The cheapest way to ride Chennai Metro is to pay from a stored balance, either the Singara Chennai card or the Store Value Pass in the CMRL app. Both take 20% off the regular fare. The other options, such as a paper QR ticket, a WhatsApp ticket or a Paytm, PhonePe or Chennai One ticket, charge the full fare. All of them work on the new Poonamallee to Vadapalani line as well as the older Blue and Green lines.
Card payment is already the most common. Of the just over 1 crore trips taken in September 2026, about 52 lakh were paid with an NCMC or Singara Chennai card, DT Next reported from CMRL data. Here is how each option works and who it suits.
The Singara Chennai card (NCMC)
This is a contactless prepaid card issued by State Bank of India with CMRL. It follows the National Common Mobility Card standard, so it can also be tapped on other NCMC-enabled transit systems. According to SBI:
- There is no issue fee, no annual fee and no reload fee. A replacement card costs Rs 100.
- The card can hold up to Rs 2,000 on its chip. Top-ups start at Rs 10 and go up in multiples of Rs 10.
- You can get one at a CMRL ticket counter with your mobile number and an OTP. A simpler version needs only a self-declared ID number such as a driving licence or voter ID.
- You can recharge at stations with cash, UPI or a card, online through SBI’s prepaid portal, or through bill-payment apps such as BHIM UPI and PhonePe.
The card also works on MTC buses. Conductors’ ticket machines accept it, and MTC opened issue counters at about 20 bus depots, Citizen Matters reported when the bus rollout began in 2025. One catch is that an online top-up does not show up on the card until you tap it at a station or depot machine. Older chip-less CMRL travel cards work only on the metro. CMRL’s card page has the application form and a user manual.
Store Value Pass in the CMRL app
If you would rather not carry a card, the official “Chennai Metro Rail” app (Android and iOS) offers a Store Value Pass that works as a QR code. CMRL says:
- The opening deposit is Rs 50. Recharges start at Rs 50, up to Rs 3,000.
- You get 20% off every journey, and the balance can also pay CMRL parking charges.
- The QR code changes every day for security. The pass stays valid for five years from purchase or your last recharge.
- If you enter and leave the same station within 20 minutes, only the minimum fare is deducted.
Only about 1.16 lakh trips in September used this pass, so many regular riders may be missing out on the discount without knowing it.
Single tickets: counter, WhatsApp, payment apps, Chennai One
For an occasional trip, a single-journey QR ticket is enough. You can get one:
- At the station. Paper QR tickets are sold at counters and machines. They were the second-largest category in September at 18.8 lakh trips. Static QR codes displayed at stations can also be scanned to pay.
- On WhatsApp. Send “Hi” to CMRL’s official number, +91 83000 86000, listed on the CMRL website. Choose your stations, pay by UPI and you get a QR ticket in the chat.
- In payment apps. Paytm and PhonePe both sell CMRL QR tickets, and CMRL’s site links to both. Tickets are also sold through ONDC-connected apps, which carried 12.3 lakh trips in September.
- Online. CMRL’s own booking portal at tickets.chennaimetrorail.org is linked from its mobile applications page.
- Chennai One. The state’s CUMTA app, launched in September 2025, lets you plan and pay for one trip that combines metro, MTC bus and some autos using a single QR, PTI reported. Suburban and MRTS trains were due to be added later.
Group and family tickets are also offered. CMRL lists them under passenger information on its website.
Which option suits you
| Option | Discount | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Singara Chennai card | 20% on metro | Daily riders who also use MTC buses |
| CMRL app Store Value Pass | 20% | Daily riders who prefer a phone QR |
| WhatsApp, Paytm, PhonePe, ONDC apps | None | Occasional trips without queuing |
| Chennai One | None stated | Trips that combine bus and metro |
| Paper QR at counter | None | Visitors and one-off journeys |
The full and discounted fare charts are on CMRL’s fare table page, last revised on 9 October 2026.
Quick answers
Can I use one card for both metro and MTC bus?
Yes. The Singara Chennai card is accepted on Chennai Metro and by MTC conductors.
What is CMRL’s WhatsApp ticket number?
+91 83000 86000. Send “Hi” to start booking.
Does the 20% discount apply to WhatsApp or Paytm tickets?
No. The published 20% discount applies to stored value products such as the Store Value Pass. It does not apply to single-journey tickets.
Is there a fee for the Singara Chennai card?
SBI lists no issue or annual fee. A replacement costs Rs 100.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Chennai Metro Rail Limited home page (CMRL)
- Store Value Pass (SVP) Online QR (CMRL)
- Singara Chennai Card (CMRL)
- Mobile Applications (CMRL)
- CMRL Fare Table (CMRL)
- Singara Chennai Card (State Bank of India)
- Chennai Metro records over 1 crore passenger trips in September (DT Next)
- Ride smart, ditch cash: All about the Singara Chennai Card (Citizen Matters)
- TN CM launches Chennai One mobile app for travelling in public transport thru single QR ticket (PTI via The Week)
