What Is an IRCTC Agent? Role, Limits and Rules

Maybe a neighbour asked you to book a train ticket and you thought, “I could do this for the whole street.” Or you’ve seen a shop with an “IRCTC Agent” board and wondered what that person actually does, and what they’re allowed to do. This page answers both. It sticks to what IRCTC’s own documents say, and it points you to the source each time so you can check it yourself.

One small thing about words. IRCTC’s policy calls this operator a Retail Service Provider (RSP). On this page we say “agent ID” for what the policy calls the RSP ID (IRCTC Agent Policy, retrieved 18 October 2026).

Who does what: IRCTC, the PSP and the agent

Three parties are involved, and people often mix them up.

IRCTC’s Revised Agent Policy, effective 29 November 2019, says the RSP “is registered with IRCTC by the Principal Service Provider and RSP Id is issued by IRCTC for booking of e-Tickets only”. Read that twice. You don’t register with IRCTC. A company called a Principal Service Provider (PSP) registers you, and IRCTC then issues the ID. As of 18 October 2026, a new retail e-ticketing agent has no direct application route to IRCTC. So your first real decision is which PSP to go through.

The policy puts the checking on the PSP. Its Annexure A says: “KYC of the RSP is the responsibility of the PSP”. It also makes the PSP “equally liable” for what its agents do. That’s the reason it’s worth checking the PSP before you pay anyone.

Where does SiOnline fit?

SiOnline doesn’t issue or approve an IRCTC ID. It registers you through its own PSP arrangement and submits your application. IRCTC’s register lists SiOnline as “M/s SI Online Technomart Pvt. Ltd., Ratlam”, at page 6, row 27, of the Internet Cafe Scheme (ICS) section, in the file created in March 2026 (IRCTC PSP list, retrieved 18 October 2026).

Be clear about what that listing proves. The same file lists many other PSPs, so being listed is common, not special. What it gives you is a way to check. Take the company name on any offer you get and look for that exact name in the file. The PSP verification guide shows you how.

What does an agent do at the counter?

IRCTC’s Agent Policy sets a handful of rules that apply on every working day. Here they are in plain words.

1. Book only when the customer comes to you. And book with the customer’s full knowledge and acceptance. Cancelling a ticket without the customer asking you to is a prohibited act.
2. Record a mobile number. The number of the customer, or of one passenger, is mandatory. It has to show correctly on the Electronic Reservation Slip (ERS). This matters more than it sounds, because alerts and the cancellation OTP go to that number.
3. Give the customer an ERS in IRCTC’s format. It must carry the agent’s name and full address and the name of the PSP.
4. Give an invoice. It shows the railway fare, IRCTC’s charges, the agent’s charge and the payment-gateway charge, with tax shown separately.
5. Keep records. The policy asks for the customer’s written or electronic request and a copy of their ID proof for six months. It states a penalty if these are missing.

Say a customer walks in and asks you to cancel a ticket. The policy says you cancel “only on request of the customer”. An OTP then goes by SMS to the passenger’s mobile number. The passenger shares it with you, and you refund the cancellation amount to the customer. No agent charge applies to cancellations. If the wrong OTP comes back, the refund doesn’t get processed, so it pays to check the number on the slip before you start.

Now, a point that disappoints some people. Seat availability for an agent is the same as a personal user or a railway Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter sees, as stated on SiOnline’s current registration page. An agent ID doesn’t give you a hidden quota. So never promise a customer a seat. We cover this more in Do IRCTC agents get a special quota?.

What can an agent not do?

These come from IRCTC’s Agent Policy and the PIB announcement on Tatkal.

• Use a personal ID for customers. The policy says agents should book “using only IRCTC provided agent ids”. Those found using personal IDs for commercial gain will have their IDs deactivated.
• Share the ID. Sharing login details or transferring the agent ID is prohibited, and the PSP has to stop it.
• Charge extra. The policy forbids extra charges in any form, including for checking availability or for cancelling.
• Book Tatkal in the first 30 minutes. The announcement published by PIB (release 2135694, 11 June 2025) says authorised agents may not book opening-day Tatkal tickets in the first 30 minutes. That means 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM for AC classes and 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM for non-AC classes (PIB, retrieved 18 October 2026). The same release asks for OTP authentication on agent Tatkal bookings, sent to the mobile number the user gives at booking, from 15 July 2025. The details are in Tatkal timings for IRCTC agents.
• Advertise without permission. The policy bars print or press advertisements without IRCTC’s written permission. It also bars using the IRCTC logo without approval.
• Call yourself an authorised railway agent. The policy calls agents “IRCTC authorized E- Ticketing agents” and prohibits the railway-agent description. The two aren’t the same thing, and the next section explains why that matters.

Is an IRCTC agent the same as a travel agent?

No, and mixing them up causes trouble.

A business can call itself a travel agency because it helps people plan trips. For the narrow job of booking a railway e-ticket, ask a sharper question. Which authorised agent account is handling this booking, and which PSP registered it? A broad business description doesn’t replace proof of that particular appointment.

It works the other way too. An IRCTC agent ID isn’t proof that the same business can sell flights, buses or hotels. If a shop offers another product, ask who supplies it and which terms apply. For a small desk that sells several things, this travel desk guide goes through the mix.

