🚆 Best Discounts & Rewards for Railway Ticket Booking? 💳💰

[Deepak_9155]

Hey everyone! I’m looking for the best ways to save money & maximize rewards while booking railway tickets using credit cards or third-party apps.

I know about HDFC SmartBuy, but the mere 1% cashback isn’t exciting enough. So, I’d love to explore better options!

💳 Credit Cards I Currently Hold:​

✔ SBI – Cashback & Click
✔ HDFC – Swiggy, Neu Rupay, MoneyBack+
✔ Axis – Airtel, MyZone, Flipkart
✔ Kotak – Myntra Rupay
✔ ICICI – Amazon Pay, Coral Rupay, Platinum

❌ I do not have any IRCTC co-branded credit card from HDFC, BOB, SBI, or RBL.

🤔 What I’m Looking For:​

🔹 Which credit/debit cards offer the best discounts or cashback for Railway Ticket bookings?
🔹 Are there any third-party apps that provide additional savings?
🔹 Any hidden reward programs or stacking tricks to maximize benefits?

🎟 Bonus Query –​

I’ve noticed something interesting: Twice, I booked a waitlisted Sleeper Class ticket and opted for the “Consider for Auto Upgradation” option. Both times, my seat got upgraded to 3E (Third AC Economy) class!

Is this a consistent trick or just pure luck? Does anyone have insights into how this system works? Would love to hear your experiences!

Drop your best tips below! Looking forward to learning from the community. 🚉💰

 

[Slayer]

Buy amzn pay gv and get 5% booking via amzn pay

 

[Deepak_9155]

Buy amzn pay gv and get 5% booking via amzn pay

Amazon Charging Extra Agent Service Charges 🥲

 

[2025]

Following steps:
(1) Buy Amazon Pay voucher/ Gift Card using SBI Cashback. (Directly from Amazon)
(2) Book through IRCTC and pay via Amazon Pay (gift card) balance.
(3) Pay your SBI Cashback Card bill using some rewarding Debit Card.

(Note: avoid booking directly from Amazon Pay. It will be costlier because of additional convenience fee /cancellation fee, applicable if you cancel ur ticket later).

Your bonus query is purely luck, that usually happens for selected trains and routes where AC vacancy remains but SL vacancy full.

 

[Hemang]

Following steps:
(1) Buy Amazon Pay voucher/ Gift Card using SBI Cashback. (Directly from Amazon)
(2) Book through IRCTC and pay via Amazon Pay (gift card) balance.
(3) Pay your SBI Cashback Card bill using some rewarding Debit Card.

(Note: avoid booking directly from Amazon Pay. It will be costlier because of additional convenience fee /cancellation fee, applicable if you cancel ur ticket later).

Your bonus query is purely luck, that usually happens for selected trains and routes where AC vacancy remains but SL vacancy full.

Bhai mene kal hi try kra tha, irctc app me ab option nahi dikha raha hai amazon wallet payment ka. Last year to tha option payment ka.

 

[2025]

Bhai mene kal hi try kra tha, irctc app me ab option nahi dikha raha hai amazon wallet payment ka. Last year to tha option payment ka.

Try booking from desktop version.
Look around for different options.
Hopefully u will get it.
I have seen this few days back. Forgot the pathway.
Do trial and error.

 

[cc_dc_explorer]

Hey everyone! I’m looking for the best ways to save money & maximize rewards while booking railway tickets using credit cards or third-party apps.

I know about HDFC SmartBuy, but the mere 1% cashback isn’t exciting enough. So, I’d love to explore better options!

💳 Credit Cards I Currently Hold:​

✔ SBI – Cashback & Click
✔ HDFC – Swiggy, Neu Rupay, MoneyBack+
✔ Axis – Airtel, MyZone, Flipkart
✔ Kotak – Myntra Rupay
✔ ICICI – Amazon Pay, Coral Rupay, Platinum

❌ I do not have any IRCTC co-branded credit card from HDFC, BOB, SBI, or RBL.

🤔 What I’m Looking For:​

🔹 Which credit/debit cards offer the best discounts or cashback for Railway Ticket bookings?
🔹 Are there any third-party apps that provide additional savings?
🔹 Any hidden reward programs or stacking tricks to maximize benefits?

🎟 Bonus Query –​

I’ve noticed something interesting: Twice, I booked a waitlisted Sleeper Class ticket and opted for the “Consider for Auto Upgradation” option. Both times, my seat got upgraded to 3E (Third AC Economy) class!

Is this a consistent trick or just pure luck? Does anyone have insights into how this system works? Would love to hear your experiences!

Drop your best tips below! Looking forward to learning from the community. 🚉💰

Which route(source and destination) you booked this waitlisted ticket?

 

[DARK_LORD]

Im not sure but kotak 811 super might give 5 % cashback

 

[Hemang]

Try booking from desktop version.
Look around for different options.
Hopefully u will get it. (Can't say for sure)
I have seen this few days back. Forgot the pathway.
Do trial and error.

