Zed Launches First Credit Card Created for Filipino Young Professionals

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, March 18, 2024 – In the Philippines, despite the financial industry’s recent attempts at digitalization, customers still face significant hurdles when it comes to accessing credit products. A recent study by TransUnion Philippines showed that 94% of Filipino Gen Zs see the importance of credit and lending products to reach their financial goals. Still, only 35% report having sufficient access to such products. 

“If you talk to any Filipino, there’s still significant frustration with the complexity, lack of transparency, and bureaucracy embedded in financial services. Only 8% of Filipinos own a credit card, largely because it is incredibly difficult to get one if you don’t already have one,”  said Danielle Cojuangco Abraham, Zed co-founder. 

Complicated application processes, tedious documentation, and arbitrary underwriting methods are among the challenges that disproportionately impact young people when applying for their first credit card accounts. Those lucky to get approved face astronomical APRs, punitive fees, and a broken customer experience. These observations led to the creation of Zed, the first credit card for young Filipino professionals.

“We founded Zed on the belief that young people in the Philippines and Southeast Asia deserve better financial products, better technology, and ultimately better service tailored to their lifestyles and exceeding their expectations,” Danielle added.

Created by two Stanford engineers and Y-Combinator alumni, Zed is a credit-led neobank regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Its first offering is a Mastercard Titanium credit card that boasts no interest, no foreign transaction fees, no annual fees and is backed by a groundbreaking app – all of which makes it the ideal credit card for everyday spending, travel, utilities, and everything in between.

“As a technology company from day one, we don’t have to pay for costly overhead like physical branches or bloated headcounts for manual, back office processes. We’re able to pass these savings on to customers in the form of no revolving interest, no fees, and excellent customer service. We started Zed on the premise that you could build financial services where a customer’s success was a core value,” said Steve Abraham, Zed co-founder. 

“Our proprietary technology platform allows us to remove the pain in traditional banking, deliver powerful first-to-market features, and provide a fair and transparent cost structure where both Zed and the customer could win,” he added.

This sentiment and Zed's mission resonated with many Filipinos. The waitlist received almost 25,000 sign-ups within the first three weeks.

“Our business model is simple and purposely built to succeed only if our customers do. Our revenue comes from the interchange fee, a standard fee that gets charged to merchants by all banks for transactions that flow over the Mastercard network,” Steve explained.

First-in-market features tailored to the Gen Z lifestyle

Beyond no interest and no fees, the Zed card is backed by a robust and secure app that ensures that customers always have full and instant control of their expenses by giving them a real-time view of their transactions, the ability to set spending limits and access to fraud controls like the ability to lock/freeze a compromised card in the app.

Zed also puts a premium on user privacy and security by offering unlimited virtual cards: Users can generate unique credit card numbers to use with merchants so they never have to worry about their primary card details being exposed. Zed also provides zero liability for all unauthorized transactions and protects customers from paying for charges made without their permission.

In addition to these features, customers enjoy an effortless payment experience facilitated through the app, where they can generate an InstaPay QR code to instantly settle their monthly bill from any bank app or e-wallet, ensuring stress-free on-time payments. 

The streamlined application process also allows customers to complete the entire card application within minutes through the app, eliminating the need for cumbersome documentation or in-person visits to bank branches. 

Zed determines smart credit limits based on current and future income, rather than outdated credit scores, traditional career profiling, or existing card limits. This approach caters to young professionals with high incomes but limited credit histories.

“At Zed, we’re reimagining what a credit card could be – smarter underwriting, groundbreaking features, no fees, and a revenue model that doesn’t rely on a customer’s failure to pay down their balance,” said Danielle.

Learn more about Zed and hop on the waitlist by visiting zed.co.

GCash Announces More Cash in Options to Serve Filipinos During the Pandemic

The importance of digital transactions during this time of the pandemic has been very crucial for every Filipino, be it for remittance, bills payment, online deliveries, groceries, medicine, food, allowance, and the like. GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the country today, remains true to its mission of providing financial access for all, especially during this health crisis. It aims to provide services to Filipinos everyday, leveraged on its extensive digital ecosystem present across the country.

