Beep card pioneers QR ticketing for transport

MANILA, Philippines — AF Payments Inc., a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp. that is behind tap-and-go payment system beep card, is ushering in more convenience payment options to the country’s transport ticketing system by pioneering QR ticketing.

AF Payments said Metro Manila-based BGC Bus and Cebu-based Topline Express Ferries would shift to QR code (quick response code) technology for payment and passenger ticketing.

A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode that stores information that can be read by a QR reader, allowing quick passenger validation and entry into the paid or boarding areas.

“This is a new era in transport ticketing. It’s a smart solution where both operators and commuters enjoy the efficiency and ease of use associated with QR technology. We are grateful to our partners for supporting the initiative and hope to replicate the same elsewhere in the Philippines, “ AF Payments chairman of the board Joey Lim said.

In addition to using beep card and beep-powered Topline Express Ferries cards, commuters will now have the option to buy QR code based tickets that they will scan before boarding the bus or ferry.

The new system will replace manually validated paper ticketing to ensure quicker validation and a hassle-free commuter experience.

AF Payments is also bringing in the convenience of mobile payments in partnership with Mynt to enable passengers of BGC Bus and Topline Express Ferries to pay their fare using the GCash mobile app. 

“Our partnership with AF Payments and BGC Bus allows us to use our QR code to facilitate a convenient way of paying. GCash users can now pay for their BGC Bus rides using the GCash app. We plan to replicate this model with other transport service providers,” Mynt chief executive officer Anthony Thomas said.

AF Payments is planning to roll out QR ticketing to other partner buses in Metro Manila in the coming months.

It said QR tickets are easy to use and reduce implementation and integration cost for public transport operators.

“To accelerate the growth of QR ticketing and payments in the country, we are opening our QR ticketing ecosystem to other market players. We invite transport operators, payments companies and developers to work with us in widening the reach of QR ticketing. We invite transport operators, payments companies and developers to work with us in widening the reach of QR ticketing,” AF Payments president Rene Almendras said.