Rakuten Viber plans to introduce its Viber Pay digital wallet in the Philippines in the latter half of 2025, with over a million users already on the waiting list. Viber CEO Ofir Eyal explained that the goal is to create a seamless experience by integrating payments directly within the messaging app, eliminating the need to switch between platforms.

“What happens today with digital wallets, you usually interact over a messaging app… Then, we move to a digital wallet, make a transaction, take a screenshot, and then we go back to the messaging app and send the screenshot. That’s all friction, and users don’t like friction,” Eyal told.

Viber Pay is currently awaiting regulatory approvals in the Philippines. Looking ahead, Rakuten plans to partner with banks, issue debit and credit cards, and implement a rewards program.

The waitlist has helped gauge user interest, which Eyal says has been very positive, noting Filipinos’ focus on value. Viber Pay has long been available in countries such as Greece and Germany since 2022.

In addition to Viber Pay, the company announced plans to expand its business tools and premium features in 2025. Recognising the growth of mobile commerce, particularly in the Philippines, Viber aims to provide businesses with more engaging ways to connect with customers.

According to Ritesh Shah, General Manager for Fintech and Vice-President for Business Solutions at Rakuten Viber, the primary focus of Viber Pay is to enable micro, small, and medium-sized businesses that already use Viber to communicate with their clientele to also accept payments directly within the app.

“Our first aim is to allow the small businesses to start accepting payments in Viber because they’re already talking to their customers on Viber and then completing the purchase somewhere outside,” Ritesh told.

This includes new ad formats like full-screen, video, and generative response ads, as well as list messages and carousel-style catalogues.

Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik