Manila: The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) has introduced a cashless payment system at select station turnstiles, eliminating the need for passengers to purchase tickets at teller booths. In a statement on Friday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced that these turnstiles now accept GCash Commuter QR codes, Android phones with Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled payment, and all Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards.

According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to enhance the commuter experience by making it more convenient. Secretary Dizon assured commuters that there would be no fare increase associated with this new system. The charges applied to GCash, credit cards, or debit cards will be equivalent to the cost of a single journey ticket.

The system is compatible with Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards equipped with EMV chips. Commuters need only to tap their cards at newly installed contactless payment terminals at the station turnstiles. However, older cards with EMV chips may not be functional and may require an upgrade to a newer EMV chip for compatibility.

Secretary Dizon highlighted that this cashless payment initiative eliminates the need for passengers to queue at ticket counters for single journey tickets. He emphasized that this system is unique globally, integrating almost all payment modes into one device, fulfilling the President's vision for a more convenient travel experience.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has collaborated with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Landbank, GCash, Visa, and KentKart to implement this cashless payment system. Additionally, similar systems will be rolled out at the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) in partnership with RCBC.