The management behind the distribution of beep cards issued a clarification saying commuters may still load and check their card balances, following reports about the removal of certain machines from station platforms.
The beep card is primarily used by train commuters and passengers of select bus services to pay their fares.
The management also said that travelers may continue to load and check their beep card balances through the following channels:
- Ticket Vending Machines (TVM)
- Physical Counters or Point of Sale (POS) tellers
- beep app
The management also clarified that it pulled out only the “defective devices” among the Stored Value Updaters (SVUs) and Express Renewal Devices (ERDs) and not all of them.
It said the pullout was due to the devices being “outdated” and “in need of replacement.”
The management added that it aims to roll out upgraded versions by March 2026.
It also shared a list of stations that still have SVUs and ERDs, as follows:
LRT-1 – Express Renewal Devices (ERDs)
- Quirino (Northbound East)
- Gil Puyat (Northbound)
LRT-2 – Express Renewal Devices (ERDs)
- Antipolo (Southbound)
- Marikina–Pasig (Southbound)
MRT-3 – Stored Value Updaters (SVUs)
- Quezon Avenue
- GMA–Kamuning
- Araneta Center–Cubao (Arayat Side)
- Santolan–Annapolis
- Ortigas (Southbound)
- Shaw Boulevard (Building A)
- Boni Avenue
- Guadalupe
- Buendia
- Ayala Avenue (Concourse 1)
- Magallanes (Northbound)
- Taft Avenue
The management said it understands the inconvenience caused by the changes but assured commuters that it is “continuously seeking more efficient and reliable solutions” for them.
It also said it will post FAQs and additional updates on its website and social media pages.
The clarification comes after beep card management earlier said it had removed the SVUs and ERDs “because they rely on outdated 3D technology.”
It said commuters may still retrieve load transactions and check their card balances through the beep app (via NFC-enabled phones), or transact at ticket vending machines (TVMs) and point-of-sale (POS) tellers in stations.
The announcement drew mixed reactions, with some Filipinos believing they could no longer check their beep card balance or have their cards reloaded, among other concerns.
“Hindi naman lahat naka NFC phone. Paano na namin mache-check ‘yung balance ng beep card. Nagloloko pa ‘yung beep app. Sana may iba pang alternative option,” a Facebook user said.
“‘Di naman lahat may NFC sa cellphone… tapos wala naman tinda ng card sa mga stations,” another said.
The beep card is a stored-value card used on the LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3 trains, as well as on select buses, for the exact fare payment of commuters.
