How people pay in the Philippines in 2026
The Philippines has moved from a cash country to a mostly digital one in less than a decade. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 2025 report on e-payments measurement, digital payments made up 64.7% of retail payment volume in 2025, up from 57.45% in 2024 and 10% in 2018. By value the digital share was 53.3%. The national QR standard, QR Ph, drove much of the change with 2.47 billion transactions worth PHP 1.16 trillion in 2025, and the instant transfer rail InstaPay processed 4.7 billion transfers worth PHP 11.6 trillion in the same year.
E-wallets are the main entry point. GCash, now listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange, reported 41.5 million monthly active users in the second quarter of 2026, and Maya runs one of the leading digital banks. Yet half of adults still have no account of their own: the BSP consumer finance survey found 50% account ownership in 2025, with 36% of adults holding an e-money account. Cash on delivery, over-the-counter payments at convenience stores and pawnshops, and app-based installments fill the gap. For merchants and their payment providers, a checkout in the Philippines needs wallets, QR Ph and cash options side by side.
- 64.7% share of retail payment volume made digitally in 2025 (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)
- 2.47 billion QR Ph payments in 2025 (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)
- 41.5 million GCash monthly active users in Q2 2026 (Reuters via Interaksyon)
- 23% of e-commerce payments made by cash on delivery in 2026 (Xendit via GMA News)
Payment by card in the Philippines
Cards are widespread as debit and prepaid cards, but credit cards remain a niche. BancNet, the national ATM and POS switch, counted 139.2 million active debit and prepaid cards at the end of 2025, along with 29,453 ATMs and 680,645 POS terminals on its network. Credit cards are far fewer: the Credit Card Association of the Philippines reported 18.5 million outstanding credit cards in Q4 2025, up about 12% in a year.
Card payments are losing ground to QR codes in stores. BancNet switched 247 million POS transactions in 2025, while QR Ph handled 2.47 billion payments and, as the Daily Tribune reported, overtook debit and credit card transactions for the first time. Visa and Mastercard dominate credit cards and e-commerce, JCB is accepted at large merchants, and BancNet routes local debit transactions. Cards still matter for cross-border shoppers, subscriptions, travel and the new wallet tokens such as Apple Pay. Merchants that route between acquirers can manage interchange fees and approval rates more closely.
Card schemes in the Philippines
Visa
International scheme
The leading card brand on Philippine credit and debit cards, used in stores, online and for travel. Visa brought Google Pay to Philippine cardholders in November 2025 with seven issuers.
Mastercard
International scheme
The second international scheme, issued by major banks and by fintechs, including the GrabPay Card that spends a GrabPay wallet balance online.
18.5 million outstanding credit cards across all schemes in Q4 2025, Credit Card Association of the Philippines via Philstar
JCB
International scheme
The Japanese card scheme, issued on some Philippine bank credit cards and accepted mainly at larger retailers, hotels and travel merchants.
BancNet
Domestic debit switch
The interbank network that links ATM and POS cards of its member banks, and also operates as the switch for InstaPay transfers and QR Ph payments.
139.2 million active debit and prepaid cards on its network at the end of 2025, BancNet Annual Report 2025
Payment by cash in the Philippines
Cash is retreating fast but it is still part of everyday life. Non-digital payments still made up 35.3% of retail payment volume and 46.7% of value in 2025, according to the BSP e-payments measurement report. At 7-Eleven, the largest convenience chain with 4,491 stores at the end of 2025, digital payments represented only about 7% of customer transactions in 2026, even though most stores now accept them.
Online, cash takes two forms. Cash on delivery remains common on marketplaces, at about 23% of e-commerce payments in the Xendit 2026 report, the highest share in Southeast Asia. Over-the-counter (OTC) payments let shoppers pay an online order or a bill with a reference number at a store, a pawnshop or a payment center. 7-Eleven CLiQQ, ECPay, Bayad, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Express and M Lhuillier form a dense network that also handles e-wallet cash-in, remittances and loan repayments, so it reaches the many adults without a bank account.
Cash payment methods in the Philippines
Cash
Banknotes and coins
Peso notes and coins remain the default for small purchases at sari-sari stores, markets, jeepneys and tricycles, especially outside large cities.
35.3% share of retail payment volume made with non-digital instruments in 2025, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery
Shoppers pay the courier when the parcel arrives, an option offered by the main marketplaces and many social sellers, which builds trust but raises return and failed delivery rates.
23% of e-commerce payments in the Philippines in 2026, Xendit via GMA News
7-Eleven CLiQQ
Convenience store payment
Shoppers get a payment code online and pay cash at a CLiQQ kiosk or the counter in any 7-Eleven; through gateways such as Xendit it covers orders from PHP 50 to PHP 50,000.
