Payment platform provider CIS Bayad Center has announced that it will pilot a bills payment counter at the ticket booth of LRT-1 Balintawak station in Quezon City after it inked a partnership agreement with the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC).
The initiative will allow LRT-1 passengers to pay their bills on-the-go while commuting to different parts of Metro Manila. They can settle over 300 types of bills accepted including utilities, government contributions and loan payments, airline ticketing, and more.
The Bayad Center at LRT-1 Balintawak Station will start serving the public in December. The partners are also planning to open outlets in more LRT-1 stations, specifically those within residential areas.
According to Bayad Center president and CEO Lawrence Ferrer, “Value creation through innovation is a common ground for us at Bayad Center and LRMC. Commuting and paying bills are central activities in Filipinos’ daily routine. Incorporating the two endows greater efficiency and convenience.”
“We know that a lot of Filipinos still prefer cash and physical transactions notwithstanding the emergence of digital payments. We will champion both avenues because what is most important to us is to bring financial services closer to them,” Ferrer said.
The company said about 64% of its 10 million monthly transactions comes from over-the-counter payments as physical touchpoints have reached 40,000 as of third quarter of 2020. During this period, 26 new branches were opened while 10 digital and authorized partners and 13 new billers were activated as well.