Yes after you said, i tried the desktop version brother. Yes the amazon pay balance option is available in irctc desktop version and not in mobile one.
Transaction charges apart from IRCTC fees is 1.8% + 18% GST on charges portion.
Now below is the smartbuy screenshot for the same train, route ticket along with charges calculation.

If we pay using millenia credit card, then uspe koi extra charges nahi hai, same amount deduct hoga Rs 635.40. I have tried this last week.
I request to all if someone is going to book the ticket, kindly explore the Payzapp option, here it is showing 10% cashback on their linked credit card. Worth trying. May be payzapp ke chakkar me smartbuy ka cashback kam kar diya HDFC ne.

 

[2025]

View attachment 85343
Yes after you said, i tried the desktop version brother. Yes the amazon pay balance option is available in irctc desktop version and not in mobile one.
Transaction charges apart from IRCTC fees is 1.8% + 18% GST on charges portion.
Now below is the smartbuy screenshot for the same train, route ticket along with charges calculation.
View attachment 85345
If we pay using millenia credit card, then uspe koi extra charges nahi hai, same amount deduct hoga Rs 635.40. I have tried this last week.
I request to all if someone is going to book the ticket, kindly explore the Payzapp option, here it is showing 10% cashback on their linked credit card. Worth trying. May be payzapp ke chakkar me smartbuy ka cashback kam kar diya HDFC ne.

Good to know.

I won't suggest others for payzapp for normal cards. Have booked before. I think 10% only for their irctc card. Again, I am not sure.

@Hemang Let me know if u really gets 10% using millennia cc. Though I don't think u will get.

 

[Hemang]

Good to know.

I won't suggest others for payzapp for normal cards. Have booked before. I think 10% only for their irctc card. Again, I am not sure.

@Hemang Let me know if u really gets 10% using millennia cc. Though I don't think u will get.

I am not saying millenia will get 10%, uska to pta hi hai ki 5% se 1% ho gaya hai, tbhi to naya raasta dhund rahe hain hum. In the offer section it was written upto 10% cashback on train booking.
I also tried searching payzapp app for train booking offers, but could not find any such offer.

 

[2025]

I am not saying millenia will get 10%, uska to pta hi hai ki 5% se 1% ho gaya hai, tbhi to naya raasta dhund rahe hain hum. In the offer section it was written upto 10% cashback on train booking.
I also tried searching payzapp app for train booking offers, but could not find any such offer.

As far as I know only HDFC irctc card can give 10%. Rest no, or maybe upto 5% promotional from smartbuy only. So better to use apay method using cashback, millennia, apay cc.

 

[Hemang]

As far as I know only HDFC irctc card can give 10%. Rest no, or maybe upto 5% promotional from smartbuy only. So better to use apay method using cashback, millennia, apay cc.

Yes using amazon pay balance, it will come around roughly ~3% (After deducing wallet charges of 1.8% + GST). Still more than hdfc millenia credit card.

 

[2025]

Yes using amazon pay balance, it will come around roughly ~3% (After deducing wallet charges of 1.8% + GST). Still more than hdfc millenia credit card.

No. For prime 5%. Why load wallet? U should buy apay GC.

Even millennia will give 5%. Cashback also.

 

[Hemang]

Bhai amazon gift voucher leke load to karna haina balance me. For using wallet as payment source there are charges which will effectively bring down the 5% return of millenia cc of buying amazon gc.

 

[2025]

View attachment 85355
Bhai amazon gift voucher leke load to karna haina balance me. For using wallet as payment source there are charges which will effectively bring down the 5% return of millenia cc of buying amazon gc.

Yes that's true. Ye charges toh dena padega. Still beneficial.

Agar bohot jyada ticket amount hay aur pakka cancel nehi karne wale ho then book directly from Amazon.

I have faced multiple issues while booking through payzapp/ smarbuy. Hence I avoid that all the time.

 

[Slayer]

Yes that's true. Ye charges toh dena padega. Still beneficial.

Agar bohot jyada ticket amount hay aur pakka cancel nehi karne wale ho then book directly from Amazon.

I have faced multiple issues while booking through payzapp/ smarbuy. Hence I avoid that all the time.

Amzn also has free cancellation for trains now, has been seemless with refunds

 

[Deepak_9155]

route(source and destination)

Tori JN. To Howrah JN.

 

[2025]

Amzn also has free cancellation for trains now, has been seemless with refunds

Yes refunds are seamless.

But last Oct-Nov they looted me I had to cancel around 14-15 tickets. Their cancellation charges was additional burden on refunds because I didn't booked their cancellation plans.

Otherwise mostly good. Though there are some other issues like we cannot cancel those tickets from irctc. Earlier it was not the case. Some savings possible while booking ac tickets because of their fixed fee amount.

But because they charged me too much last time, I would avoid them for time being.

By the way last time booked through IRCTC gift vouchers. New experience.

 

[Satyarthi]

I use Kiwi yes bank card with neon subscription. It gives flat 2% cashback without any charges