India’s payment and mobility landscape has been evolving rapidly, driven by digital transformation, government initiatives, and the growing need for seamless travel and financial inclusion. One of the most ambitious projects in this space is the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), a unified payment solution designed to provide a single card for multiple modes of transport and retail payments. Often referred to as “One Nation, One Card”, NCMC is envisioned to bring interoperability, convenience, and efficiency to urban mobility and payments across India.

At EazyPay Tech, we specialize in NCMC testing and certification services to ensure that OEMs, financial institutions, and transit authorities can roll out compliant, secure, and high-performance solutions.

NCMC

Before NCMC, India’s transportation and payment ecosystem was highly fragmented. Different metro systems, bus services, and toll booths operated on isolated closed-loop cards or tokens, forcing passengers to carry multiple cards or cash. This lack of interoperability caused inefficiencies and inconvenience.

Recognizing the need for a common mobility solution, the Government of India, led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and spearheaded by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), developed the NCMC framework. The card is built on the RuPay card scheme and conforms to EMV standards for global interoperability and security.

Objectives

• Provide a single, universally accepted card that enables travelers and citizens to pay for metro rides, bus fares, toll charges, and even retail purchases without carrying multiple payment instruments or depending on cash.
• Reduce dependency on cash-based transactions by promoting digital-first solutions that simplify fare collection for transit operators and encourage cashless retail payments.
• Enhance passenger convenience by offering faster, tap-and-go transactions that eliminate long queues at ticket counters and speed up access gates in metros and buses.
• Standardize ticketing and fare collection systems across different cities and transit networks in India, creating a truly interoperable and scalable mobility infrastructure.
• Integrate urban mobility with broader digital financial services, ensuring that the card works not only in transport but also in daily shopping, entertainment, and utility bill payments.

What is the National Common Mobility Card?

The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is a contactless, EMV-based smart card that can be used for multiple payment use cases. While its primary focus is transit payments—such as metro, bus, suburban rail, and toll—it also supports retail payments, including shopping and dining.

Key Features of NCMC

• Interoperable across networks: NCMC can be used seamlessly across metro stations, buses, toll plazas, parking facilities, and retail outlets, ensuring that users carry only one card for all their mobility and lifestyle needs.
• Contactless Tap & Pay functionality: Leveraging NFC technology, NCMC enables customers to simply tap their card on a terminal to complete transactions instantly, significantly reducing waiting times and improving passenger flow.
• Offline transaction capability: Even in areas where internet connectivity is weak or unavailable, such as underground metro stations or remote toll plazas, NCMC allows transactions to be processed offline, ensuring uninterrupted service.
• RuPay-based ecosystem: Built on India’s indigenous card scheme, NCMC ensures cost efficiency, localized support, and widespread domestic acceptance without reliance on international networks.
• Stored value with prepaid option: Users can load money onto their cards in advance, and use the balance for multiple types of payments, making it especially convenient for daily commuters.
• Bank integration for seamless recharges: NCMC is linked with banks, allowing easy top-ups through ATMs, UPI apps, or internet banking, ensuring that users always have funds ready for quick use.
• The “One Nation, One Card” Vision: The idea is to unify transport, toll, parking, retail, and e-commerce payments under a single card. This vision is aligned with India’s digital economy roadmap, reducing the friction of carrying multiple cards or relying on cash, and ensuring that citizens have a simple, secure, and universally accepted payment option at their fingertips.

NCMC Architecture

The NCMC ecosystem is designed around secure, scalable, and interoperable components.

Core Components

• Card Issuance
  NCMC cards are issued by banks under the RuPay scheme. These cards are available as debit, credit, or prepaid instruments, ensuring that consumers from all economic backgrounds can access them based on their needs.
• Acceptance Infrastructure
  Acceptance infrastructure includes POS terminals, transit validators, and Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) systems. To support NCMC, all such devices must be upgraded to handle RuPay contactless and EMV transactions efficiently.
• EMV Kernel & NCMC Kernel
  At the core of processing lies the NCMC kernel, a specialized software module embedded in terminals and validators that processes NCMC transactions. It is engineered to handle both online and offline transactions, making it highly suitable for high-traffic transit systems.
• Clearing & Settlement
  Settlement of transactions between acquiring and issuing banks is managed by NPCI. This ensures smooth financial reconciliation while maintaining transparency and efficiency in the system.
• Certification & Testing
  Every component, including cards, terminals, and kernels, must undergo rigorous certification and testing to ensure compliance. EazyPay Tech provides dedicated support for testing, debugging, and certification to help manufacturers and banks meet the required standards.

