Bengaluru Metro Commuters Question Unused Smart Card Balance as NCMC Adoption Grows

More commuters are shifting to the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) after it was accepted on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, but the move has raised questions about the unused balance in existing Namma Metro smart cards.

Commuters who have used the traditional metro smart cards for years said they could neither transfer the remaining balance to an NCMC card nor obtain a refund while their existing cards remained valid and usable.

Commuters unable to transfer remaining balance

Prakash H.S., a commuter from Jayanagara, recently switched to an NCMC card for greater convenience across public transport systems.

He said he attempted to recover the balance in his old metro smart card but was informed by Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) staff that a refund or transfer was not possible as long as the card remained usable.

“This creates a practical problem for passengers who want completely transition to the NCMC cards,” Prakash said.

The difficulty, commuters said, becomes more visible when the balance left on a card is lower than the amount required for a journey or recharge.

In one case, the remaining balance could not be fully utilised because the fare for a regular journey was around ₹67, while the card required a minimum balance of ₹90, according to Prakash.

That difference meant the available balance could not be used completely through a regular journey.

Minimum recharge adds to the problem

Another commuter, Swathi Nayak from Dasarahalli, said the minimum recharge amount was ₹50.

“The minimum recharge amount is ₹50, making it difficult to use the remaining balance precisely without either making an additional recharge or leaving an unused amount on the card,” she said.

Nayak estimated that around ₹30 could remain unused on the card.

That amount would be in addition to the ₹50 paid initially for the smart card, which is understood to be non-refundable.

The issue, therefore, is not limited to the convenience of changing from one card to another.

Commuters argued that it concerned the retention of passengers’ unused money when they had moved to a newer payment system that could be used more widely across public transport systems.

BMRCL says it will examine the issue

BMRCL officials said they would look into the issue and rectify it.

However, they did not respond to queries about the corrective measures taken on the matter.

The report was published on October 18, 2026 08:22 pm IST.

Source: The Hindu