Highlights: 

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1. The new facility of buying tickets without immediate payment is available only for purchase of e-tickets from the IRCTC website

2. It is compulsory for passengers to provide their name, e-mail ID, mobile number, PAN card or Aadhaar details for availing the new facility 

3. IRCTC has collaborated with a Mumbai-based firm ePaylater for providing the new facility
 

In a move to ease commuters hassles standing in long queues for buying tickets and provide better experience, the Indian Railways has introduced the 'buy tickets now and pay later' facility to provide the customers with a better experience, DNA newspaper reported. 

"Railways has introduced the 'buy tickets now and pay later' facility to provide the customers with a better experience," the report said quoting an Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) official, as saying. 

According to the news report, the new facility of buying tickets without immediate payment is available only for purchase of e-tickets from the IRCTC website. 

To avail the new service, the ticket will have to be booked at least five days ahead of the journey. Passengers can opt for this facility in all trains and across different classes, IRCTC official told the newspaper. 

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A service charge of 3.5% is levied on booking of such e-tickets on IRCTC website, and the customer will have to pay the ticket amount within 14 days of the purchase of the ticket, it said. 

In order to avail this new facility, it is compulsory for passengers to provide their name, e-mail ID, mobile number, PAN card or Aadhaar details.

"The purpose of this service is not to earn money, but to provide better facility to passengers. It is kind of a short-term loan that we will give to the passengers," IRCTC spokesperson Sandip Dutta told the newspaper.

The IRCTC has collaborated with a Mumbai-based firm ePaylater for providing the new service option, Dutta added. 

On asked how the Indian Railways would ensure that customers pay the ticket amount with 14 days, Dutta said, "The way a credit card is issued after evaluating the CIBIL score of a customer, same procedure will be followed."

"ePaylater will first check the transaction history of the passenger on the basis of personal details provided by the customer. Ticket will be assigned under the new service only after we are satisfied with the person's previous transaction history," he added. 

Dutta further said that once the customer gets approval to use the feature, they will be sent an one time password (OTP) to enable them to use the service.

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