By Jay Luna
Filipino mobile payments service GCash has announced its availability to 16 countries worldwide in efforts to respond to the needs of global Filipinos in the cashless digital economies.
At the launch of GCash International in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, March 18, general manager Paul Albano stressed the need to provide global Filipinos with a safe and efficient way of sending money to their families in the Philippines.
“We recognize the financial needs of over 13 million Filipinos living abroad. With GCash now available beyond the Philippines, we are responding to the needs of global Filipinos in these cashless digital economies, providing them with a safe, secure, and efficient fintech solution to send money back home,” Albano said.
The Ayala and Alibaba-backed mobile wallet GCash can be used by Filipinos in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. ALbano said that they can download and use the GCash application using their Philippine SIMs or their local mobile phone numbers in the countries or territories where they live.
Albano added that GCash will go live in three more countries namely, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Kuwait next month.
The mobile wallet service, developed by Mynt, a subsidiary of Globe Telecom, expanded its services beyond the Philippines following the approval by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) last year.
With the availability of GCash in the 16 key markets worldwide, Filipinos abroad would be allowed to send money to their loved ones anytime anywhere; pay bills and be in complete control of where the money is going, including household utilities, tuition, and taxes, among others; and purchase mobile phone load for loved ones to stay connected via chat or video calls.
GM Albano further noted that GCash is teaming up with a licensed recruitment agency, Ikon Solutions Asia Inc., to ensure that Overseas Filipino Workers are equipped with much-needed digital financial services through the app. Gcash has also partnered with global payments platform Alipay+. With its Global Pay, GCash is now a viable channel to pay over three million Alipay+ enabled merchants in 17 countries and territories around the world, including Japan, South Korea, and Singapore in the Asia-Pacific region; Qatar and United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom in Europe, and in the United States—all with the benefits of low foreign exchange rates and zero service fees.
GM Albano added that the GCash service was recently integrated with the national QRs of Malaysia and South Korea, making scanning to pay even more seamless in these countries. The company said it has also partnered with international payments giant Visa, providing GCash users with another cashless payment method outside of the Philippines. The new GCash Visa card offers another payment option anywhere in the world.
“We’ve enabled access to Finance through a service that’s currently enjoyed by 94 million Filipinos, and our international expansion allows us to serve millions more. We’re confident that our innovation and strategic partnerships will allow us to provide seamless financial services to Filipinos anywhere in the world. This is only the first step as we grow our presence internationally,” said Albano.
GCash is the most popular mobile wallet in the Philippines, with over 76 million registered users as of 2023, accounting for 67% of the Philippines’ population.