[Finterest] New GCash–Visa tie-up makes it easier to send remittances to your e-wallet

MANILA, Philippines – A new partnership between Visa and GCash allows money sent from abroad to be credited directly into GCash wallets through Visa Direct.

In practical terms, this means some overseas banks, remittance apps, and payment platforms may now have an option to send to GCash, so funds arrive straight into the digital wallet rather than stopping at a bank account or passing through a separate remittance partner.

Visa Direct itself is not something consumers sign up for or use directly. It is payments infrastructure. Banks and remittance providers use it as a rail to push money in near real time to supported destinations. Those destinations used to be mostly cards and bank-linked accounts. With this partnership, GCash becomes one of those destinations.

This does not mean that any bank account anywhere in the world can suddenly send money straight into a GCash account. The sender still needs to use a bank or remittance app that supports Visa Direct, and that provider must also offer GCash as a payout option. For users, the change is about availability. More providers can potentially add GCash without building a custom connection from scratch.

It is also worth noting that sending money directly to GCash is not entirely new. Before this Visa partnership, overseas Filipinos could already remit funds straight into GCash through specific partners.

One example is Ria Money Transfer, which expanded in the Philippines in 2025 and partnered with GCash to enable direct wallet transfers from the United States, Europe, Australia, and Singapore. Ria’s system allows real-time transfers into GCash even if the sender does not use a GCash Overseas account, alongside other payout options like bank deposits and cash pickup.

What the Visa tie-up changes is scale. Instead of relying on one-off partnerships like Ria’s, GCash can become a standard payout endpoint within Visa’s global payments network. That lowers the barrier for additional banks and remittance platforms to support wallet-based transfers to the Philippines.

DIGITAL TRANSFERS. Visa Philippines director for money movement solutions direct Abigail Aguilar (left), Visa Philippines country manager Jeffrey Navarro (2nd left), GCash International general manager Paul Albano (2nd right), and GCash International product head Jules Abalos (right) launch Visa Direct, allowing individuals and businesses around the world to send money to any GCash wallet. It also allows overseas Filipinos to transfer funds from foreign-issued Visa cards via Visa’s Cross-border Account Funding. Visa Philippines handout

The partnership also covers a second related feature. Overseas Filipinos can now use foreign-issued Visa cards as a funding source inside the GCash Overseas app. This means that a user abroad can top up their own GCash wallet using a non-Philippine Visa card, then use that balance to pay bills, send money to family, or spend locally.

Previously, foreign card funding was either limited or inconsistent depending on card issuer and country. Visa’s cross-border account funding capability standardizes that process within GCash Overseas.

That GCash-Visa partnership comes amid an already crowded remittance space that has many alternatives. Pomelo offers a remittance-linked card that lets users in the United States send money home while earning Grab rewards. Wise focuses on bank-based transfers using mid-market exchange rates and multi-currency accounts, promising no hidden fees. Coins.ph enables crypto-based remittances, including stablecoin transfers between the Philippines and Hong Kong.

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Filipinos embrace digital remittances

This abundance of options should make it easier for overseas Filipinos to remit funds digitally. And speaking of digital, according to Visa’s latest report, the Philippines already ranks among Asia Pacific’s top adopters of digital remittances.

Around 74% of Filipinos prefer to send remittances digitally, while 66% prefer to receive them digitally. Respondents consistently cite ease of use, safety, privacy, and security as the main reasons for choosing digital channels.

What stands out is how broad that adoption is. Digital remittances are not confined to younger users. In fact, all survey respondents in the Philippines aged 65 and above said they plan to send remittances digitally. Adoption rates among other age groups are also high, hovering in the low to mid-70 percent range. Digital remittances have become a default rather than a niche.

The scale of GCash also helps explain why wallet-based remittances are gaining attention. It’s nearly ubiquotous, with roughly eight in ten Filipinos have used the app, which has become a common tool for paying bills, shopping, sending money, and accessing basic financial services.

The Visa report points to how routine remittances have become for many Filipinos. In its survey, the Philippines stood out for annual activity, with 76% of respondents saying they sent remittances at least once a year and 82% saying they received them at least once a year.

Visa’s data suggests that digital remittances will continue to grow, driven by convenience rather than novelty. Most remittance users globally expect to send the same amount or more in the coming year, and those planning to increase transfers say they will do so digitally. – Rappler.com

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Lance Spencer Yu is a former business journalist for Rappler. He later worked as a private capital analyst at MSCI, working directly with sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and family offices across the Asia-Pacific region. He now serves as an investment and strategy analyst at Dedale, producing in-depth, actionable research for private equity funds and institutional investors.

Finterest is Rappler’s series that demystifies the world of money and gives practical advice on managing your personal finances.