Payments giant Visa has introduced its second transit project in the Philippines, allowing passengers in Bacolod City to pay for modern jeepney rides using their Visa cards.
This initiative follows Visa’s earlier project in Cebu and aims to enhance payment convenience for both commuters and tourists.
In collaboration with Good Transport Solutions Inc. (GTSI) and GHL Systems Philippines, Visa launched the project during Bacolod’s MassKara Festival.
Forty-five modern jeepneys are now equipped with Visa payment terminals, enabling seamless, cashless transactions.
The jeepneys also display promotions for the EastWest Pay app, which allows passengers to link their EastWest Visa credit cards to smartphones for easy tap-to-pay payments.
The bank is promoting the EastWest Pay app as part of this initiative which enables cashless and contactless transaction, enhanced by security through biometrics and tokenisation.
Visa’s expansion into Bacolod reflects its broader goal of improving transit payment systems across the Asia-Pacific region.
According to a survey commissioned by Visa, 67% of Filipinos prefer contactless cards, especially for public transportation.
Jeff Navarro, Country Manager for
Philippines, said,
“Each transit project in the Philippines promotes financial inclusion by increasing awareness and use of digital payment methods. Our efforts also enhance the infrastructure supporting these transactions, making it easier for passengers to adopt digital payments, regardless of their banking experience.
Additionally, this initiative boosts financial literacy, empowering unbanked and underserved populations with secure and convenient payment solutions.”
Brezhnev Tero, CEO, Good Transport Solutions Inc. (GTSI), said,
“We are incredibly thankful to Visa, EastWest Bank, and GHL for their support in making this vision a reality, not just in Bacolod City, but in all the regions where we will be deploying our solution.
The introduction of the EastWest Pay app across our transport network will revolutionise the way commuters pay for fares, ensuring a more modern and efficient travel experience. Our goal is to enhance the overall user experience by providing simple, fast, and secure payment options.”