4,491 7-Eleven stores in the Philippines at the end of 2025, BitPinas
ECPay
OTC payment network
A payment and collection network that lets customers pay bills, online orders and loans in cash at pawnshops, convenience stores, malls, supermarkets and sari-sari stores.
300,000+ over-the-counter partner locations in 2025, Context.ph
Bayad
Bills payment center
Formerly Bayad Center, the bills payment and collection network historically owned by Meralco; Kayana Solutions is taking control in a PHP 2.7 billion deal announced in 2026.
Cebuana Lhuillier
Pawnshop payment
The pawnshop chain's branches double as bills payment, cash-in and remittance points, alongside Palawan Express Pera Padala and M Lhuillier, which runs about 3,000 branches.
600+ biller partners for payments at its branches, Cebuana Lhuillier
Payment by bank transfer in the Philippines
The Philippines has two automated clearing houses for retail payments. InstaPay is the real-time rail for transfers of up to PHP 50,000, and it carries both person-to-person transfers and QR Ph merchant payments. In 2025 it processed 4.7 billion transactions worth PHP 11.6 trillion, up 231% in volume. Growth continued in 2026, with 5.68 billion InstaPay transfers worth PHP 11.08 trillion from January to August. PESONet is the batch rail for larger payments and payroll; it handled 87.1 million transactions worth PHP 11.05 trillion over the same eight months, and in November 2025 it overtook checks for the first time.
QR Ph is the merchant face of this instant payment system. Every bank and e-money issuer must accept the national QR code, so a GCash user can pay a merchant whose QR comes from Maya or a bank. The BSP counted 2.47 billion QR Ph payments and 2.29 million registered merchant IDs in 2025, and payments of up to PHP 500 are free for merchants under a 2022 industry agreement. Our article on QR code payments in Asia explains the model.
Bank transfer methods in the Philippines
InstaPay
Instant payment
The real-time interbank transfer system for amounts of up to PHP 50,000 between banks and e-wallets, and the settlement rail behind QR Ph.
5.68 billion InstaPay transfers worth PHP 11.08 trillion in January to August 2026, Daily Tribune, citing BSP data
PESONet
Batch bank transfer
The batch electronic fund transfer system for larger and business payments, such as supplier payments and payroll.
117.2 million PESONet transactions worth PHP 13.19 trillion in 2025, Inquirer, citing BSP data
QR Ph
National QR standard
The interoperable QR code standard that every bank and e-money issuer must support; the person-to-merchant version launched in October 2021 and settles through InstaPay.
2.47 billion QR Ph payments worth PHP 1.16 trillion in 2025, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Payment by installment and BNPL in the Philippines
Installments are the Filipino answer to low credit card ownership. With only 18.5 million credit cards in circulation, consumer lenders and wallets offer buy now, pay later at the checkout, in the app and at the store counter. Home Credit, the pioneer of in-store consumer finance, reached 12 million customers by August 2025 and works with more than 18,000 partner stores.
Wallets turned BNPL into a mass product. GCash offers GGives installments of PHP 500 to PHP 125,000 over up to 24 months and GCredit, a revolving pay later line, at both local and international merchants. BillEase says it has served more than 10 million customers since 2017 and now lets shoppers pay by QR Ph in stores, including on Maya POS terminals. Atome pushes its PayLater Anywhere Card, backed by a PHP 5 billion facility from Asia United Bank signed in July 2026. Many shoppers also use bank credit card installment plans at 0% for electronics and appliances.
Installment and BNPL providers in the Philippines
GGives and GCredit (GCash)
Wallet BNPL
GCash's lending products: GGives splits purchases into monthly installments and GCredit works as a pay later credit line, both offered as a payment option at partner merchants such as SHEIN, Agoda and Spotify and by QR in stores.
BillEase
BNPL
A Philippine BNPL app offering installments online and in store by QR Ph, plus cash loans and bills payment, without a credit card.
10 million+ customers served since 2017, company claim in 2026, BillEase
Atome
BNPL card
Atome offers the Atome Card in the Philippines, which splits purchases into 3 or 6 monthly payments online, in stores and abroad.
PHP 5 billion wholesale funding facility from Asia United Bank in July 2026, DealStreetAsia
Home Credit
Point-of-sale financing
Consumer finance company offering in-store and online installments for phones, appliances and motorcycles, plus the Home Credit card and QR payments.
12 million customers in the Philippines in August 2025, Fintech News Philippines
Maya Credit
Wallet credit line
Maya's revolving credit line, of up to PHP 30,000 according to Maya, which users can spend directly from the Maya app on QR and online payments.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in the Philippines
E-wallets are the most common way Filipinos pay digitally. In the 2025 BSP consumer finance survey, 36% of adults owned an e-money account and 76% of households had at least one, far more than bank accounts. GCash leads with 41.5 million monthly active users in Q2 2026 and PHP 9.84 trillion in payments in the first half of 2026; its parent Mynt raised PHP 60.9 billion in October 2026 in the largest IPO in Philippine history. Maya, the second player, had about 10.7 million bank customers at the end of 2025. ShopeePay, GrabPay and Coins.ph complete the field, and because all of them support QR Ph, any wallet can pay any merchant QR.
