Over 3M beep cards recorded in circulation, 2 yrs. after introduction

Over three million "beep" cards are currently in circulation, just two years after the unified ticketing system was introduced to commuters, AF Payments Inc. the operator of tap-and-go transport system said on Thursday.

"Three million beep cards in circulation is a big milestone for us. It shows that Filipinos are getting used to this technology and are adapting it for their daily use," Tere Ancheta, spokesperson of AF Payments Inc., said in a statement.

"This pushes us to continue to do better and forge better partnerships that will truly help serve the needs of our cardholders," Ancheta added.

AF Payments, a consortium between Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., introduced the unified ticketing system in 2015.

In a statement, it said there are about 6 out of 10 passengers of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) use beep cards instead of the single journey ticket.

The consortium added that its partner, convenience store chain FamilyMart, has recorded a "healthy load transaction numbers daily."

FamilyMart and AF Payments' partnership was formally launched in December 2016 to ease the long queues at the MRT and LRT stations.

The Philippine franchise of FamilyMart is owned and operated by SIAL CVS Retailers Inc, a joint venture between the specialty store retailer SSI Group Inc. and Ayala Land Inc. — Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/MDM, GMA News