WhatsApp and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) today announced a partnership to launch Namma Metro’s WhatsApp chatbot-based QR ticketing service. The chatbot is integrated with UPI powered payments on WhatsApp and will allow Namma Metro commuters to purchase tickets and recharge their metro travel pass right within WhatsApp. BMRCL is the first transit service globally to enable end-to-end QR ticketing on WhatsApp.
BMRCL’s WhatsApp chat bot is available in English and Kannada for all commuters of Namma Metro. To use the service, commuters need to simply send ‘Hi’ to BMRCL’s official WhatsApp chatbot number +9181055 56677 and choose from the various options such as:
- Recharge metro travel pass using payments on WhatsApp
- Purchase single journey ticket using payments on WhatsApp
- Access updated fare tables
- Select source and destination for the trip
- Check Metro Rail timetable and other information
The process of making the payment is a seamless experience that gives users the option to pay without leaving the WhatsApp chat interface. After choosing their travel details, users are given the option to pay using payments on WhatsApp by authenticating the transaction using their UPI pin.
Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India said, “BMRCL’s QR ticketing service on WhatsApp will make travel and ticketing on the Metro extremely simple and convenient for the people of Bengaluru. This is yet another great example of how organizations across sectors, from the largest transportation service to the smallest retail business, can transform their customers’ experience using the WhatsApp Platform.”