Card-based X-Pay wallets arrived late. Google Pay launched with Visa cards in November 2025, and Apple Pay launched on August 4, 2026 with Chinabank, GoTyme Bank, Metrobank and UnionBank, while Maya Business enabled it for more than 5,000 online merchants. These wallets mainly serve cardholders in cities.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in the Philippines
GCash
Super app wallet
The country's largest e-wallet, run by Mynt, used for QR Ph payments, transfers, bills, online checkout, savings, investments and credit.
41.5 million monthly active users in the three months to June 30, 2026, Reuters via Interaksyon
Maya
Wallet and digital bank
An e-wallet and digital bank with QR payments, savings and credit, and a large merchant acquiring business through Maya Business.
10.7 million customers and PHP 68 billion in deposits at the end of 2025, Context.ph
ShopeePay
Marketplace wallet
Shopee's wallet, used on the marketplace and at outside merchants through gateways; HitPay added ShopeePay for subscriptions in February 2026.
GrabPay
Super app wallet
Grab's wallet, used for rides and food delivery and at online merchants through gateways such as HitPay; Grab also accepts GCash directly in its app since 2023.
Coins.ph
Crypto wallet
A BSP-regulated wallet and crypto exchange that combines peso payments by QR Ph, bills payment and remittances with digital asset trading.
USD 500 million spot trading volume in November 2025, Philstar
Apple Pay
Mobile wallet
Apple's wallet launched in the Philippines in August 2026 for Visa and Mastercard cards from four banks, for tap-to-pay in stores and checkout in apps and online.
Google Pay
Mobile wallet
The Android wallet for tokenized cards, available since November 2025 with Visa cards from issuers such as Chinabank, GoTyme Bank, Maya Bank, RCBC and UnionBank.
Payments in the Philippines: FAQ
What is the most popular way to pay online in the Philippines?
E-wallets, led by GCash and Maya, are the main digital method. GCash had 41.5 million monthly active users in Q2 2026. Cash on delivery still accounts for about 23% of e-commerce payments, so most merchants keep it next to wallets and cards.
Do people in the Philippines still pay in cash?
Yes, but less every year. Non-digital payments still made up 35.3% of retail payment volume in 2025, according to the BSP, and only 50% of adults owned an account in 2025. Over-the-counter networks such as 7-Eleven CLiQQ and ECPay let cash users pay online.
What is QR Ph?
QR Ph is the national interoperable QR code standard, mandated by the BSP for banks and e-money issuers. Payments settle through InstaPay, and the BSP counted 2.47 billion QR Ph payments in 2025, more than card payments by volume.
Which BNPL providers are used in the Philippines?
The main ones are GCash's GGives and GCredit, BillEase, Atome, Home Credit and Maya Credit, along with bank credit card installment plans. Home Credit alone counted 12 million customers in August 2025.
Accept local payments in the Philippines with NORBr
In the Philippines, gateways such as PayMongo, Dragonpay, Xendit and Maya Business bundle cards, GCash, Maya, QR Ph, online banking and cash counters. Check the partner's BSP license, QR Ph and InstaPay coverage, wallet settlement times and over-the-counter reach.
With NORBr, you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers GCash, Maya, QR Ph, InstaPay, over-the-counter cash payments and BNPL such as BillEase. Some are already in our connector catalog; Mapper™ gets the others live in days, and Smart Checkout shows each shopper the right methods. Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in the Philippines
PayMongo
Payment gateway
Manila-founded payment gateway that lets online businesses and SMEs accept cards, e-wallets and QR Ph through one account, with payment links and plugins for e-commerce platforms.
Covers: Cards, GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, QR Ph, BillEase
Dragonpay
Aggregator
Long-standing Philippine aggregator known for online banking and over-the-counter cash collection, letting customers pay at bank branches, pawnshops and convenience stores; Xendit integrated Dragonpay to extend its local coverage.
Covers: Online banking, InstaPay, 7-Eleven CLiQQ, Cebuana Lhuillier, ECPay, Bayad, GCash, Maya
Xendit
PSP
Southeast Asian payment provider with a licensed Philippine operation serving e-commerce, marketplaces and platforms with cards, e-wallets, direct debit and cash payments.
Covers: Cards, GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, QR Ph, 7-Eleven CLiQQ, Cebuana Lhuillier, ECPay, BillEase
Maya Business
Acquirer
Merchant arm of the Maya fintech group, offering online checkout, card terminals and QR Ph acceptance to businesses of all sizes across the Philippines.
Covers: Cards, Maya, QR Ph
