Tourists go cashless with GCash, Mastercard

International visitors in the Philippines will soon be able to pay millions of local merchants using their existing Mastercard credit and debit cards through the GCash app, eliminating the need to carry cash or load their e-wallets.

GCash and Mastercard announced their partnership for Mastercard Pay Local, a service expected to launch in the third quarter of 2026 that will allow eligible foreign travelers to link their Mastercard cards to the GCash platform and use mobile payments while staying in the country.

The service aims to make daily transactions easier for tourists by allowing them to pay for food, shopping, attractions, transportation, and other expenses using a payment method they already use and trust.

“Travelers increasingly expect the convenience and confidence of their everyday payment experiences to travel with them,” said Jason Crasto, Country Manager, Philippines, Mastercard.

“Mastercard's global network coupled with GCash's everyday acceptance means visitors can spend less time thinking about how to pay and more time enjoying everything the Philippines has to offer, while helping local businesses benefit from growing tourism,” he added.

Under the partnership, local merchants will be able to accept payments from international visitors through their existing QR payment systems, allowing them to serve more customers without requiring additional infrastructure.

GCash President and CEO of G-Xchange Inc. Ren-ren Reyes said the initiative will help make travel in the Philippines more convenient while opening new opportunities for businesses that rely on tourism.

“Trips should be about experiencing a destination, not worrying about how to pay for essentials and experiences,” Reyes said.

“By extending the convenience of GCash to international visitors through GCash Link and Pay, we're helping make the Philippines even more accessible while creating more opportunities for businesses across the country,” he added.

The partnership comes as the country’s tourism sector continues to recover, with the Philippines welcoming 2.96 million foreign visitors from January to mid-June 2026, up 6.16 percent from the same period last year.

Tourism contributed P2.27 trillion to the economy in 2025 and supported 7.7 million jobs nationwide, highlighting the growing need for more seamless payment options for travelers and businesses.

Mastercard Pay Local builds on the existing partnership between Mastercard and GCash covering card services, merchant acceptance, and QR payment solutions aimed at expanding digital payment access across the Philippines.

Details on eligible Mastercard cards and customer registration will be announced closer to the service’s rollout on the GCash mobile application.