Airtel NCMC Card Users Can Validate Balance Sans Queues At Metro Stations; Know How
The Airtel Thanks app has a feature that does the work of updating and checking balances.
(Photo source: Shivansh Singh on Unsplash)
Commuters who use the Airtel National Common Mobility Card on the metro can finally get a breather from queuing at crowded counters to validate their balance.
Airtel NCMC Enabled Card is a stored value card valid for payments at public transport systems across India. The card can be used to pay on buses and metros that accept NCMC as a form of payment. While users can add balance to the card via the Airtel Thanks app, validating the balance is a pain point.
Airtel NCMC Card users need to physically queue at the counter to verify their balance. Considering that the queues at the counter often consist of 6-7 (or even more) people, it would take anything between 10-20 minutes to complete the balance validation exercise.
This is quite in contrast to the balance validation system that is currently in use through the original Delhi Metro card. Notably, it can be completed in a matter of seconds on the small balance check machine found at every metro station.
Another common issue users face when checking their balance on NCMC cards is that the amount shown in the app can take hours or even days to reflect updates. This delay can cause confusion and make it difficult for users to track their spending in real-time.
Thankfully, no more!
The latest version of the Airtel Thanks app now has a feature that does the work of updating and checking balance.
How To Validate The Balance On Your Airtel NCMC Card
You need an Android smartphone with NFC enabled. The feature isn’t available for iPhone users, since Apple hasn’t enabled NFC for Indian users. Make sure you are using the most recent Android app version (4.109.2).
To validate balance, once you add money to your Airtel NCMC card go to Payments Bank / Wallet on the Airtel Thanks App, and then click on the box that says 'NCMC > Manage your NCMC card.' Click on it and in the next screen you will see a Manage Card menu which has options for 'balance update' and 'check balance.'
The app will first validate whether you can use the feature (check whether NFC is enabled, connectivity, etc.). After adding funds on the Airtel Thanks app, just hold your card on the back of your smartphone for a few seconds and your balance will be validated. An NCPI screen appears momentarily when this happens.
Keep in mind that smartphone cases/covers interfere with NFC, so you might need to take your case off in order to do this properly.
Check your existing balance first using the check balance feature and then use the update balance feature. So, when you finally use the check balance feature again, you’ll see that it’s been updated to the latest amount.