To enable these various transactions, GCash has established key partnerships across the country and the globe for users to Cash In to their GCash wallets.

Cashing in can be done easily online and for free in the GCash app via a linked BPI or UnionBank account. For clients of other banks, users have the option to cash in conveniently from their bank apps via the InstaPay and PESONet fund transfer networks.

GCash continues to expand its over-the-counter network as well for its unbanked users. From the 17,000 Cash In doors in 2019, GCash has expanded to what is presently over 40,000 doors. Major partners include the likes of Alfamart, Ministop, Puremart, Puregold, Robinsons Department Store, SM Store, Waltermart, and Southstar Drug among others.

Freelancers and entrepreneurs can easily access their funds from their Payoneer and PayPal accounts by linking them right in the GCash app. Likewise, Filipinos can now also receive their International Remittances directly in the GCash app, without having to step outside their homes, with GCash’s growing list of global remittance partners including Western Union, MoneyGram, AlipayHK, Skrill, SBI Remit, Wall Street Exchange, and more.

The mobile wallet and its importance have been highlighted during the series of lockdowns the country has experienced. From basic financial services such as Gcash to Gcash and inter-bank transfers, bills payments, receiving of remittances; and opening of savings accounts to more sophisticated services such as investments, insurance, and credit, GCash has enabled these services in order to help Filipinos, both banked and unbanked, cope with these trying times. One can even use the app to shop online, pay for store purchases via QR, and buy products from partners in GLife among others!

With this increased demand, GCash in continues to gain traction as it now services over 38 million Filipinos from 20 million in 2019. As the business grows, the GCash team is committed to expand and ensure that the services they bring are top-notch and are accessible to as many Filipinos as possible by forging partnerships with like-minded organizations, businesses, and the government.

“GCash will remain true to its purpose to serve the financially underserved and expand financial services access to all Filipinos from different walks of life. We feel empowered by the overwhelming reception of the market and Filipinos to our platform. We will continue to service all Filipinos through our platform even beyond this pandemic,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash.

To enjoy the experience, download the GCash App for free today on App Store, Google Play Store, and the Huawei App Gallery. 

A Much More Financially Mobile ‘Iponaryo’

As a champion for financial inclusion, Cebuana Lhuillier recently launched additional features to their existing Micro Savings Account, a product of Cebuana Lhuillier Rural Bank, to help more Filipinos become financially mobile, especially during the onset of the new normal. When the Micro Savings was introduced last year, in 2019, to be exact, it provided unbanked and underbanked Filipinos with easy access to basic savings, regardless of who and where they are. It further empowered the vast majority to jumpstart their savings and directly steer their lives towards a better future. But when the pandemic hit, the progress of the program, along with everything else, was literally brought to a standstill.

Cebuana Lhuillier Rural Bank (CLRB) saw this as an opportunity to make sure that account holders or “Iponaryos” as they’re called, continue to still have full access to their hard-earned money, at their convenience. CLRB president Dennis Valdes said that, “The many challenges and limitations in access, presented by the pandemic to our clients and countless Filipinos, made us look even harder for more opportunities in bringing Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings to the next level; pushing our myriad of services farther ahead to immediately answer the needs of our clients.”

And the challenge has been met successfully. The Micro Savings Account now has four (4) new features: Partnerships with two giant financial institutions; BancNet and UnionPay, a link to the eCebuana App, as well as, the addition of QR Technology, for added security.

‘Iponaryos’ now have access to the latest functions transforming their Micro Savings account from just a basic cash deposit account to an even more powerful and reliable, full-service savings account. By partnering with BancNet, they now have unrivalled easy access to their finances beyond CLRB's cash agent, Cebuana Lhuillier’s more than 2,500 branches nationwide, using BancNet's roster of 21,000 ATMs, and 114 member banks.

