Nelson Morales

Beep card reloading stations in Makati. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Beep card announces limited renewal stations amid system upgrade

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA – The operator of the beep cards used in Metro Manila railways said some LRT and MRT stations will still have stored value updaters (SVU). </p><p>AF Payments Inc. has announced that the availability of SVUs and Express Renewal Devices (ERDs) is currently limited across Metro Manila’s rail lines as the system undergoes a transition. The limitation comes as the provider phases out older devices that rely on 3G technology, which was recently decommissioned by telcos. </p><p>While many machines have been pulled for 5G upgrades, a &quot;select few&quot; stations remain equipped with functioning devices to assist passengers.</p><p>For those needing to fetch &quot;e-load&quot; from digital wallets or extend the validity of their cards, the following stations still have operational machines:</p><table data-path-to-node="6" style="margin-bottom:32px;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><thead style="line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><tr style="line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:11.5887%"><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Line</strong></div></td><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:88.2614%"><strong>Station (Specific Location)</strong></td></tr></thead><tbody style="line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><tr style="line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:11.5887%">LRT-1</td><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:88.2614%">Quirino (Northbound East), Gil Puyat (Northbound)</td></tr><tr style="line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:11.5887%">LRT-2</td><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:88.2614%">Antipolo (Southbound), Marikina–Pasig (Southbound)</td></tr><tr style="line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important"><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:11.5887%">MRT-3</td><td style="border:1px solid;line-height:1.15 !important;margin-top:0px !important;width:88.2614%">Quezon Ave, GMA–Kamuning, Cubao (Arayat), Santolan–Annapolis, Ortigas (SB), Shaw Blvd, Boni, Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala, Magallanes (NB), Taft Ave</td></tr></tbody></table><div><strong>Manual Solutions for Expired Cards</strong></div><p>For passengers whose cards have already reached their expiration date, the company is offering a one-year grace period. Instead of searching for a machine, commuters are advised to head directly to station counters or tellers. Tellers can assist with a Transfer of Balance (TOB) to a new card, provided the user pays the card issuance fee and has enough remaining load to cover the transfer.</p><p>Beep card users with smartphones that have NFC meanwhile can simply use the beep card mobile app to check their balance and retrieve load instantly by tapping their card against their phone.</p><p>AFI said it targets to roll out upgraded 5G-ready devices within the first quarter of the year.</p><p>The Department of Information and Communications Technology announced as early as September last year that it would phase out 3G networks by the end of 2026 due to concerns over the security of this technology.</p>

<p>While many stored value updater machines have been pulled for upgrading to 5G, a "select few" stations remain equipped with functioning devices to assist passengers, beep card said. </p>

While many stored value updater machines have been pulled for upgrading to 5G, a "select few" stations remain equipped with functioning devices to assist passengers, beep card said.