Amazon India Starts Train Ticket Booking Service in Partnership With IRCTC
Amazon India has collaborated with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to allow people to book online train tickets. Currently, the booking service is only available on Amazon’s mobile website and on Android app. Amazon hosts several helpful features to make the booking process simple for customers, including one-click payment, no extra service costs, and cashback offers, as per its press release. As an introductory offer, first-time customers can avail cashback of up to Rs. 120 on their bookings.
Amazon has dedicated a separate page to advertise the new train ticket booking service on its website. However, it says that the option is currently only available on the Amazon app and its mobile version of the website. The landing page also displays a QR code that can be scanned to get quick access to the ticket booking portal on mobile. In a press release, Amazon announced that the new feature will also be made available on iOS platforms soon.
People can book tickets by visiting the Amazon Pay tab and then opting for the trains/travel category. Similar to other popular travel booking websites, customers can select their desired destinations and travel date and then select a suitable train trip from the list that pops up. They can either choose to use their Amazon Pay Balance or choose any other online payment method. Booked tickets can be canceled from the Your Orders section.
The mobile app allows customers to check sear and quota availability across all train classes before they book their tickets. The ticket booking portal also lets customers to check their PNR status (for tickets booked via Amazon only), download, and cancel tickets as needed.
Amazon Pay Balance wallet gives users simple and convenient one-click booking experience. Amazon Pay users will also receive instant refund in case of cancellations or booking failures, the company said.
The e-commerce company said that customers will get a 10% cashback (up to Rs. 100) on their first ticket booking. For Prime members, cashback is 12% (up to Rs. 120) on their first bookings. The company added that the offer will only be available for a limited period of time, although no further information was shared. During the introductory offer, Amazon has also exempted service and payment gateway transaction charges.
Amazon Pay director Vikas Bansal said in a prepared statement, “Last year, we launched flights and bus ticket booking on Amazon. With the facility to book reserved train tickets on our platform, we are enabling travel across any mode preferred by customers.”