Technical Standards

• Built upon EMVCo global security standards, ensuring worldwide interoperability and strong protection against fraud.
• Conforms to RuPay contactless specifications, which govern the way NCMC transactions are executed in India.
• Implements ISO/IEC 14443 standards for NFC communication, allowing smooth interaction between cards and terminals.
• Requires compliance with PCI DSS security frameworks to protect sensitive customer data during payment processing.

Benefits of NCMC

For Consumers

• One card for multiple services: Instead of juggling multiple tickets, passes, or cards, users can rely on a single card for metro travel, toll payments, bus rides, parking, and even grocery purchases.
• Faster and more convenient commuting: Contactless payment drastically reduces transaction time, allowing commuters to move swiftly through entry and exit gates. For example, in the Delhi Metro, NCMC-enabled gates process passengers much faster compared to token-based entry.
• Enhanced transaction security: EMV chip-based technology ensures that every transaction generates unique cryptographic codes, making fraud and card cloning nearly impossible.
• Offline functionality when needed: NCMC continues to function even in low or no connectivity environments, such as in underground metro stations like those in Bengaluru, providing uninterrupted service for travelers.
• Flexible recharge options: Whether through ATMs, UPI apps, or bank portals, recharging the NCMC card is simple and accessible, making it easier for consumers in both urban and semi-urban areas.

For Transport Operators

• Reduced reliance on cash transactions: Digital fare collection minimizes the operational burden of handling physical cash, reduces risks of theft, and allows smoother revenue management.
• Improved operational efficiency: Automated fare collection systems integrated with NCMC improve passenger throughput during peak hours, as seen in the Mumbai Metro where card-based access reduces congestion.
• Nationwide interoperability: Operators benefit from a common ticketing and payment infrastructure that can easily integrate with other transport networks across India, making intercity travel smoother for commuters.
• Enhanced passenger satisfaction: With quick, secure, and user-friendly transactions, public transport becomes more appealing, driving higher ridership and promoting sustainable urban mobility.

For Banks & Fintechs

• Revenue growth through issuance and processing: NCMC cards create opportunities for banks to earn from issuance fees, transaction fees, and cross-platform usage.
• Opportunities for cross-selling: By issuing NCMC cards, banks can offer bundled digital services such as transit insurance, instant top-ups, and loyalty programs.
• Deeper customer engagement: Since consumers use NCMC cards daily, especially in metros and buses, banks have more frequent interactions, creating brand stickiness and long-term loyalty.

For Government & Regulators

• Promotion of Digital India initiatives: NCMC directly aligns with government efforts to promote cashless transactions and digital empowerment.
• Improved transparency in fare collection: Digital fare collection eliminates manual intervention, reduces pilferage, and provides real-time data for better policy planning.
• Reduction in subsidy mismanagement: Transparent digital records ensure that subsidies and benefits are directly traceable, reducing leakages in public service delivery.

NCMC Certification Process

For NCMC implementation, certification is mandatory to ensure interoperability, security, and compliance.

NCMC Certification Scope

• Card Level Certification: Verifies that NCMC cards issued under the RuPay scheme comply with EMV and RuPay specifications, ensuring safe and reliable performance.
• Terminal Level Certification: Validates that POS devices, validators, and AFC terminals can process NCMC transactions under different conditions with accuracy and security.
• Kernel Certification: Confirms that the NCMC kernel embedded in terminals is compliant, optimized, and capable of handling both online and offline transactions seamlessly

Steps in NCMC Certification

To ensure that every National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) solution meets the required standards of quality, performance, and compliance, the certification process involves a series of well-defined steps:

• Pre-Validation: A detailed review of the product design is conducted against the NCMC technical specifications to identify potential gaps at an early stage, reducing the chances of failure during the actual certification process.
• Functional Testing: Comprehensive evaluation of the card and terminal features is carried out in multiple usage scenarios to verify that all functionalities such as transaction processing, balance checking, and top-up operations work smoothly.
• Interoperability Testing: Rigorous testing ensures that the solution can be seamlessly accepted across different payment systems, terminals, and devices, thereby enabling smooth nationwide usage.
• Security Testing: Critical validation of encryption protocols, authentication methods, and fraud prevention mechanisms is performed to safeguard transactions against threats such as skimming, replay attacks, or unauthorized access.
• Certification Approval: After successful evaluation across all required testing phases, the official certification is issued by NPCI, confirming that the product is ready for commercial deployment.

