IN case they forgot to bring their cash with them, commuters can now go cashless when paying for their fare at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the new cashless payment methods at the MRT-3 on Friday, July 25, allowing commuters to pay for their fares via debit, credit, prepaid cards, and e-wallets like GCash for a “more comfortable and hassle-free” train ride.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon demonstrated how the cashless payment options work by tapping a GCash Commuter QR Code on the newly installed contactless terminals located at the station turnstiles.

“Sa GCash, para sa mga kababayan natin, may ‘Commute.’ Ipe-press ‘yung ‘Commute,’ tapos lalabas ‘yung QR,” he said.

Likewise, Mastercard and Visa cardholders simply need to tap their cards on the designated cashless turnstiles. The DOTr advised cardholders to request a replacement from their respective banks if their card has an older EMV chip that is not working.

According to Dizon, there is no additional fare for commuters who opt for the cashless payment methods.

“‘Yung sistema, kung ano ang ikakaltas sa GCash niyo, sa credit card niyo, sa debit card niyo, pareho lang kung bumili kayo ng single journey ticket,” he stressed.

While this may help ease long lines at ticket counters, students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) will still need to purchase single-journey tickets to avail of their 50 percent train fare discount.

“Makikipag-usap pa tayo sa mga credit card [issuers] para ma-apply [‘yung discount],” Dizon told DZMM TeleRadyo on Monday.

“Marami namang teknolohiya ngayon, hopefully, maaayos na rin natin ‘yon, at kung may discount ka, magagawan ng paraan ‘yon,” he added.

The cashless payment system is currently being implemented only at the MRT-3. However, Dizon said they are also eyeing to launch it at the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 (LRT-1 and LRT-2) “very soon.”

Accepted cards, e-wallets

The DOTr listed down the debit, credit, prepaid cards, and online wallets included in the cashless payment system:

• GCash (Mastercard and Visa – Debit)
• Landbank (Mastercard – Debit/Credit; Visa – Debit)
• BPI (Mastercard and Visa – Debit/Credit
• BDO (Mastercard – Credit; Visa – Debit/Credit)
• HSBC (Visa – Credit)
• GoTyme (Visa – Debit)
• UnionBank (Visa – Debit/Credit)
• RCBC (Mastercard – Debit/Credit; Visa – Debit)
• Metrobank (Mastercard – Credit)
• Security Bank (Mastercard – Credit)
• Maya (Visa – Debit/Credit)
• Chinabank (Mastercard – Credit)

In a statement, Mastercard said the new contactless payment also includes cardholders using compatible e-wallets on their Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled smartphones.

“This milestone marks a significant step forward in the Philippines’ journey toward a more seamless, secure, and digitally enabled public transport system,” the company said.

Mastercard assured that its cardholders will be protected against card skimming and payment fraud with its embedded advanced safety and security features when they pay for their train fare.