GCash, Western Union Expand Global ‘Cash In’ to Over 200 Markets to Serve More Filipinos Globally

The Philippines’ leading finance super app, GCash, is expanding its global ‘cash in’ feature through a strategic partnership with Western Union, one of the world’s most trusted international money transfer providers, with a global financial network spanning over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

 

Filipinos living and working overseas may ‘cash in’ (send money) to GCash e-wallet accounts through the Western Union App, website, or through a network of hundreds of thousands of retail locations worldwide. Additionally, they can also send funds to their families and friends with GCash accounts. Once completed, funds are credited instantly to the GCash wallet and can be used immediately for essentials such as groceries, bills, online shopping, savings, insurance, or even investments. Customers can now send up to PHP 500,000 per transaction.

 

“At GCash, we remain committed to driving financial empowerment for all Filipinos, wherever they are in the world,” said GCash International general manager Paul Albano. “This collaboration with Western Union enables fast, secure, and reliable remittances, ensuring that the hard-earned money of OFWs reaches their families swiftly and safely.”

 

Western Union’s global scale now connects with the extensive local cashless ecosystem of GCash—the largest in the country. GCash users in the Philippines benefit from over 339,000 cash-in and cash-out outlets, 5.2 million QR-accepting merchants, and more than 520 partner brands on the GLife platform. 

 

Gregory Laurent, regional vice president, Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands for Western Union, said, “our partnership with GCash, one the the Philippines’ most respected financial services brands, enables us to stay true to our purpose of serving the aspiring populations of the world with accessible, easy-to-use services, particularly in the digital space. It is yet another mark of the importance we place on the Philippines and consumers in the country, as well as the Filipino diaspora abroad.”

 

For millions of OFWs, this integration removes long-standing friction in the remittance process and strengthens their ability to support their families from afar. GCash continues to evolve from a money transfer platform into a holistic digital finance hub that serves the needs of Filipinos, wherever they may be.

 

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), personal remittances from OFWs reached USD 38 billion in 2024, an all-time high and accounting for over 8% of the country’s GDP.

 

“While digital adoption is accelerating, a significant portion of these remittances is still routed through over-the-counter channels. The integration of GCash with Western Union provides a digital-first alternative that empowers OFWs and their families to manage money more efficiently, securely, and on their terms,” said Albano.

BayaniPay Completes $4.5M Seed Round to Deliver Pioneering Cross-Border Banking Services to Asian American Immigrants

Manila, Philippines – BayaniPay, a financial service for global professionals, has raised $4.5 million in seed funding from East West Bank, Wavemaker Partners, and Talino Venture Labs. 

Earlier this year, BayaniPay contracted with East West Bank, the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California, to offer Filipino American customers banking services, including a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured checking account. East West Bank joins BDO Unibank, the Philippines’ largest bank; Asian Journal, one of the leaders in the Asian American media industry; and Seafood City, the largest Filipino-owned supermarket chain in the U.S., in BayaniPay’s roster of industry-leading collaborators. 

This collaboration positions BayaniPay as the first cross-border, digital financial service for the Filipino American community, which is 4.2 million strong and accounts for $146 billion or 14.4% of the Asian American market in the United States: a segment that has been previously underserved by traditional banks and other financial institutions. 

BayaniPay offers easy, convenient, and low cost cross-border financial services from the United States to the Philippines. Its customers enjoy a host of benefits from its feature-rich platform, including access to a digital checking account, a debit card that maximizes spending power, and zero fee remittance and market-leading forex rates for Filipino Americans who are sending money home.

Expanding global financial services powered by BDO Unibank 

In cooperation with BDO Unibank, BayaniPay will deliver more financial solutions to Filipinos in the U.S. soon. 

BayaniPay is collaborating with BDO Unibank to enable its users in the U.S. to directly pay services in the Philippines through paycode technologies. Local businesses and services can simply provide Filipino American customers paycodes that they can use for easy and convenient cross-border payment of bills, tuition and school fees, medical expenses, and even real estate. 

By working together with BayaniPay, BDO Unibank continues to find ways to provide convenience to global professionals.

Breaking ceilings in the digital banking landscape 

Within its first three months in the market, BayaniPay disrupted the digital remittance industry by offering, through BDO Unibank, zero fees and market-leading exchange rates. Its neobank expansion allows customers to open a digital bank account with a Visa debit card in the United States through East West Bank—enabling faster, frictionless cross-border payments and rewards on customer transactions. 