If you’re a counter owner thinking of applying, this helps you ask better questions. Don’t say “I want a railway agency”. Say what you actually plan to add: a travel desk, a retail shop counter, or something else. Then ask what the requirements are for retail e-ticketing. And don’t mix in the rules for becoming a PSP. That’s a different, much bigger thing.

How do you check an agent’s booking?

This article can’t vouch for any single ticket. If you want to see whether a booking exists, type its PNR into Indian Railways’ PNR enquiry page (retrieved 18 October 2026).

Then look at the slip and the invoice. Three things show whether the agent followed IRCTC’s format. They don’t prove a booking by themselves, but a slip that fails all three should make you ask questions.

• The ERS names the agent and the PSP, with the agent’s full address.
• The passenger’s mobile number on the slip is right.
• The invoice splits the fare, IRCTC’s charges, the agent charge and the payment-gateway charge into separate lines.

An agent signs in with a separate agent login, never a personal IRCTC account. The IRCTC agent login page explains the OTP and DSC options. And one safety rule for everybody: never hand a password or a login OTP to anyone who offers to help. SiOnline support needs your agent ID, not your credentials.

Keep your role honest

Picture a customer asking whether you can make a waitlisted ticket certain. You can’t, and you shouldn’t hint that you can. Tell them what the booking status shows, then talk about options they’re happy to consider. An authorisation, a certificate or a provider relationship doesn’t give you power over how the railway allots seats.

If the customer wants a different train or class, treat it as a new booking to check with them. Don’t change a journey detail just to get a result they haven’t agreed to. Good service means understanding the trip they asked for and leaving them with a record they can recognise.

The same goes after plans change. Ask which booking is involved, find out which railway process applies, and keep the papers together. Don’t promise a refund date or amount that your counter can’t decide. You should be able to name the booking, explain the charges and show the customer where to go if something goes wrong. None of that needs you to pretend you are the railway.

What does the role cost, and is it right for you?

As of 18 October 2026, on SiOnline’s published figures, the agent charge is ₹40 per PNR for AC classes (1A, 2A, 3A, CC, EC) and ₹20 per PNR for non-AC classes (SL, 2S). It’s per PNR, not per passenger, and it’s printed on the ticket. IRCTC’s Norms for Internet Cafe Scheme list the same amounts, inclusive of GST, as the agent’s maximum. They also say these charges are liable to change without notice (IRCTC ICS norms, retrieved 18 October 2026).

SiOnline pays agents no commission and shares no payment-gateway charges; it charges the agent only ticket fare + PG charges + IRCTC charges. How many bookings you get depends on your location, your footfall and your time. The published agent charge doesn’t tell you what you’ll earn, so don’t let anyone turn it into a monthly figure for you. The one-off, yearly and monthly charges are on the IRCTC agent registration fees page. The registration fee is non-refundable, so read it before you pay.

Rail ticketing suits a counter that already has walk-in customers asking for tickets. It’s a poor fit if you hope for special seat access, a way around Tatkal timings, or income that doesn’t depend on your own customers.

Questions to settle before you pay anyone

1. What is the provider’s exact company name, and does it appear in IRCTC’s PSP file?
2. Can you get a written list of every charge, one-off and recurring?
3. How will your Certificate of Authorisation be issued? The policy requires the PSP to issue one and to have it displayed at the outlet.
4. Have you read the policy’s prohibited acts yourself, so nobody has to explain them after a mistake?

If you go ahead with SiOnline, start at the registration page. On SiOnline’s current registration page, an eligibility check on your PAN, mobile number and email comes first, and payment comes after it passes.

Questions people ask

Are tickets booked by an IRCTC agent valid?

A registered agent books on the ID that IRCTC issued, and the policy asks for the slip to follow IRCTC’s format. Tickets sold from a personal ID for profit are the kind the policy prohibits. To see where a booking stands, enter the PNR on Indian Railways’ PNR enquiry page.

Can I get an agent ID by applying to IRCTC myself?

A new retail e-ticketing agent has no direct application route to IRCTC. You apply through a PSP, which registers you and submits your application. Other categories in IRCTC’s PSP file, such as Rail Travel Services Agents (RTSA), write to IRCTC under their own norms (IRCTC RTSA norms, retrieved 18 October 2026).

Is an IRCTC agent the same as a railway agent?

Not as IRCTC’s policy uses the words. It describes agents as IRCTC authorised e-ticketing agents, and it prohibits calling yourself an authorised railway agent.

Sources

• IRCTC, Revised Agent Policy, effective 29 November 2019, Agent_Policy.pdf, retrieved 18 October 2026.
• IRCTC, Norms for Internet Cafe Scheme (PDF created 14 June 2021), NormsforInternetCafeScheme.pdf, retrieved 18 October 2026.
• IRCTC, Authorised Principal Service Providers (file created March 2026), PSP list, retrieved 18 October 2026.
• IRCTC, Norms for RTSA agents (PDF created 30 August 2019), NormsforRTSA.pdf, retrieved 18 October 2026.
• Press Information Bureau, release 2135694, 11 June 2025, PIB, retrieved 18 October 2026.

Facts on this page were last checked on 18 October 2026. Policies, fees and timings change, so confirm them at the source before you act.