Role of EazyPay Tech

At EazyPay Tech, we act as a trusted partner for OEMs, financial institutions, and fintechs by offering end-to-end support throughout the NCMC certification lifecycle. Our services cover every aspect of testing and compliance:

• Kernel validation and debugging to ensure smooth card and terminal operations.
• Terminal and device testing to guarantee seamless functioning across multiple environments.
• Pre-certification assessment that minimizes risks of rejection during final certification.
• Compliance documentation support to align with NPCI and EMV requirements.
• Liaison with NPCI and certification authorities to simplify communication and accelerate approval timelines.
• By partnering with us, organizations significantly reduce certification risks, save valuable time and resources, and achieve faster time-to-market with their NCMC-enabled solutions.

Use Cases of NCMC

The National Common Mobility Card is designed to go beyond transit payments and serve as a unified digital payment tool across multiple domains:

Transit Payments

• Metro rail ticketing
• City and state-run buses
• Suburban train journeys
• Toll booth payments
• Parking facilities

Retail & Lifestyle

• Grocery and supermarket purchases
• Restaurant and café payments
• Online shopping portals
• Entertainment services such as cinemas and amusement parks

Government Services

• Public distribution system purchases
• Utility bill payments (electricity, water, gas)

Smart City Initiatives

• Integration with municipal services
• Digital identity verification and access control mechanisms

Challenges in NCMC Implementation

Although NCMC has the potential to transform India’s payment ecosystem, certain implementation challenges need to be addressed:

Infrastructure Readiness

• Many transit systems still operate on outdated AFC (Automatic Fare Collection) infrastructure, requiring upgrades for NCMC compatibility.
• High upgrade costs for terminals, validators, and payment devices remain a significant barrier.

Awareness & Adoption

• Limited consumer awareness regarding the benefits of NCMC affects adoption rates.
• Merchants are often reluctant to invest in infrastructure upgrades due to perceived costs and uncertain ROI.

Certification Complexity

• Compliance with EMV and RuPay standards is mandatory, which increases the complexity of the certification process.
• Lengthy and rigorous testing cycles can delay time-to-market for OEMs and financial institutions.

Security Risks

• The need for robust fraud detection mechanisms to prevent skimming, cloning, and replay attacks is critical.
• Ensuring secure data storage and transmission remains a priority for stakeholders.
•  EazyPay Tech helps mitigate these challenges by providing specialized testing, compliance consulting, and certification expertise, ensuring smoother and more secure rollouts of NCMC solutions.

The Future of NCMC in India

The National Common Mobility Card is expected to evolve rapidly, shaping the future of digital payments in India:

• Integration with UPI : NCMC is expected to integrate UPI recharge and balance management, enabling users to experience a seamless and unified digital payment journey.
• Nationwide Acceptance: With government support, universal acceptance of NCMC across metros, buses, tolls, and retail outlets will become a reality, driven by large-scale infrastructure upgrades.
• Beyond Transit: The card will expand beyond transportation to function as a multi-utility tool, combining financial transactions, identity management, and access control into a single card.
• Global Expansion: India’s success with NCMC could serve as a model for other countries aiming to implement national-level mobility cards.

Why EazyPay Tech for NCMC Testing and Certification?

EazyPay Tech has established itself as a trusted partner for stakeholders looking to adopt and implement NCMC solutions. Our expertise spans the entire ecosystem of certification and compliance:

• NCMC Kernel Development & Testing
• POS & Validator Certification
• EMV L1, L2, and L3 Certification
• NPCI RuPay Certification Support
• End-to-End Compliance Consulting

Our Value Proposition

• Reduce certification delays through pre-validation and early-stage assessments
• Ensure faster go-to-market strategies for OEMs, banks, and fintechs
• Minimize risks with expert-led compliance and robust testing processes
• Provide full-cycle testing services covering hardware, terminals, and applications

Clients We Support

• POS and terminal manufacturers
• Transit authorities and AFC providers
• Banks and card issuers
• Payment fintech startups

The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) represents a transformative leap in India’s journey toward unified, interoperable, and digital-first payments. By providing a single card that can be used across transit, retail, government services, and lifestyle sectors, it plays a key role in bridging the gap between mobility and financial inclusion, aligning perfectly with the vision of the Digital India mission.

However, the success of NCMC hinges on more than just its design it requires robust infrastructure readiness, widespread consumer adoption, and above all, certified and compliant solutions. This is where EazyPay Tech brings unmatched value, helping OEMs, banks, and transit authorities deliver secure, efficient, and future-ready NCMC deployments through its testing and certification expertise.