Cashless payments in all train stations by yearend – BSP

MANILA, Philippines — Commuters riding Metro Manila’s public rail systems may soon enjoy a seamless, cashless fare experience in Metro Rail Transit-3, Light Rail Transit-1 and LRT-2, with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) eyeing a full rollout by the end of 2025.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan said the extension of the digital fare collection system, already enabled in MRT-3 since July, will also cover LRT-1 and LRT-2 lines by yearend.

“The estimate given to us is by the end of this year,” Tangonan told The STAR, noting that rail operators are working on the infrastructure to accept bank cards and e-wallet payments.

The BSP, Department of Transportation (DOTr) as well as the Light Rail Manila Corp. are holding regular coordination meetings with banks and payment providers to ensure the system is interoperable across all lines.

“We have regular coordination meetings with DOTr and the BSP-supervised institutions concerned,” Tangonan, head of payments and currency management sector, said.

The move comes on the heels of MRT-3’s shift to cashless ticketing last month, allowing passengers to pay fares using debit and credit cards, e-wallets such as GCash and Maya, QR codes and other contactless methods.

Tangonan said commuters stand to benefit from greater convenience since they can use one payment method across multiple transit lines.

The BSP sees seamless digital payments in public transport as a driver of financial inclusion.

By making cashless systems more accessible, Tangonan said more Filipinos are encouraged to open bank accounts and adopt digital transactions.

The initiative also complements efforts to address the shortage of stored-value beep cards.

The DOTr earlier announced the delivery of 300,000 additional beep cards this month to cover MRT-3, LRT-1 and LRT-2 stations.