Indian Railway-backed catering services provider, IRCTC tied up with the largest private sector lender HDFC Bank on Wednesday to launch one of India’s most rewarding co-branded travel credit cards. The co-branded card will be called “IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card” and will be in a single variant exclusively available on NPCI’s Rupay network.
In a statement, it said, the card combines the strength of two leading Indian brands to deliver superior value and an enhanced customer experience to travellers.
IRCTC HDFC Bank credit card will leverage HDFC Bank’s expertise as the market leader in card issuance in the country, offering its best-in-class rewards programme, and IRCTC’s unmatched services on train travel.
Parag Rao, Group Head – Payments, Consumer Finance, Digital Banking and IT, at HDFC Bank said, “HDFC Bank is committed to providing best-in-class banking services to the nation. The IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card will enable us to offer our card to millions of Indians across the country.”
Rao added, “Indian Railways is one of the biggest public sector enterprises in the country and we are delighted to be the first private sector bank to partner with IRCTC to enhance the customer experience for train travellers, right from the time of booking their tickets. As the largest card issuer in the country, it is our endeavour consistently to find new ways to nurture and support the payments ecosystem in India.”
The new credit card will exclusively offer benefits and maximum savings on bookings of train tickets which are booked through the IRCTC’s ticketing website and through the IRCTC Rail Connect app.
Also, IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit cardholders will enjoy an attractive joining bonus, discounts on bookings, and access to the several executive lounges at railway stations across the country.
Rajni Hasija, Chairman & Managing Director, of IRCTC said, “The co-branded card offers exclusive access to newly opened state-of-the-art lounges available at most of the major railway stations. The credit card will help to streamline online transactions and at the same time offer best-in-class benefits as well as experience to our customers.”
Meanwhile, Praveena Rai, Chief Operating Officer – National Payments Corporation of India said, “At RuPay, we have customers at the heart of all our offerings & innovations. We are happy to partner with IRCTC & HDFC Bank for a cobranded credit card which will offer seamless payment convenience and appealing benefits to customers for rail travel as well as their shopping needs. With RuPay Credit Cards now enabled on UPI for payments, this cobranded card will provide impetus to further adoption and reach of digital payments across India.”
Here are the key features and benefits of the IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card:
– Welcome Benefit – ₹500 Amazon voucher on card activation within 30 days of card issuance
– 5 Reward Points per ₹100 spent on ticket bookings at www.irctc.co.in
– 5% Cashback on booking via Smart Buy
– 1 Reward Point per Rs.100 spent (not applicable on EMI, Fuel, and Wallet re-load txns, on rental payments, and Government related transactions)
– 8 Complimentary IRCTC Railway Lounge Access per year
– Additional reward Points on AC ticket booking
– ₹500 Welcome Gift voucher on card activation within 30 days of card issuance.
– Gift Voucher worth ₹500 on spends of ₹30,000 within 90 days
– 1% Transaction charges waiver on IRCTC Website and App
Customers can apply for the credit card through the websites of both IRCTC and HDFC Bank and access key details of the card through the app while enjoying a simple and even more rewarding experience. They can also walk into the nearest HDFC Bank branch to apply for the card.
