IRCTC Agent Ticket Booking: Rules and Checks

Your agent ID is active and the first customer is standing at the counter. You know how to book a ticket on your own phone, but this is different. Now there’s a customer’s money, a customer’s journey, and a set of IRCTC duties that sit on you the moment you press “book”.

Most first-day trouble doesn’t come from the booking screen. It comes from the things around it: the wrong login link, a missing ID copy, your own mobile number typed in for every passenger, an invoice that doesn’t match the ticket. This post walks through a first booking in the order it happens, using IRCTC’s own published rules.

IRCTC’s Revised Agent Policy, effective 29 November 2019, says booking and cancellation requests, written or electronic, and copies of ID proof must be kept for six months. The steps below are built on those published duties. For the actual buttons and screens on your own portal, follow the instructions your provider gives you for your ID.

What are the steps for a first booking?

Here’s the whole thing in one go. The sections after this explain each step.

1. Sign in through the link for your login type.
2. Take the customer’s written or electronic request and a copy of their ID proof. Confirm the customer has asked for the booking and accepted it.
3. Ask for the date, class and train, and whether the ticket is Tatkal. For opening-day Tatkal, wait for 10:30 AM (AC) or 11:30 AM (non-AC), per the PIB release.
4. Enter the passengers as they appear on their ID, with the customer’s mobile number.
5. Read the journey and the amount back to the customer.
6. Follow the payment instructions for your authorised route, then look at the actual booking result and reference.
7. If the result is unclear, keep the transaction reference and get a status check before you try again.
8. Check the four invoice lines, then give the customer the ERS and the invoice.
9. Keep the request and the ID proof for six months.

What do you need ready before you sign in?

Four things should be in place before the customer sits down.

An active agent ID and the login link for its type. OTP login and DSC login use different links. As of 18 October 2026, SiOnline lists ics.irctc.co.in for OTP login and irctc.co.in for DSC login. If you’re not sure which one is yours, the agent login guide helps you work it out.

The mobile number registered against the agent ID. IRCTC’s Revised Agent Policy says every agent login is authenticated by an OTP sent to the registered mobile number. That’s the policy’s wording from 2019, so ask your provider which authentication instruction applies to your ID today. If you use OTP login, keep that phone next to you. A booking that stalls because the phone is at home is an awkward thing to explain to a customer.

Wallet balance. On SiOnline’s wallet, the minimum balance of ₹199 is held as a deposit, not charged. It isn’t a fee, and it isn’t specific to IRCTC, FASTag or UTI. Top-up is free up to the agent’s defined daily limit, then ₹100 per transaction (as of 18 October 2026).

The customer’s request and ID proof. The policy makes both mandatory for booking and for cancellation, and says they must be kept for six months. If they’re missing, the policy provides for a penalty of ₹5,000 plus taxes per case, imposed on the PSP. That’s your provider, not you personally, but you can guess how a provider feels about an agent who causes it.

One small habit helps a lot: if your ID is new, sign in once before any customer is waiting. Find out how the login behaves when nobody is watching you.

Why must the booking start with the customer’s request?

IRCTC’s agent policy says tickets must be booked when the customer approaches the agent, and with the customer’s complete knowledge and acceptance. Read that carefully. It doesn’t say the customer must stand at your counter for the whole booking. It says the request comes from the customer and the customer agrees to what you book.

So don’t guess. A regular customer might usually travel by one train and one class, but this time they may not. Confirm the journey you’re about to book rather than assuming.

The policy also prohibits the commercial sale of tickets booked through personal IDs. Use your agent ID for customer work. And if the agent route fails on a busy morning, don’t slip into your own personal IRCTC account to “just get it done”. That’s exactly the thing the policy is written to stop.

What are the Tatkal rules for agents?

As of 11 October 2026, SiOnline states that an agent sees the same seat availability as a personal user or a railway counter. So there’s no special agent stock, and no hidden quota to find.

Ask early whether the customer wants Tatkal. PIB’s release of 11 June 2025 (release 2135694) sets two rules for agents:

• Opening-day window. Indian Railways announced that authorised agents can’t book opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window. For AC classes that’s 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM. For non-AC classes it’s 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
• OTP. From 15 July 2025, Tatkal tickets booked through authorised agents need OTP authentication, sent to the mobile number the user gives at the time of booking.

Tell the customer about the window before you start, not after they’ve watched you fail for half an hour. Take the mobile number from the customer and read it back to them, because the OTP goes to that number. The Tatkal timings post goes through the windows in more detail.

One more line from the policy: a service provider must not allow the Tatkal form to be opened before the stipulated Tatkal time or during the banned time period. If you’re tempted to “get ready” early, remember that.

Why do passenger names and the mobile number matter?

Enter each passenger the way their ID shows them. Don’t shorten names to save time.

The mobile number matters just as much. IRCTC’s Revised Agent Policy makes the mobile number of the customer, or of one of the passengers, mandatory while booking. It also requires that number to show correctly on the Electronic Reservation Slip (ERS). Where that isn’t followed, the policy (Agent_Policy.pdf) provides for a penalty of ₹5,000 plus taxes per case, imposed on the PSP.

So don’t type your own number for every customer, even if it’s quicker. For Tatkal the OTP goes to that number, and the customer is the one who should be getting it.

