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Davao commuters can now pay taxicabs with ATM or credit cards

Mabuhay Taxi

Starting today, Davaoeños can now pay for their taxi fares using either their ATM or credit cards as 20 units of Mabuhay Taxi, which operates out of Davao City, now has wireless point-of-sale (POS) terminals to facilitate the transaction.

Under the memorandum of agreement signed by China Bank, BancNet, and Mabuhay Taxi in April, the more than 200 units of the transport company will be equipped with wireless POS terminals, with 20 units as part of the initial roll-out. Thru BancNet, ATM cards issued by Megalink banks will also be honored.

"Today, almost everyone has an ATM card, and people are already familiar with POS transactions in stores and boutiques," said Joselito Crisostomo, branch head of China Bank Davao-Lanang. "Why not taxis? It's safe and convenient to use ATM and debit cards to pay for goods and services. What's more, there is no minimum payment for cab fares, even if it is below P100, the transaction will still be processed."

The program is the first of its kind in the Philippines, and as a pioneering project, aims to promote card-based transactions that are already used widely globally. China Bank's Davao-Lanang branch facilitated the deployment of the wireless POS terminals to Mabuhay Taxi, one of its longest clients and one of the oldest taxi fleet operators in the city.

"Mabuhay Taxi is very excited to partner with China Bank for this pioneering project," said Mabuhay Taxi assistant manager Pierre Ryan Tan. "Now, our passengers don't have to pay cash in select Mabuhay Taxis; all they have to do is swipe their ATM or debit card."

Both China Bank and BancNet are hoping that all of Mabuhay Taxi's units will be equipped with the wireless POS terminals within two years and that cashless payment could soon be the norm for paying fares in any public-utility vehicle.

Do you think this will work in Metro Manila?

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  • 17Sphynx17 11 months ago
     
    I am all for this however, I wish there were a few features.

    1) Using the debit/credit card would no longer need the pin number input or signature unless it will exceed a certain amount, say 1000php or up. The reason for this I do not want anyone else to get a chance to see my pin or get a hold of my signature for just a transaction worth less than 500 php especially a taxi driver who I have no knowledge of in terms of his affiliations and what not.

    2) Once a card is swiped into the terminal, the meter should already register a zero amount to indicate the amount has been paid along with a printed receipt. I do not one some driver to constant swipe the card claiming the amount has not yet been transacted. At least that provides a safeguard since it can be electronically linked to the meter as well

    Overall this has been long overdue I think..
       
    • manongtaxi 11 months ago
       
      I think this kind of payment will need some time before it could be implemented properly and efficiently, kasi kung dun pa lang sa pag implement nung pagbigay ng resibo pahirapan na pano pa kaya sa credit/debit card? Tapos meron pa diyan na manghihingi ng additional na 20-50 pesos na dagdag maliban dun sa metro kasi malayo daw lugar na pupuntahan.
         
      • Allain 11 months ago
         
        I saw this machine already. It is the same machine from some grocery store. May lumalabas na resibo if it is approve or not with amount of course if approved. Hindi pa pwede credit card sa machine na ito. Tsaka dalawang resibo ang nilalabas..isa para sayo then yung isa para sa driver at kailangan ang signature ng client for bank clarification.
           
      • japster_13 11 months ago
         
        not all taxi drivers in the Philippines are the same as those in Manila..
           
  • bvnzn 11 months ago
     
    Question: Will they return our credit cards? :)
       
    • Feeter Silverster 11 months ago
       
      what are you thinking? naturally the transaction will happen inside the cab before you get off the taxi, syempre dala mo na rin ang card mo pag alis mo.
         
      • bvnzn 11 months ago
         
        joke lang po masyado naman seryoso
            1
    • barry 11 months ago
       
      syempre naman...
         
  • barre05 11 months ago
     
    Thumbs up. This is a good step towards the right direction in the sense of upgrading our cashless payment system for public transportation. Hope that someday we can reach the Octopus card system of HK, as it's the broadest cashless/NFC payment system I've seen.

    However, I too, have my concerns, aside from the ones already mentioned.

    First is that, if the picture on the article is accurate, then that means the the amount to be paid via ATM or Credit card has to be manually inputted into the POS terminal. This means that it may be prone to errors and/or abuse. A passenger (assuming he/she is the one to input the amount) can make the mistake of typing an amount that is larger or smaller than the actual bill. Or the driver (if he's the one to type the amount) can also do the same. Or worse, the driver can as the passenger to inlcude a tip or something into the actual bill, similar to how they ask for "dagdag" when riding a normal cab. But hopeful the drivers of Mabuhay Taxi are not as greedy and rude as the average driver.

    Second issue is regarding safety. As mentioned above, one's PIN may be exposed considering the location of the POS terminal. At the very least, I hope the terminal can be moved from the car's aisle towards the rear passengers so they can input their PIN in private.

    For now, that's what I can think of.

    But again, I'm not against this. It's a step in the right direction. Just constructive criticism.
       
    • manongtaxi 11 months ago
       
      I do hope that LTFRB could find a way to securely "lock" all taxi fare meters para wala ng "butingting" and I also hope that in order to avoid errors regarding the fare pag sisingilin na dapat parang automatic na lang kung ano yung nasa metro yun na din kaagad lalabas sa POS. And sana mawala na din yung paghingi ng "dagdag"
         
    • Allain 11 months ago
       
      Well siguro kung sobra ka ng bayad hingi ka na lang ng sukli sa driver at kung kulang naman swipe ka uli..lol..kaya lang pagsinabi ng driver na wala syang cash na panukli patay kang bata ka.
         
  • d.lake 11 months ago
     
    it is certainly a great idea. especially for airport taxi. another positive for this is preventing hold-up for the driver. criminals can't hold-up them anymore because they dont have the actual cash with them.
       
  • yokam888 11 months ago
     
    the taxi drivers in davao are unlike any other taxi drivers in the philippines. most of them are very courteous and they even give you the exact change up to the last peso. blame it on their mayor/vice-mayor lol
       
  • 16bab16 11 months ago
     
    i guess lahat ng driver ng taxi sa davao ay desiplinado kasi pag gumawa sila ng kalokohan, sapak at suntok ang abutin nila sa mayor ng davao. Maganda ang serbisyo ng taxi driver ng davao kasi lahat mataas ang paggalang kay mayor Duterte. Isa pa ang dali mong masumbungan ang "task force davao" kung may kalokohang ginagawa ang isang taxi driver. Good work davao
       
  • reggie roy 11 months ago
     
    Isipin na lang natin kung si mayor duterte ang presidente,malamang walang loko sa pinas....uubusin lahat yan!!!
       
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