THE tap-and-go Beep card being used by the Metropolitan Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit had processed roughly P3.9 billion in transactions since its launch last year, with usage now growing at a faster pace, thanks to its expanded network of partners. Peter Maher, who sits as president at AF Payments Inc., said his company has sold 2.5 million beep cards so far. Usage has gone from 13 million taps in October 2015, when it was first introduced to the public, to 18 million taps as of end-September.
Maher said his company “considers this a big jump in usage in just a year as people became more familiar with using the card.”
Aside from the three overhead railway systems, there are five bus operators with units accepting payment via the beep card. These are HM Transport, BGC Bus, Citylink Coach Services Inc., Froehlich Tours and RRCG Transport.
These partnerships cover the routes Baclaran-Naia Terminal 3, all routes of the BGC Bus, San Lorenzo-McKinley Hill, McKinley Hill-Guadalupe, Ortigas-Makati, SM North Edsa-SM Megamall, Trinoma-Makati, and Alabang-Makati (and vice-versa).
“The past year has been an exciting one for Beep, with many challenges and many firsts.
“We’re grateful to everyone who has been with us in this journey and we’re ready and look forward to the next,” Maher said.
More partnerships, he said, will come in soon, as details are currently under wraps. Before the year ends, a major convenience store chain will start implementing reloading and payment facilities via the Beep-card system.
Following the venture into toll ways with the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway, the beep card will also soon be accepted in the Northern Luzon Expressway.
The system is not live yet, but testing is ongoing. Additional routes of point-to-point bus lines will follow in the coming months. AF Payments is a joint venture between Metro Pacific Group and the Ayala Group.