The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Friday the temporary removal of all beep Stored Value Updaters and express renewal devices from rail stations to facilitate an upgrade from outdated 3G technology.
The move follows a National Telecommunications Commission order directing telecommunications companies to implement area-specific shutdowns of 3G services by Dec. 31, 2026.
The agency said the transition is necessary as the older technology has hindered the performance and reliability of the payment equipment.
AF Payments Inc. plans to return the machines to stations within the first quarter of 2026 equipped with 5G technology. While the standalone updaters are offline, DOTr officials said passengers can use the beep mobile app to check card balances and retrieve load transactions by tapping cards on smartphones with near-field communication capabilities.
The DOTr confirmed that ticket vending machines and point-of-sale tellers in all stations remain available for all transactions. All other beep card functions, including turnstile access and loading at teller booths, remain operational.
