IRCTC RBL Bank RuPay Credit Card

Not the SBI IRCTC RuPay card

Most people who search for an "IRCTC RuPay credit card" are looking for SBI's version. This page is RBL Bank's IRCTC RuPay card, and the two work differently. The IRCTC SBI Platinum Card and the HDFC IRCTC Credit Card also cost ₹500, but each bank sets its own earn rates, redemption rules and fine print.

The rules people complain about on Reddit, such as the cardholder having to be a passenger to earn points, or rewards only on AC classes, come from SBI's IRCTC cards. RBL's product page does not mention either rule. That does not prove they never apply, so read the T&Cs if you mostly book for family.

2.5% on trains, once you count per ₹200

RBL quotes every rate per ₹200, not per ₹100. Older listings that use ₹100 make the card look twice as generous as it is.

• IRCTC train tickets: 5 points per ₹200, so 2.5% at ₹1 a point.
• FASTag (via RBL channels), NCMC metro reloads and the UTS app: 3 points per ₹200, 1.5%.
• Flights and hotels on IRCTC: 2 points per ₹200, 1%.
• Everything else eligible: 1 point per ₹200, 0.5%.

Book ₹8,000 of train tickets a month and you earn 200 points, worth ₹200 off your next booking. That is ₹2,400 a year from trains alone, about four times the ₹500 + GST fee. Our records show a cap of 1,000 points a month per accelerated category, but RBL's product page does not state it, so confirm before planning big bookings.

There is one big limit. A point is worth ₹1 only when you redeem it against a train booking on the IRCTC site or app, and only the primary cardholder can redeem. If you rarely take trains, the points have no stated value.

The small perks that add up

• 500 welcome points after you pay the fee and spend more than ₹500 in 30 days, which effectively hands the joining fee back as train credit.
• The 1% IRCTC transaction charge is reversed, up to ₹200, on bookings of up to ₹5,000.
• 8 railway lounge visits a year, at most 2 a quarter. There is no airport lounge access.
• Up to ₹5,000 cancellation protection if a train is cancelled at the last minute.

On the RuPay variant you also get UPI Scan & Pay and NCMC Tap & Transit. Offline UPI payments under ₹2,000 at small merchants earn nothing.

What the fine print takes away

Fuel, rent, utilities, insurance, wallets, education, government, EMI and cash all earn 0 points. Users of IRCTC cards in general report the 1% charge reversal sometimes failing to post, so check each statement. Forex is 3.5% in our data.

Where we land on IRCTC RBL Bank RuPay

Apply if you book IRCTC trains most months, will spend the points on more tickets, and want UPI and metro tap on a low-fee RuPay card. At ₹500 a year, regular rail travellers clear the fee easily.

Skip it if you take a train only a few times a year or want rewards you can use anywhere. A general cashback card will serve you better, and the IRCTC SBI Card Premier is the step up if you want a richer IRCTC card.

Credit Card Information Compiled by: Abhijeet Kumar | Reviewed by: Anmol Ratan Sachdeva