beep operator AF Payments Inc. is introducing its newest solution designed to make it more convenient for passengers to purchase their bus tickets. This is the Advance Booking System, which will first be implemented by Davao Metro Shuttle (DMS) in its Metro Manila↔Davao route, the longest bus route to date.
Starting January 27, commuters and even tourists will enjoy the convenience of reserving bus tickets in advance to lessen the hassle of queueing onsite. Passengers can purchase and rebook tickets ahead at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) Terminal using their beep™ card or thru their advance booking hotline: Davao-PITX (0939-1351349) or PITX-Davao (0981-3313389).
“With our new Advance Booking System feature, AF Payments Inc. is expanding the roster of solutions to continuously support the business needs of our partner transport operators nationwide. We work on these innovations in fulfillment of our shared end goal of improving the commuting experience of the riding public. This 2023, we hope to be able to bring our technology to more routes by doubling our efforts at reaching out to interested partners,” said Sharon Fong, Chief Commercial Officer of AF Payments Inc.
Davao Metro Shuttle has been a valued beep™ partner since November 2019. It operates inter-provincial buses that implement an automated fare collection system (AFCS), which includes Davao City↔Arakan; Davao City↔Kidapawan; Davao City↔Butuan City; C.P. Garcia↔Roxas; Catalunan↔Roxas; Ormoc City↔Sogod; and Tacloban City↔Calbayog City. Its latest route—PITX↔Ecoland Terminal in Davao City—was launched in June 2022.
Apart from DMS, Annil Transport Service Inc., operating a Davao City↔Calinan route, has also been an AFCS partner since February 2020. It features modern low-floor city buses equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, LCD TVs, leather seats, Wi-Fi, and global positioning system (GPS).
AF Payments Inc. is looking to expand adoption of its payment solutions among buses and modern jeepneys in more provinces this year. It targets to partner with transport operators completing their compliance with the government’s PUV Modernization Program to service the over 70 million commuters in the country.
Its main offering is an AFCS that allows passengers to enjoy the convenience of cashless and contactless fare payments, while empowering transport operators to more efficiently manage their payment collection, recording, and remittance compared to the traditional manual way that is susceptible to human error and pilferage.
A consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp., AF Payments Inc. offers a full ecosystem of related business solutions that includes AFCS, Advance Booking System, Fleet Management System, QR Ticketing / QR Payment System, Barrier and Gate Solutions, Central Ticketing Solutions, and Queue Management System. Clients can choose the services they need and bundle them together in a packaged offering for more savings.
At present, the stored value beep™ card used in transportation and select retail establishments can be bought online on Shopee, Lazada, and Facebook Marketplace (while stocks last). Reloading options include the partner transport operators, digital banking and e-wallet partners, and the beep™ mobile app.
Recently, AF Payments Inc. launched a new way of loading that is truly convenient for commuters. Straight from their Android or iOS smartphones, passengers can use the beep™ app to purchase load and fetch their load credits instantly. Through NFC-enabled phones, there is no longer any need to go to an Eload station to fetch loads. By merely tapping the beep™ card on the phone, load is already transferred without any difficulty.
AF Payments Inc. is also tapping into all businesses that can provide reloading and card distribution services in the Davao region and nationwide. Interested partners may get in touch via <beep.com.ph/beep-business>. More information is also available at the website <beep.com.ph> and its official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.