Soon, Pinoys can just tap with their phones to pay for train, bus rides

By next year, commuters may be able to pay for their train and bus rides by just tapping their mobile phones on ticket terminals, similar to what countries like Japan and China are now doing.

GCash chief marketing officer Neil Trinidad told reporters they were working with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in launching GCash Tap to Pay feature.

“What we are doing is we are working on partnerships together with the DOTr in identifying certain stations … so they can enable the use of Tap to Pay terminals,” he said.

Using mobile phones equipped with near field communication technology (NFC) to pay for rides will eliminate the need for passengers to buy physical tickets. NFC is a short-range wireless technology that enables connection between the ticket terminal and mobile devices.

“Once you log in to your app, all it takes is a simple tap of your phone to make payment,” said Oscar Reyes Jr., president and CEO of GCash operator G-Xchange. “Skip those payment lines during rush hour. Just tap and ride,” he added.

The mobile-based payment option jibes with a greater push for an automated fare collection system to make commuting more convenient.

Beep card operator AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) and software company Multisys Technologies Corp. had earlier announced a partnership allowing commuters to generate QR (quick response) code-based tickets via the Beep app for Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and bus rides.

AFPI also teamed up with Mastercard to allow members to tap their cards in MRT 3 and Bonifacio Global City and EDSA bus terminals.

Both solutions, however, have yet to be deployed.

Digital bank Maya, Light Rail Manila Corp. and AFPI also teamed up for QR code-based payments at LRT 1.

The QR code generated from the app will then be used for tapping in and out of train stations. INQ