The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has partnered with G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), the operator of GCash, to expedite travel tax refunds for Filipino travellers.

Formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on 9 December 2025 in Makati City, the agreement enables TIEZA to use GCash’s Funds Disbursement Service.

This system allows approved refunds to be credited directly to passengers’ digital wallets in real time, at no cost to either the agency or the traveller.

The initiative supports Executive Order No. 170, which mandates the adoption of digital payments in government, and the Tourism Act of 2009, which authorises TIEZA to modernise tax collection systems.

The new process eliminates the need for on-site claims and manual bank processing.

TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid stated that the partnership aims to enhance the efficiency of the travel experience.

“This partnership underscores our commitment to building tourism together by elevating the quality and efficiency of every touchpoint in the Filipino travel experience,” Lapid said. “By integrating digital solutions like GCash, we are streamlining the refund process while advancing transparency and setting a higher benchmark for government-industry collaboration”.

GCash Vice President Cleo Celeste C. Santos highlighted that digitising traveller touchpoints through real-time refunds offers significant convenience and reliability, ultimately fostering a more responsive government service ecosystem.

GXI will provide the digital infrastructure for the disbursements, supported by prefunding and reconciliation mechanisms to ensure security.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Philippines based on an image by Freepik.