MRT-3 goes cashless fare system

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) has accepted an e-wallet and debit/credit cards for fare payment beginning Friday, July 25, a Cabinet official said.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said under the pilot run, all 13 stations have one turnstile each that accepts GCash or Mastercard and VISA debit and credit cards.

He said his agency aims to add more cashless turnstiles and apply the system to the Light Rail Transit (LRT-1) and LRT-2.

How does the new scheme work?

GCash users have two options to pay.

Commuters using the app may go to the “Commute” tab and generate a QR code, which they will scan on the turnstile.

Android phone users, meanwhile, may choose the “tap to pay” option and tap their phone directly to the machine.

GCash said users should at least have P28 balance in their account - the end-to-end fare for MRT-3.

Officials of the e-wallet said only the fare for the chosen route will be charged from the GCash account.

“We made sure na secure siya ang nakukuha lang talaga is yung amount na kailangan, ‘yun lang na-block off at nababalik,” Renren Reyes, GCash chief executive officer, said in a chance interview.

[Translation: We made sure it's secure — only the needed amount is taken, that's the only one that's blocked off and it gets returned.]

Debit and credit card users, on the other hand, may just simply tap their cards directly on the machine.

Discounts to follow

Passengers who intend to avail of fare discounts, however, cannot use the cashless scheme as yet.

Dizon said commuters with discounted fares should still fall in line in the booth and secure their tickets.

“Inassure tayo ng ibang partners na binibilisan ang pag-reconfigure ng sistema para maincorporate ang discount,” he said.

[Translation: We’ve been assured by some partners that they’re expediting the system reconfiguration to incorporate the discount.]