RCBC has waived transfer fees on its U.S. Virtual Account, a cross-border banking service under RCBC Pulz that lets Filipinos in the United States send money to the Philippines. The waiver took effect on August 1, according to Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer Lito Villanueva, who announced it during a keynote at the International Asian American Business Expo in Torrance, California, held August 7 to 8. Villanueva positioned the fee waiver as part of RCBC’s broader push to serve the Filipino diaspora, alongside services such as the MySSS Card powered by RCBC DiskarTech. An estimated 500,000…

Billease has signed a PHP 1-billion credit facility with Philippine National Bank (PNB), one of the country’s largest universal banks. The facility uses the Personal Property Security Registry (PPSR) to give PNB a registered first-rank claim over a pool of Billease’s consumer loan receivables. Under the structure, Billease pledges more in loans than it borrows, the collateral pool is refreshed regularly, and PNB is paid first when customers repay. This keeps the facility over-collateralised throughout its term. “Billease has demonstrated strong portfolio quality across different market cycles,” said Roberto F. Abastillas, Executive Vice President and Head of Institutional Banking Sector…

Account takeover shows why fraud risk cannot be treated as an onboarding problem. Fraudsters are using stolen credentials, phishing and social engineering to get into real customer accounts, then move money, change account details or steal sensitive data. Banks see that pressure most clearly at login, account recovery and high risk transactions. The challenge is stopping account takeover without making everyday digital banking harder for customers. This webinar will discuss Why trusted customer accounts are becoming a bigger target for fraudsters How account takeover can expose gaps in login, recovery and transaction controls Where phishing resistant authentication can help reduce post…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has issued guidelines allowing rural banks to apply for funded technical assistance to move from legacy IT systems to cloud-based core banking platforms. Memorandum No. M-2026-042, signed by BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. on 12 August 2026, sets out how qualified rural banks can access support under the RBSP Digitalization Technical Assistance programme. The guidelines follow the Monetary Board’s January 2024 approval of the wider RBSP Technical Assistance. That programme also covers financial advisory and capacity building for rural banks. The Rural Bank Strengthening Program itself has been running since June 2022, aimed at improving…

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has waived PESONet transfer fees for transactions made through the Pay Non-BPI feature of its BizLink corporate banking platform, according to InsiderPH. The waiver took effect on 1 August and applies to both existing and new BizLink corporate clients sending funds to accounts at other banks. Businesses use Pay Non-BPI to send payments to suppliers, service providers, employees and other beneficiaries through the PESONet network. Removing the transfer fee could help companies lower recurring transaction costs while streamlining routine disbursements. “BPI understands that every peso counts,” said Luis Cruz, BPI’s Head of Institutional Banking.…

Paymentology, the issuer processor behind GoTyme Bank’s card infrastructure, has confirmed its role in bringing Apple Pay to the Philippine digital bank’s roughly 10 million customers. GoTyme became the first digital bank in the Philippines to support Apple Pay when the feature went live for its debit card customers on August 4, letting them add their card to Apple Wallet for contactless payments in stores, within apps and online. Apple Pay uses tokenisation, assigning a unique Device Account Number rather than storing a customer’s actual card number on their device or sharing it with merchants. Each transaction is authenticated using…

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) has become one of the first banks to go live on Direct Debit PH, a recurring payment facility regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The system lets businesses collect recurring payments directly from a customer’s bank account under a one-time authorisation, even when the biller and customer bank with different institutions. RCBC Head of Transaction Banking Group Martin Roberto G. Tirol said the bank’s early participation reflects its push to strengthen its payments and cash management business. “This is also consistent with our strategy as a payments ecosystem builder, connecting businesses, consumers, and…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) says digital payments reached 64.7% of the country’s retail payment volume last year, already inside its 60-to-70-% target for 2028. QR Ph transactions overtook debit and credit card payments for the first time that year, a shift the central bank ties to its push for account interoperability across banks and e-wallets, according to a BSP statement reported by the Philippine News Agency. Digital payments rose from 57.4% of retail volume in 2024, according to the BSP’s 2025 Report on the Status of Digital Payments in the Philippines. The report links the increase to a…

Wise has expanded its Philippine services with new ways for customers to receive, spend, and manage Philippine pesos across borders as reported by Gadget Pilipinas. The update adds PHP account details, QR Ph payments, and higher real-time receiving limits for small businesses. Filipinos abroad, and Wise users anywhere, can now receive PHP account details through Wise, sharing them with employers, clients, or family sending peso payments, no local bank account required. Transfers run through InstaPay and PESONet. Customers can also use QR Ph to pay for everyday purchases in the Philippines directly from their Wise balance. This lets travellers spend…

