Bennisha

Expert

Published on: Jul 30, 2026

One Nation One Card

The Government of India has launched an innovative initiative 'One Nation One Card' (ONOC), also called as National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) on the 4th of March 2019. With the implementation of this initiative, the citizens can use a single card to commute on a bus, trains, metros, etc. along with shopping, money withdrawal and payments. The ONOC provides the convenience of using one card to access all the services in a city. The card users need not carry multiple cards and memorise the passwords. The same card can be used by citizens to board buses and metros. In this article, let us look in detail about One Nation One Card.

Overview of One Nation One Card

One Nation One Card, an inter-operate transport card can be used in the form of debit, credit or prepaid card of a partner bank. The card is similar to any RuPay debit/ credit card that is available with more than 25 banks with the inclusion of

State Bank of India (SBI). The card can be used for making payment in metro, bus, suburban railways, smart city and retail shopping.

Features of One Nation One Card

The major highlights of One Nation One Card are given below.

  • This card can be used to purchase tickets for any public transport.
  • The card can be used for shopping.
  • The card can be used for digital payments and cash withdrawals.
  • The money would be debited from the card automatically whenever any service is used by the cardholder.
  • It saves time to pay for a bus or a metro ticket.
  • The cardholders need not wait in long queues on the ticket counters.
  • The cardholder can recharge the card online.
  • The card can be used both as a debit and a credit card.
  • The card can be used for making payments at toll plazas and to park vehicles.
  • The card offers cashback on making bill payments and other similar offers.
  • A cardholder can avail 5 per cent cashback at ATMs and 10 per cent cashback at merchant outlets while travelling abroad.
  • The card is assisted by indigenously developed Automatic Fare Collection Gate 'Swagat' and an Open Loop Automatic Fare Collection System 'Sweekar'. Both these initiatives were launched by the Prime Minister.

Issuance of the Card

National Common Mobility Cards are bank-issued cards on debit/ credit/ pre-paid card products platform.

Significance of the Card

The card runs on RuPay card, and it eliminates all the travel related difficulties. The commuters using bus, train and metro does not have the adequate change to pay for toll plazas and parking. To overcome this issue, this automatic fare collection system has been introduced. The cardholders can also use this card to withdraw money and to travel in metros in any part of the nation. With all these features and the working pattern of the card, it can be said that the RuPay card is merged with the mobility card. With this advancement and one-of-its-kind 'Made in India' card, there is no requirement for the country to depend on foreign technologies. A customer can use this single card to make payments across several sectors including metro, bus, suburban railways, toll, parking, smart city and retail shopping. The stored value on the card aids offline transaction across all travel requirements with minimal financial risks for the stakeholders. The service area feature of the card supports operator specific applications such as monthly passes, season tickets etc. These cards can be either used in PoS machines in ticket counters or can be used as metro rail smart cards to enter a platform.

Implementation of One Nation One Card

NITI Ayog is working on the ONOC along with the Center for the Development and Advance Computing, banks and Urban Developments Ministries. The ONOC is initiated as a part of digitalising India.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about National Common Mobility Card.

The One Nation One Card is an innovative initiative launched by the Government of India that allows citizens to use a single card for various services such as commuting on buses, trains, metros, shopping, money withdrawal, and payments. It provides the convenience of accessing multiple services with one card.
Some key features of the ONOC include its ability to purchase tickets for public transport, use for shopping and digital payments, automatic fare deduction, online recharging, cashback offers, and use as a debit/credit card. It also offers additional benefits like cashback on ATM withdrawals and merchant outlets while traveling abroad.
The National Common Mobility Cards are bank-issued cards on debit/credit/pre-paid card products platform. Citizens can obtain the card from partner banks, which currently include State Bank of India and over 25 other banks.
The ONOC eliminates travel-related difficulties faced by commuters, such as lack of change for toll plazas and parking. It also eliminates the need to carry multiple cards or memorize passwords. Being a 'Made in India' solution, it reduces dependence on foreign technologies.
The ONOC runs on the RuPay card platform and acts as an Automatic Fare Collection system. The stored value on the card aids offline transactions across travel requirements. It can be used at PoS machines, ticket counters, or as a smart card to enter platforms.
The implementation of the ONOC is being overseen by NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Center for Development of Advanced Computing, banks, and Urban Development Ministries.
Yes, the service area feature of the ONOC supports operator-specific applications such as monthly passes and season tickets.
The ONOC provides citizens with the convenience of using a single card for multiple services, eliminating the need to carry multiple cards or cash. It also saves time by allowing faster transactions and avoiding queues at ticket counters.
The ONOC initiative is part of the efforts to digitalize India. By providing a cashless and seamless payment solution for various services, it encourages the adoption of digital transactions and supports the country's digital transformation.
The indigenously developed Automatic Fare Collection Gate 'Swagat' and Open Loop Automatic Fare Collection System 'Sweekar' are initiatives launched by the Prime Minister to support the implementation of the ONOC.