“On behalf of East West Bank, I applaud BayaniPay’s progress in our digital banking technology to provide omnichannel banking as a service to underserved customers,” said Parker Shi, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of East West Bank. “This means that BayaniPay customers can enjoy the same quality of service, whether they’re banking with their mobile devices or transacting at their local East West Bank branch.” 

Since announcing its expansion, BayaniPay has gained over 7,000 users and its work in disrupting the global banking landscape has caught the attention of many digital publications, including Forbes and American Banker. 

"We are excited about how quickly BayaniPay has grown since we first launched," said BayaniPay CEO Winston Damarillo. "Our ongoing efforts are driven by the desire to eliminate the financial hardships of new immigrants and minority communities." 

The fresh capital from East West Bank and Wavemaker Partners will allow BayaniPay to expand the technology team as the company scales its product lineup and expands into more geographies. 

“Streamlining cross border payment systems have become more urgent than ever as remittances grow in scale from overseas workers. Unfortunately, even in this day and age, existing remittance methods remain painful and expensive for the average remitter. BayaniPay is addressing this pain point with their suite of payment solutions that simplifies the various types of remittances. Whether the need is peer-to-peer, consumer-to-business or business-to-business, BayaniPay has created intuitive solutions to make this payment journey a simple and cost effective exercise,” said Eric Manlunas, Founder and Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners. 

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About BayaniPay 

BayaniPay’s mission is to use technology to break down the borders in banking and level the playing field for all global professionals. Based in Los Angeles, its mobile-first service empowers global professionals working abroad to take financial care of their families and communities back in their home countries. BayaniPay Inc. is a collaboration among Talino Venture Labs, The Asian Journal, East West Bank, and Wavemaker Partners, and is the authorized agent of BDO Unibank, the Philippines’ largest bank. For more information, visit bayanipay.com. 

BayaniPay is a fintech company, not a bank. U.S. banking products and services are offered through East West Bank, Member FDIC.

Cebuana Lhuillier's services can now be done from home

In the past year, we’ve seen how businesses have switched to digital platforms due to the community quarantine. Many have come up with innovative ways to ensure that they are able to provide their basic services to people at home. One of them is Cebuana Lhuillier, which is one of the most accessible pawnshops in the country with 2,500 branches nationwide.

To further make themselves more accessible, they launched Cebuana From Home (CFH), a platform that gives clients 360-degree access to Cebuana Lhuillier’s services—from cash remittance to pawning.

Here’s a quick rundown of CFH and how the platform can help the general public.

Pawn from Home

Cebuana Lhuillier has made their pawning service available online to ensure safer transactions. Pawn-from-Home allows clients to pawn jewelry online—they just need to accomplish an application form on the CFH site (https://www.cebuanafromhome.com). After it’s been reviewed, an appraiser from the nearest Cebuana Lhuillier branch will go to the client’s home to appraise the item, negotiate the value, and release the loan.

Other Pawn-from-Home perks include being able to pay for the pawn renewal service interest fee online and redemption of pawned items through the CFH platform.

Hassle-free bills payment and cash remittance

CFH has likewise made it easier to pay bills and send money without leaving the house. The online Bills Payment service provides access to more than 10 billers nationwide. Meanwhile, the remit-from-home feature allows users to send money online through Cebuana Lhuillier agents.

In addition, one can also avail of Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Broker’s (CLIB) roster of affordable and comprehensive packages, which include Personal Accident insurance, Medical Expenses insurance, and Doctor’s Consultation insurance.

Reliable express delivery

Because of the continued lockdown, delivery services for everyday needs have increased significantly from last year and Cebuana Lhuillier has made it possible for pawned items, to be sent or delivered, as well. With the Cebuana Lhuillier Express Delivery Service, clients from select pilot areas can have jewelry items and cash delivered right to their doorstep. The brand’s dedicated riders will ensure that items are secure and delivered on time. That way, there is no more need to go out and pick up the bought items, ensuring the safety of the whole family.

These Cebuana From Home services can be accessed at bit.ly/CebuanFromHome. A mobile app, as well as access points via Facebook Messenger and SMS, will be available to the public soon.