Mastercard & Beep to deliver contactless transit payments in the Philippines

By Gloria Mathias

Mastercard and AF Payments, Inc. (AFPI), the company behind Beep cards, have announced a strategic partnership to enable contactless acceptance of Mastercard cards in Metro Rail Transit Line 3 and buses in the Philippines.

In support of the government’s goal to accelerate the digitization of payments and in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap, the ‘Mastercard-Beep EMV Contactless Acceptance in Transport Partnership’ aims to broaden contactless acceptance in the Philippines. Cardholders will be able to tap their prepaid, debit, or credit Mastercard cards on public transport without the need to purchase separate tickets for entry.

Under the partnership, the two parties have agreed to collaborate on a pilot program, to be rolled out in phases across MRT stations and BGC and EDSA buses, to scale contactless payment acceptance across ferries and other modes of transportation in the future and eventually across the country. The program will be exclusively used in Beep’s network and will introduce and expand open-loop transit payments powered by Mastercard Gateway.

JJ Moreno, President and Chief Executive Officer, Beep said, “This is expected to benefit millions of Filipino commuters in Metro Manila, enhancing smart mobility through initiatives that bring our transit systems in line with global transport standards. We are excited to collaborate with Mastercard to boost the acceptance of contactless payments in transport and further improve commuters’ payment experiences.”

“Mastercard’s mission is to power a digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere, by making payments safe, simple, smart, and accessible. This partnership with Beep will help enhance the commuting experience for all Mastercard cardholders. From reducing queues at peak hours to removing the need to carry multiple transit tickets or cash, cardholders will be able to use the same payment methods they already use for everyday spending,” said Simon Calasanz, Country Manager, Philippines, Mastercard. “What’s more, it also supports the government’s goal of driving financial and digital inclusion—improving the delivery of public services through innovative payment technologies.”

Mastercard has enabled the Open Loop Transit systems in several major cities around the world, such as London, Sydney, and Singapore.