WhatsApp Business partners with metro service providers, introduces e-ticketing chatbot

WhatsApp has joined hands with metro rail service providers across Indian cities to bring transit solutions to the WhatsApp Business platform. This means that users will be able to book, buy, cancel, or recharge a ticket via a WhatsApp chatbot. Moreover, other information such as train timings, journey route, fare breakdown, and more will also be available.
Reflecting on this move, WhatsApp’s Business Messaging director of India Ravi Garg said, “India’s digital revolution is now making public transport safer, smarter and more convenient. We are proud that India’s world class metro services in multiple cities are now integrated on WhatsApp to offer commuters convenience at their fingertips. We would be happy to support other cities and help digitise train transits on WhatsApp to add value to the lives of daily commuters across the country.”

Supported cities and the services available there
These digitised metro rail services are accessible to residents in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune. For this WhatsApp has partnered with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), Mumbai Metro, Pune Metro, and L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited.
In Bangalore, Namma Metro commuters can chat in English or Kannada and buy/cancel tickets, view fare details, view card information, and recharge cards using end-to-end QR ticketing service. Chatbot can be triggered by sending ‘Hi’ to ‘https://wa.me/+918105556677’.

Mumbai Metro users can purchase e-tickets on WhatsApp. These tickets require verification at the Automated Fare Collection gate. They contain every key journey detail, from fare to issue date. To get started, users have to message ‘Hi’ to ‘https://wa.me/+918105556677’.
Furthermore, Pune Metro commuters can also book e-tickets by messaging the chatbot number. They have to send ‘Hi’ to ‘https://wa.me/+918105556677’. In Hyderabad, metro travellers can ping the chatbot to get an e-ticket booking URL, which is valid for 5 minutes. Using this URL, they can access end-to-end digital payment-enabled ticket booking. Users can ping ‘Hi’ to ‘https://wa.me/+918105556677’.