My Kasar Devi Trip: How Scapia Coins Paid for Both Bus Rides
A real Lucknow to Nainital bus trip to Kasar Devi where Scapia Coins covered the bus fare both ways: what I paid, how the trip ran, and how to repeat it.
4 min read · Published 13 November 2026 · Checked
Short answer
Short answer: I booked both legs of my Lucknow → Nainital bus trip inside the Scapia app and paid the whole fare with Scapia Coins, so I paid ₹0 in cash for the bus, going and coming back. Each ticket was around ₹2,200. At 5 Coins = ₹1, that is around 11,000 Coins a ticket, or around 22,000 Coins for the round trip.
Trip at a glance
| Route | Lucknow → Nainital by PTC Skybus bus, then Royal Enfield Classic 350 to Almora and Kasar Devi, and back |
|---|---|
| Dates | Left Lucknow on 6 November 2026 |
| Points programme | Scapia Coins |
| Cash paid | ₹0 |
Reported by the author from their own booking. Checked 13 November 2026.
The trip
I left Lucknow on 6 November at 11 PM on a PTC Skybus bus to Nainital. I reached Nainital at about 9 the next morning, roughly ten hours later, and checked into a hostel.
In Nainital I rented a Royal Enfield Classic 350. The next day I rode on to Almora and then Kasar Devi, a small ridge village just outside Almora in Uttarakhand, known for quiet cafés, pine forests and long Himalayan views. I checked into a hostel there.
The trip back ran the same way in reverse. I rode the bike from Almora to Nainital, took the bus that left Nainital at 7, and reached Lucknow at 5. The return ticket also cost around ₹2,200.
What I paid
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bus fare, Lucknow → Nainital | around ₹2,200 |
| Bus fare, Nainital → Lucknow | around ₹2,200 |
| Scapia Coins applied | around 11,000 Coins (≈ ₹2,200) per ticket, around 22,000 for both |
| Cash I paid for the bus | ₹0 |
The bike rental, hostels and food were separate from the bus booking, and Coins only work inside the Scapia app.
Where Coins come from
Scapia Coins are earned through spending on the Scapia card and on bookings made in the app. Here is how the Scapia Federal card earns, according to Scapia's own published terms:
- 10% in Coins on eligible Visa spends of ₹20 or more. Because 5 Coins = ₹1, that is 2% back in real value.
- 5% in Coins on RuPay/UPI spends of ₹500 or more, which is 1% real value.
- 20% in Coins on travel booked in the Scapia app (flights, hotels, buses, trains), which is 4% real value.
The headline percentages are in Coins, not rupees. Divide by 5 to get the real return. Many people miss this.
Some spends earn nothing, including fuel, rent, utilities, insurance, wallet loads, education fees and EMIs. Check Scapia's current exclusion list before you plan around a big payment.
How to book a bus the same way
- Open the Scapia app and tap Bus.
- Search your route and date and pick an operator.
- At checkout, switch on Use Scapia Coins. The fare drops by the Coins you apply. Coins can cover the whole booking if you have enough.
- If any balance is left, pay it with the Scapia card so the cash part also earns Coins.
Is it worth it? The honest maths
My round trip came to around ₹4,400 in fares. At the card's 10% Coin rate on eligible Visa spends, earning around 22,000 Coins takes roughly ₹2.2 lakh of everyday spending. That is the point: Coins are not free, they are the return on spending you were already doing.
It works best if you:
- Already travel by bus, train or flight a few times a year. Coins can only be used inside the Scapia app, so there is no cashback.
- Check the fare elsewhere first. If the same seat costs more in the Scapia app, part of your "free" value disappears.
- Use it as a lifetime-free everyday card rather than chasing spends you would not otherwise make.
Related on PerkNavigate
- What your reward points are worth in rupees (Nov 2026)
- Book train tickets with points: IRCTC SBI card vs Scapia Coins
- Points value calculator
FAQ
How much is one Scapia Coin worth? ₹0.20. Scapia publishes the rate as 5 Coins = ₹1 for bookings in its app.
Can Scapia Coins pay for the full bus ticket? Yes. Scapia says Coins can cover up to 100% of a booking, and work as a partial discount if your balance is short.
Can I use Scapia Coins on redBus or IRCTC? No. Coins only work for bookings made inside the Scapia app.
Do I earn Coins on the part I pay in cash? Yes. The cash part of an in-app travel booking paid with the Scapia card earns at the travel rate. My bookings had no cash part.
Independent and not sponsored by Scapia. Fares are approximate, as I remember them from my bookings. Earn rates were checked against Scapia's published pages on 13 November 2026 and can change. PerkNavigate may earn a referral fee if you sign up through one of our links; see our affiliate disclosure.
Sources: Scapia: Scapia Coins · Scapia Federal card overview
Written by
Jay
Figures checked on 13 November 2026. Point values change; confirm in the programme's own app before you transfer or redeem. Not financial advice (disclaimer).