What are the four invoice lines?

The policy says the agent must issue an invoice, on the agent’s own stationery, for the amount collected from the customer. The invoice should itemise the railway fare, IRCTC’s charges, the agent’s charge and the payment gateway charge, with the applicable tax shown separately.

Check these four lines before you hand it over:

1. The railway fare.
2. IRCTC’s charges.
3. Your agent charge.
4. The payment-gateway charge.

IRCTC’s Norms for Internet Cafe Scheme (PDF created 14 June 2021) list the agent charge as ₹20 for Sleeper and ₹40 for AC, inclusive of GST. Indian Railways fixes it, and it can change without notice. SiOnline states the same amounts per PNR, not per passenger. It also states that the agent may charge nothing beyond them, that the charge is printed on the ticket, and that the agent collects it from the customer (as of 18 October 2026). The agent charge page has the full rate card.

Payment-gateway charges: being confirmed with IRCTC. Until that’s settled, don’t tell a customer that a ticket has no gateway charge. Read the line on the invoice instead, and go by what it says.

A quick example

Say a customer walks in and wants a non-AC journey for two passengers on one PNR. You agree the date, stations and class before you start. The agent charge here is one ₹20 charge for the PNR (as of 18 October 2026). It isn’t ₹40 because there are two people. That’s the whole point of “per PNR, not per passenger”.

This example only explains the charging unit. It doesn’t tell you the railway fare, IRCTC’s charges or the customer’s final bill. Use the real amounts that show up on your screen for that booking.

What if payment goes through but the result is unclear?

This is the scary moment, and it’s worth knowing what to do before it happens.

Keep payment credentials separate from your IRCTC agent login. A bank debit alone doesn’t prove that a ticket was issued, so look at the booking record itself before anyone talks about trying again. Note the transaction reference and the exact message on the screen. Leave out passwords and payment details when you write it down. Then tell the customer plainly what you’re checking and why.

Don’t make a second request just to see whether the first one worked. That’s how one problem turns into two.

If a booking fails after money has moved, read what to do about a failed booking. If a reversal hasn’t reached your wallet, contact support. And whatever the booking shows, tell the customer the real status before they leave. A ticket can be waitlisted. Never promise a confirmed seat.

What records do you have to keep and give?

The ERS you issue must be in the format IRCTC prescribes. It must carry the agent’s name, full address and contact details, plus the name of the Principal Service Provider (PSP) behind you. Tampering with the ERS is prohibited, so if something on it is wrong, don’t “fix” it by hand.

Issue the invoice on your own stationery. Keep the customer’s request and ID proof for six months. And if IRCTC asks for a customer’s details, you’re expected to give them.

Before the customer leaves, put the request, the ERS, the invoice and the money you collected side by side. Ask the customer to point out anything that looks off while you’re both still looking at the same pages. Ten seconds here saves an argument next week.

If the customer asks to cancel later, cancel only on their request. The policy says the agent’s charge applies only to the booking transaction, and that there’s no such charge for cancellations.

What are the common first-day mistakes?

A few come up again and again.

• Signing in on the wrong link. OTP and DSC logins use different links. Use the one for your login type.
• Promising a confirmed seat. Seats can be waitlisted. Say what the booking shows.
• Using your own number for every booking. The customer’s mobile number is what the policy asks for.
• Booking before you have the request. No request and no ID copy means no booking, and a penalty risk for your provider.
• Trying again too fast. If the result is unclear, get a status check first.
• Guessing the gateway charge. Read it off the invoice.

Where do you get help?

If a screen doesn’t match the instructions you were given for your account, stop and ask your provider which route applies to you. You can also reach SiOnline support. Send your agent ID and the error message. Never send your password or a login OTP, to us or to anyone else.

Questions agents ask

Can I book a Tatkal ticket on an agent ID?

Yes, with limits. PIB’s release of 11 June 2025 (release 2135694) says authorised agents can’t book opening-day Tatkal in the first 30 minutes of the window. It also says agent Tatkal bookings need an OTP sent to the mobile number given at booking.

Is the agent charge per passenger?

No. SiOnline states the charge is per PNR, not per passenger, and it’s printed on the ticket (as of 18 October 2026).

Does the customer have to be at my counter?

The policy says to book when the customer approaches you, with their complete knowledge and acceptance. It doesn’t set a rule that they must be physically present. What it does require is a written or electronic request and a copy of ID proof.

How long do I keep the request and ID copy?

Six months, according to IRCTC’s Revised Agent Policy.

Can I use my personal IRCTC ID if the agent login isn’t working?

No. The policy prohibits the commercial sale of tickets booked through personal IDs. Fix the agent route or ask your provider for help.

Sources and checks

• IRCTC, Revised Agent Policy for E-Ticketing Principal Service Providers, Internet Cafe and B2B Schemes, effective 29 November 2019: Agent_Policy.pdf.
• IRCTC, Norms for Internet Cafe Scheme (ICS), PDF created 14 June 2021: NormsforInternetCafeScheme.pdf.
• Indian Railways announcement published by PIB, release 2135694, 11 June 2025: PIB release.

Facts on this page were last checked on 18 October 2026. Rules, windows and screens change; confirm them with IRCTC or your provider before you act.