Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) has launched Zero-Touch Onboarding, a fully digital solution that streamlines the opening of payroll accounts for new employees.

Announced on Thursday, 11 December at UnionBank’s headquarters in Ortigas, the initiative reduces the turnaround time for creating payroll accounts from two weeks to less than 24 hours, with no manual intervention required from a company’s human resources (HR) or finance departments.

“With Zero-Touch Onboarding, we’ve reimagined one of the most time-consuming parts of HR operations. We’re giving companies back valuable time while making banking simpler and more seamless for their employees,” UnionBank senior vice president and deputy head of transaction banking center Erika Dizon-Go said.

“It’s a win-win solution that puts efficiency, speed, and customer-centricity at the forefront of the digital experience.”

To enroll, employees simply scan a QR code generated through UnionBank’s Business Banking application, The Portal. They are then redirected to the UnionBank app, where they can complete the required personal information in just minutes — without paperwork and with minimal wait time.

Payroll makes thing go around

Employers can view new hires’ account numbers through The Portal once enrollment is complete, while UnionBank handles the rest of the process.

With the average monthly wage in 2024 at P21,500, roughly P516 billion is disbursed nationwide for payroll every pay cycle on the 15th and 30th. “In the Philippine economy, it makes things go round. People need salaries to continue [their] day-to-day lives,” Dizon-Go said. “It gives back the time for HR professionals to really think about their employees.”

The initiative builds on UnionBank’s eDAO (ePaycard Digital Account Opening), launched in 2021 as the Philippines’ first digital onboarding solution for corporate payroll accounts. Zero-Touch Onboarding advances this further, delivering a seamless experience by enabling UnionBank to handle verification, approval, and activation directly on behalf of corporate clients — all within 24 hours.