Visa and USSC Money Services, Inc. (UMSI) have launched U Accept, a payment solution that turns an eligible smartphone into a point-of-sale terminal for Philippine micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

It’s powered by Visa Accept and built into UMSI’s uGrow app.

The feature lets merchants accept contactless card payments and pay-by-link transactions without buying separate POS hardware.

MSMEs make up more than 99% of business enterprises in the Philippines and generate 67% of total employment, according to Visa.

High upfront hardware costs and lengthy onboarding have historically kept many small businesses from accepting digital payments.

A 2023 Visa survey of 503 Filipino MSME owners found that 83% reported higher turnover after accepting cards.

Not only that, 67% of non-adopters said they would take up a solution if given proper support.

Through the app, MSME owners can send digital receipts, track sales, manage inventory, and receive near-real-time settlement to a U Visa Prepaid Card.

BSP’s Mamerto Tangonan called the launch “an important step towards democratizing digital payments acceptance.”

Visa’s Jeffrey Navarro said U Accept puts “payments innovation… within reach of every Filipino entrepreneur.”

UMSI’s Jose Xavier Gonzales said the tool helps unbanked Filipinos “shift seamlessly to digital, cashless transactions.”

U Accept builds on a 2025 Visa-UMSI partnership that introduced Visa Direct in the Philippines for business-to-business outbound payments.

It’s tapping into what Visa estimated as a US$151 billion opportunity in that space.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Philippines based on an image by Visa via its website.