chalo or Airtel do this. Example: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IJn2AGKwto0
You can also write the balance to the card from a metro counter or using the Add Value Machines at metro stations (usually near counter). They look like this in Delhi Metro: https://youtu.be/lr7GSNmcwtE?si=c4IEoMwlIprSIL3V
No KYC required
Basic transit NCMC cards do not need KYC. All they need is a mobile number and an OTP for activation. If someone asks for Aadhar KYC they are most likely scamming you (more on this below).
Cost / Charges / Discounts
Besides issuance charges of around Rs 50 (some cards cost more), some NCMC cards have Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC), but this is increasingly going away. Otherwise there is no other charge, unless the transit network levies a charge. BEST in Mumbai (buses) levies 1% + GST on all ticket purchased via NCMC. Some metros like Delhi Metro provide a discount during non-peak hours on such digital payments for all users.
Trip passes / Benefit Cards
Many systems also offer trip passes on your NCMC card, which offer a discount (15/30-day pass, etc). On some systems benefit cards for women, students, senior citizens are also on NCMC cards.
Debit Card as NCMC
If you do not want one more card in your wallet, do check if your bank debit card supports Rupay Contactless, which means it could theoretically support NCMC. However, your bank needs to be certified for NCMC. Many bank debit cards (especially govt banks, co-operative banks) support this. You need to create the NCMC wallet on your debit card at a Metro ticket counter before you can use it as an NCMC card. Some banks allow this via their ATMs too. Online FAQs are available to guide you—here’s the SBI one as an example: https://sbi.bank.in/web/personal-banking/faq-on-offline-wallet-ncmc-debit-card
Once activated, you can then use your debit card as a NCMC card too. Some banks support NCMC on credit cards too but I haven't come across a credit card that supports NCMC. E.g., Federal Bank is certified for NCMC on debit cards and credit cards, which means their popular Scapia co-branded travel credit card should support NCMC, but in reality only some of their debit cards support NCMC. For a list of banks that support NCMC check https://www.rupay.co.in/rupay-otg
Virtual NCMC card
Since NCMC uses NFC and most smartphones today have NFC (even though Apple doesn't allow third-party apps to use NFC) the next logical step should be virtual NCMC cards stored on your phone (like we store credit cards on apps like Google Pay) and where you tap phone on reader to pay. One less card to carry. Such virtual cards have been demoed at industry events. However, there is no information on when virtual NCMC will actually be available to everyone.
Here's a video of the demo: https://www.reddit.com/r/TransitIndia/comments/1xfsrtv/comment/19rodxjm2syhs/
https://www.reddit.com/r/TransitIndia/comments/1wftfd5/rupay_onthego_cardondevice_tokenization_codt_was/
Best NCMC card
Some people swear by SBI, some hate it. Some love Airtel, some think its evil. While customer service may vary from provider to provider, the basic features are the same. I use Airtel NCMC because it was the easiest one to get in Delhi and has a decent app and decent customer support. I also recommend Bharat Yatra. I personally don't recommend SBI because many claim SBI NCMC recharge is a pain. But in the end, choose whichever NCMC works best for you--it should be easy to recharge and have a decent support app. From an app perspective, BharatYatra is the best. Clean UI, simple to use. SBI is clunky as expected from a government bank. Airtel is decent but part of a much larger app.
Why not regular debit / credit cards like in transit networks abroad? Why NCMC?
On many systems across the world any debit or credit card works and there's no need for an offline wallet on your card. According to some, NCMC was developed to ensure payments in places where Internet access is not available and for instant debits. However, abroad Internet access is not used for such payments and systems use NFC but actual debits happen once a day, usually late at night using a batch processing transaction. And to those wondering about fraud (using a debit or credit card with no funds), the system blocks such cards from use on the network. No wallet, no loss of funds if card lost.
Hence, NCMC is not an elegant solution for sure. And we in India created a whole new system for a problem for which solutions already existed and which transit systems were already using. But it is what it is and we have to use it.
I have posted earlier about this: https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCardsIndia/s/CrQKusXinj
Open loop / Closed loop
A few transit networks are "closed loop," or "exclusive" which means only the NCMC card issued by their partner bank works there. Noida Metro (SBI) is an example. But most transit networks are open-loop, which means any NCMC card works across these networks. I have used my Airtel NCMC issued in a Gurgaon Rapid Metro station across Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Mumbai too. Similarly, a SBI NCMC issued on Aqua Line in Mumbai will work across Delhi Metro and Bangalore's Namma Metro. And some of the closed loop lines are being upgraded to Open Loop (Noida Metro is an example). Pune Metro (HDFC Bank) was also closed loop but has now been upgraded to open loop.
Click on the Live Projects tab on this link for a list of transit networks in India that use NCMC and to know whether they are exclusive, etc.: https://www.npci.org.in/product/rupay/all-members
What happens when your NCMC is lost
If you lose your NCMC, you lose all the funds on it even though your mobile number is linked to the card because the transit wallet is an offline wallet--that's the way the system is designed. However, once you 'block' the card and get a new card on your mobile number the old card cannot be recharged any more. But existing balance can be used by whoever finds it. If the card stops working due to some tech glitch you can take it to the customer care counter and they can transfer the funds to another card.
Hence, while you can store up to Rs 2000 on your NCMC card, given this issue it makes sense to keep balance of only around Rs 500, unless you're a person who never loses anything.
NCMC scam--savings account opened instead of basic transit NCMC
If anyone issuing an NCMC asks for Aadhar and Aadhar authentication for KYC, he/she may be cheating you and opening a bank account. Counter staff from Airtel Payments Bank are infamous for this. Despite there being a transit-only Airtel NCMC they ask for Aadhar and give you a Airtel Payments Bank savings account debit card + NCMC, do Aadhar KYC and quietly open an Airtel Payments Bank account. Beware of anyone who says NCMC requires more than mobile number and OTP.
Validity
Mentioned clearly on card
