Google Pay, Wallet launch in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Google, Visa, and the FinTech Alliance announced on Tuesday, November 18, that Google Wallet and Google Pay have launched in the Philippines.

These Google services are now available through seven partner issuers: Chinabank, EastWest Bank, GoTyme Bank, Maya Bank, RCBC, UnionBank, and Wise.

These services will allow cardholders of the participating banks to add their cards to Google Wallet and pay using their Android phones or Wear OS devices if contactless payments are accepted.

Meanwhile, payment cards from Google Wallet can be used to pay online or in-app at participating merchants, wherever you see the Google Pay button.

Additionally, travelers can add boarding passes from Philippine Airlines and other airlines to Google Wallet. With their boarding passes in Google Wallet, travelers will be notified of changes to departure time and gate changes to ensure a hassle-free experience at the airport. They will also be able to tap and pay securely using Google Wallet during overseas travels, without the need for a physical card, so long as contactless payments are accepted.

Google Wallet also allows users to store event tickets, cinema tickets, loyalty cards, digital vouchers, and digital car keys for supported automobiles.

Google wallet is now available in the Philippines via the Google Play Store. Additionally, users can control and manage their information, by updating their settings from the Google Wallet app or on their computer at myactivity.google.com/product/wallet.

What does Google Pay support at present?

VISA and Mastercard cardholders of ChinaBank, East West Bank, RCBC Bank, and Zed will be able to add their cards to Google Wallet, while VISA cardholders of GoTyme, Maya, UnionBank, and Wise will also be able do the same. On the flipside, Mastercard cardholders of GCash and Zed can also add their cards to Google Wallet.

Supported types of information that can be added include boarding passes from Philippine Airlines, AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Jetstar, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Thai Airways, alongside flight bookings from Trip.com, event tickets booked through Ticket2me and Ticketnet, IKEA loyalty cards and Mang Inasal vouchers.

Google Wallet also supports Tap and Pay at MRT-3 in Manila and on modern jeepneys in Cebu and Mandaue City as well as wherever VISA or Mastercard is accepted. Bus tickets through Easybook are also supported. In the future, ticket purchases through the Beep App to travel on buses and trains in Manila will also be supported.

Meanwhile, users can check out with Google Pay when making online purchases on Shopee, and with merchants supported by Payment Service Providers such PesoPay, and Payermax. Purchase support on Sephora is coming soon, alongside support for 2c2p, Paymongo, Payrex, and Maya.

Answering the payment problem

According to Visa’s research, 97% of travelers across the Asia Pacific region say they will bring credit, debit, or prepaid cards on their trips, while only 17% intend to bring foreign currency. In the Philippines, 44% of tourists report encountering various payment problems, including non-acceptance by merchants.