beep card operator AF Payments Inc. today disclosed it is prioritizing programs on discounted fares and extending special benefits for its cardholders, following the government’s call to promote wider adoption of stored value cards. It plans to further amplify its tech-enabled offline services and soon complement it with innovative online offerings to help make commuting more bearable, efficient, and productive for commuters.
“Commuting is never easy, but it is a reality that many people need to confront every day. While we have ongoing efforts at consumer education to shift mindsets towards owning our stored value card, our immediate priority is to ensure that commuters—many of whom are daily wage earners—can enjoy the benefits without sacrificing their hard-earned money for their families. We’re also working closely with our partner transport operators so we can implement their programs on discounted fares exclusive to beep™ cardholders,” said Jonathan Juan Moreno, President & CEO of AF Payments Inc.
The limited adoption of stored value cards may largely be attributed to budget constraints—with a large population of train-riders being daily wage earners—and a perceived lack of need for a stored value card. Currently, reloadable beep™ cards are available at off-rail partners such as select bus terminals, convenience stores, and retail establishments which sell these interoperable cards starting at PHP130. At present, more than 50% of commuters who ride any of the light railways LRT1, LRT2, and MRT3 use beep. This is in contrast to those who buy a Single Journey Ticket each time they travel, which contributes to the congestion at the stations.
To make it accessible to more customers, AF Payments has been periodically providing free co-branded beep cards, which are specially designed limited edition cards created in partnership with brands and advertisers. Commuters looking to save on card fees must constantly watch out for such releases, which are often distributed in high foot traffic areas and owned sites of the featured brand. Lifestyle partners including Miniso Rewards Card and more are slated to support Filipinos in need of complimentary stored value cards.
At LRT1 and LRT2, passengers using beep cards pay discounted fares, a special incentive given by the PTOs to encourage passengers to use stored value cards. Meanwhile, deal-hunters looking to further get discounts on their fare can maximize the newly relaunched beep Rewards program wherein every PHP200 spend earns points that can be exchanged for PHP10 load. For regular commuters, this is effectively a 5% outright discount.
Moreover, senior citizens and persons with disability can readily claim their 20% fare discount by using a concessionary card applied for at any LRT1, LRT2, and MRT3 station. Students gearing up to go back to face-to-face classes may also register for Student Discount Cards, or schools can proactively partner with the company to integrate beep functionality into ID cards.
As AF Payments further strengthens its app to benefit commuters, it is also working to include more promos in the existing rewards system, expanding merchant partners where consumers can earn points, developing new online offerings, planning activations to engage passengers, and intensifying efforts to communicate the same.
Expanding usage and reloading options
Just recently, AF Payments teased at onboarding a partner that will increase beep™ card acceptance by 50,000 touch points nationwide. Once launched, more people are expected to shift to stored value cards, and cardholders who have remaining balance they have not been able to consume lately can finally put it to better use. An official announcement will be made very soon.
This upcoming partner will likewise grow reloading touch points by 50,000. It is expected to significantly augment the current ecosystem of off-rail reloading partners, including loading kiosks at PUV terminals and loading services available in Ministop branches and stall merchants in LRT1. Partner banks and e-wallet apps also allow over-the-air reloading anytime, anywhere via smartphone. This includes the most requested ones such as BPI, Maya, and GCash.
“Building a wide ecosystem of acceptance and loading points allows us to offer Filipinos a more compelling reason to finally own a beep card or have a beep app. By enabling its use ‘anytime, anywhere,’ we not only help support the government’s thrust for more digital transactions, but also make the lives of commuters a little more convenient,” Moreno said.