A tie-up with UnionPay further allows account holders to make debit payments through over 350,000 POS terminals, as well as partner merchants nationwide. ‘Iponaryos’ can now get the benefit of an enhanced payment security with UnionPay chip cards’ quick payment process with just a tap, using UnionPay Contactless technology, plus the convenience of not having to carry cash and coins.

Full online access is likewise afforded to Ka-Cebuanas with the more efficient and more powerful eCebuana app allowing money transfers via Instapay, bills and utility payments, eLoad feature, insurance purchase, and coming soon are pawning ticket renewal and jewelry purchases. All these are made even more convenient since the adoption of online sign ups, now being allowed in the eCebuana app.

Lastly, Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings steps into the future by enabling QR Technology within the eCebuana app. This feature will be able to make money transfers and retail payments seamless and secure. Money transfers and retail payments via QR code will be available by March 2021.

Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO announced, “We are now shifting into a tech-brick company, where our network of branches will take advantage of our proprietary technology to step into new grounds by adapting to the new normal using our enhanced digital business transformation. This will provide unprecedented financial access to millions more of Filipinos wherever they may be, anytime.”

Lhuillier further talks about how they plan to take Filipinos to the next step of their ipon journeys. “Our dream is to digitally and financially include Filipinos by implementing world-class and innovative digital financial solutions for them. This, we believe, is what the future of financial inclusion should be – a future where there is financial mobility for every Filipino, a future where we provide them the capability to manage their finances whenever and wherever they may be, at any time.”

RCBC Leads the Way to Open Banking in the Country

Imagine being able to secure loans with some of the lowest interest rates in the banking industry. Or conveniently transferring funds from one bank account to another, or perhaps, experiencing the best possible customer banking service around.

To get all these and other “perks”, most financial institutions would require one to become their preferred client. But in today’s digital technology and in the global banking industry, getting access to all these benefits is simply a matter of banking customers securely sharing their data with other financial institutions. This is the beauty of open banking.

Open banking enables financial services customers such as companies, entrepreneurs and ordinary depositors and borrowers, to have access to various products and services from competing banks and other financial institutions by allowing the latter to digitally and securely access their financial information. Customers can compare product offerings and avail of the best ones that suit their needs and fit their capabilities, thereby helping them earn more from bigger savings interest rates, avail of loans more easily, and pay more conveniently, towards managing and improving their finances.

With the concept of open banking, financial institutions such as banks—big and small—fintech companies, and other players, can share their respective clients’ data through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs). These APIs enable customers or the data subjects to share only data pertinent to the product or service they are looking to avail and not the account credentials.

The European Union (EU) initiated PSD2 (Revised Payment Service Directive) as an emerging Open Banking standard. This is a game-changer in the industry as banks’ monopoly on their customer account details will soon disappear. This required European banks to provide Open APIs which does not need additional customized developments. It reduces barriers to innovation and limits the big banks’ “walled gardens.” In fact, even the Philippines’ data privacy law was influenced by EU’s stringent data protection regulation, including the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Open banking can enable banks and other financial institutions to have access to data that will enable them to process loan applications quicker or better advise their clients on their finances. This encourages banks to be more competitive, leading to more affordable products, faster services, better customer relations, and investing in digital technologies, to the benefit of customers.

This is what Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) hopes to spearhead in the industry as it recently became the first local bank to advocate and implement open banking, affirming its position as a digital trailblazer in the financial industry.

But more than encouraging competition among banks, RCBC aims to lead the way to open banking in the country to become the Filipinos’ prime financial inclusion partner.

“With open banking, we can power the transactions of rural banks, cooperatives, micro-financial institutions and other small players, giving their customers access to a wide array of financial services using RCBC Open APIs,” said Lito Villanueva, RCBC Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer.

Already, RCBC has beefed up its open banking capabilities by establishing API partnerships with leading fintech companies; local payment networks PESONet and Instapay; and IBM Blockchain World Wire remittance.

Through open banking, RCBC aims to serve the global financial services needs of more than 30 million customers of fintechs, rural banks, cooperatives, and micro-financial institutions all over the country.