If you still ride Chennai Metro on paper QR tokens, you're paying 20% more than you need to. Here's how the Singara Chennai Card works, how to get one in five minutes, and every way to recharge it without standing in a queue.
The big change: one card to rule them all
CMRL retired its old travel cards on 1 May 2026. The replacement is the Singara Chennai Card - a prepaid NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) issued with SBI. If you still have balance sitting on an old travel card, you can move it to a QR Stored Value Pass inside the CMRL app, or just switch to the new card.
Because it's an NCMC card, it isn't locked to Chennai Metro - it works on other NCMC-enabled transit systems (buses, parking and more) across India too.
What it costs
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Card issuance fee | Free |
| Annual maintenance | Free |
| Minimum top-up | ₹10 (then multiples of ₹10) |
| Maximum card balance | ₹2,000 |
| Replacement (lost/damaged) | ₹100 |
KYC is painless for the basic transit card - you just need a mobile number and an OTP. No documents, no photocopies.
Where to buy
Walk up to the customer care counter at any metro station, ask for a Singara Chennai Card, verify your number with an OTP, load some money, done. You can also apply through SBI's prepaid card portal.
How to recharge
- At stations - counters and kiosks accept cash, UPI and debit/credit cards
- Online - prepaid.sbi.bank.in (the SBI prepaid portal)
- BBPS apps - top up through PhonePe, BHIM and SBI Unipay
- Balance check - CMRL now lets you check your NCMC balance via SMS, so no more guessing at the gate
The actual savings
Card users get a 20% discount on every trip versus the counter token fare. Token fares run ₹10–₹50, so a ₹50 max-fare ride becomes ₹40, and a daily ₹40+₹40 commute drops from ₹80 to ₹64. Over a month of commuting that's real money - roughly ₹350–₹400 back in your pocket.
Don't want a card? QR tickets get the same 20% off
The same discount applies to app and QR ticketing:
- CMRL official app - buy single QR tickets or hold a QR Stored Value Pass
- WhatsApp - message "Hi" to +91 83000 86000 (English or Tamil), pick your stations, pay by UPI, and a QR ticket lands in your chat. Works for up to 6 tickets at once. Just remember to exit within 120 minutes of entering.
- Paytm, PhonePe, ONDC - QR metro tickets bought here carry the discount too
Card vs QR: which one?
Daily commuter? Get the card - tap in, tap out, zero friction, and it doubles as your discounted-parking pass at metro lots. Occasional rider? WhatsApp or app QR is honestly enough. Either way, stop buying full-fare tokens.