IRCTC Online booking - Payment / Citibank gateway

I tried booking my train tickets via Mastercard issued from NL.

Here is my experience:

Works pretty fine till the payment part is reached, and then this is the result after trying more than 30 times in 4 days:

ICICI payment gateway: Payment Failed - "Communication Problem"

HDFC Payment gateway: Payment Failed "COULD NOT CAPTURE"

Citibank gateway: "Payment successful!" However no ticket issued

Tried contacting Delhi - Telephones busy!

I even tried calling my bank who told me that the problem seems to be with people in India and not here.

What do do now? Just cannot book my tickets, and also scared of loosing my money via Citibank Gateway.

The last time I booked successfully using the same CC on IRCTC website was in 2005.

Any experiences..?

Some times the server will be very slow due to overloading and the system don't generate e-ticket. however, if e-ticket is not generated due to technical reasons, the amount deducted from your credit card will be credited back to your CC account, sometimes with in an hour, sometimes in the next 2 to 3 days. I had same problem before, ie., amount deducted from my CC but transaction failed (system didn't generate ticket). I got back the amount next day.

The amount was deducted on 8th, guess will have to wait couple of days more....

However, why are ICICI & HDFC payment gateways not accepting my CC? I had no problems using the same CC and gateways in 2005...

Will use Citibank gateway again only after I receive my payment.

ICICI & HDFC are Indian banks and may not allow foreign credit cards. It could be of many reasons like operational, technical etc,etc. But i guess Citi Bank will allow foreign Credit cards for payment processing. Just wait for another couple of days to see whether you credit card is credited with the already deducted amount or call these 24/7 customer care numbers

011-23340000/4787/5500/4773/5800

or email to care@irctc.co.in explaining the case

Apparently, someone whom I know told me that many Indian banks have stopped accepting foreign CC’s as merchants have to pay a high transaction percentage, keeping in mind the rising Rupee vs falling Dollar…

When I tried booking via Air Deccan the same card was again rejected.

Finally managed booking confirm tickets via Jet Airways using the same card!

I faced a similar problem while booking my tickets a couple of weeks ago.

I emailed to care@irctc... and they repled to me with an apology and confirmation of refund of the excess debit. The excess amounts debited from my card were recredited back in 3-4 days time.


WDM - I wouldn't think that this happenned because of your credit card.
Guess these things happen.The IRCTC is a hugely patronaged site and the number of users trying to access it at any single time is VERY LARGE.

It's one week complete now, and still have not received my refund.

No replies for my email either.....

Hi WDM2,

I received their reply and credits after 10 days.

Thought i'll share this with you - maybe you'll find it a little more comforting.

Cheers,
FOI

hye, during my trip to India last Jan, i have difficulties book train online. Once i reached India, Cochin, i went to reservation counter, and bought all my train ticket from there.

During 1994 summer I sweated 4 hours in the afternoon to book tickets to TVC.

Should have had given my booking to an agent instead, instead of wasting a nice day at the booking counter...

Just received my refund.....after 11 days!!

Cheers!!

still remember my experienced booked/bought train ticket at ernakulam reservation counters..forgotten to bring my own pen.
in future i will keep on mind to bring my own pen whenever goin to reservation counter..lol

Why would a rising rupee adversely affect the transaction charge that merchants have to pay? If the charge is in rupees there is no change; if it's in dollars then it will convert to fewer rupees than before.

But not as many users as are accessing, say, Amazon, nor significantly more than the number of people using Britain's own Trainline train ticket booking site. I have never once had a failed transaction on either of these sites, despite using each half a dozen times a month every month.

The train line has transaction problems. I am just recovering from a shock of a huge sum of money being deducted for no fault of mine. Everytime it came to payment it would have a problem with the secure payment gateway. Worse still there was no acknowledgement. The bank said it was not their fault.