Visa has officially activated Google Pay support in the Philippines, allowing Visa debit, credit, and prepaid cardholders to add their cards to Google Wallet and make secure contactless payments using their smartphones. Users can now tap to pay using their smartphones or smartwatchwes in stores, apps, and websites without using a physical card. The service launches through seven partner banks: Chinabank, EastWest Bank, GoTyme Bank, Maya Bank, RCBC, UnionBank, and Wise.
Google Pay transactions in the Philippines are powered by Visa’s tokenization technology, which replaces the actual card number with a secure digital token. Visa reports that tokenization has reduced fraud by up to 58% in Asia Pacific and continues to improve security for both shoppers and businesses.
To encourage adoption, Visa partnered with Pick Up Coffee for a limited promo where customers get a free upsize and an additional Php50 off when they pay using Google Pay.
The launch also benefits travelers, as Google Pay enables seamless payments abroad while addressing acceptance issues often experienced by tourists in the Philippines.
Digital payments now account for 57.4% of transactions nationwide, moving the country closer to its goal of a cash-lite economy.