RCBC and Novus Transact Philippines Corporation have signed an MOU to explore connecting RCBC to HIVEX, a cross-border QR payment network developed by TBCASoft. The goal is to expand QR payment interoperability between the Philippines and international markets, though the deal remains exploratory with no confirmed launch. Under the collaboration, RCBC and Novus will evaluate letting inbound QR payments flow from HIVEX wallet partners to QR Ph merchants in the Philippines. They will also explore outbound capabilities that could eventually let RCBC wallet users pay by QR overseas, including in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. HIVEX lets participating institutions…

Coins.ph and Skyro have signed a partnership to expand digital payments and disbursement infrastructure in the Philippines, formalised during the ASEAN Tech Summit. Coins.ph CEO Wei Zhou and Global Marketing Director Amira Alawi signed on behalf of Coins.ph, while Skyro was represented by co-founders and co-CEOs Arsen Liametov and Nasim Aliev, along with President Anthony Co. The partnership covers QR Ph Scan-to-Pay, QR Ph payment acceptance, and disbursement services, built around the national QR code standard. Through the integration, consumers gain access to interoperable payments across Skyro’s network of more than 10,000 partner stores and 4,000 offline and online merchant…

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX). The two companies will explore making tokenized real-world assets, starting with gold, more accessible through an integrated digital experience. Under the MOU, RCBC and PDAX will explore a connected customer experience. This could let RCBC customers access PDAX’s regulated digital-asset platform directly through RCBC’s own digital channels. Gold has long stood as one of the world’s most trusted stores of value. But owning it physically comes with real friction: storage, authenticity verification, and limited accessibility for the average investor. Tokenization aims…

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…

GCash Commute QR is now available at LRT-2, letting commuters pay their fares by scanning a QR code generated in the GCash app rather than queuing for a physical ticket. GCash joined the launch of LRT-2’s Fast Lanes last July, alongside the Department of Transportation, Light Rail Transit Authority, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, RCBC, and Visa. To use the feature, commuters open the GCash app, tap Commute QR, and generate a QR ticket. They scan the code at the Fast Lane gate to enter, then tap Commute QR again and scan at the exit gate upon reaching their destination station.…

Coins.ph has integrated Tempo, the payments-first Layer 1 blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, giving users multi-chain deposit and withdrawal capabilities for Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) starting 9 August. The integration expands Coins.ph’s multi-chain architecture, aiming to meet growing demand for faster, cheaper stablecoin transfers across retail payments, business disbursements, and remittances. Tempo is an Ethereum-compatible Layer 1 blockchain built specifically for stablecoin payments, using dedicated payment lanes to keep financial transfers isolated from congestion-heavy activity like NFT minting or high-frequency trading. The network settles transactions in roughly half a second and lets users pay gas fees directly…

GoTyme Bank has launched on Huawei AppGallery in the Philippines, letting Huawei device users download and access the bank’s app directly from their device’s native app marketplace. The bank said the move targets an estimated 7 million and growing Huawei device users across the country. These users can now open an account, access savings, and manage their finances without going through a third-party app store. AppGallery is Huawei’s official app platform. It has logged more than 180 billion downloads and 390 million monthly active users worldwide, across over 170 countries and regions. GoTyme said the launch brings enhanced security and…

Maya is eyeing a potential initial public offering in 2027 as it prepares for life as a publicly listed company, according to PLDT and Maya chair Manuel V. Pangilinan, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Pangilinan said the timeline remains “on track,” though he expects rival GCash to list first. “I think GCash will really get listed first,” Pangilinan said when asked whether Maya could pursue an IPO this year. Asked whether that meant Maya could list next year instead, he said preparations were already underway. He pointed to Maynilad Water Services’ roughly two-year run-up to its own market…

BPI has partnered with Green GSM, the Philippines’ all-electric taxi service powered by VinFast vehicles, to let clients pay for rides directly through their BPI accounts. Users link their BPI account within the Green GSM app, select BPI as their preferred payment method, and can then book and pay for rides cashless. “At BPI, sustainability is truly integrated into the way we do business,” said Eric Luchangco, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). He said the partnership makes sustainable mobility more accessible and convenient for clients, framing each ride booked with…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr spoke at the central bank’s AI Summit 2026 in Manila, Philippines, on 27 July, where he mentioned that strong governance is the key to unlocking AI’s potential in the financial sector. He said AI holds real promise for consumers and businesses. But he stressed that institutions need governance strong enough to manage the risks that come with it. Remolona said AI should complement people rather than replace them. “AI can identify patterns, generate ideas, and help us make sense of complexity. But deciding where we want to go or…

Banking is experiencing its most disruptive decade yet, and it is becoming increasingly hard to cut through the noise given the rapid pace of change we are seeing. So what would it take for Malaysian banks to win in the next decade? Recorded in Kuala Lumpur and hosted with OneConnect, the technology arm of Ping An, this roundtable brings together senior leaders from Maybank, CIMB, RHB, Hong Leong Bank, GX Bank, Boost Bank and KAF Digital Bank. Topics include: The growing allergy to innovation theatre in banking Malaysia’s open finance pilot Trust in agentic commerce The role of banks in…