Filipinos overseas may now fund GCash wallets directly through Visa partnership

• Contributed Photo

GCash and Visa have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at making cross-border wallet funding faster, safer, and more convenient for Filipinos abroad, expanding access to digital remittances through Visa’s global payments network.

Under the collaboration, Visa Direct now enables individuals and businesses worldwide to send money directly to GCash wallets, allowing millions of users in the Philippines to receive funds from overseas in a seamless and secure manner. 

The partnership also allows overseas Filipinos to use their foreign-issued Visa cards as a funding source within the GCash Overseas app, reducing friction for users who rely on international cards while living or working abroad.

The initiative reflects the Philippines’ strong shift toward digital remittances. According to Visa’s Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report, which surveyed 44,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 countries and territories, the country ranks among the top adopters of digital remittances in Asia Pacific.

Around 74 percent of Filipinos prefer sending money through digital channels, while 66 percent favor receiving remittances digitally. Nearly half, or 45 percent of respondents, also consider digital remittances a safe and private way to transfer funds.

GCash’s scale positions it as a key channel for this transition. 

Eight out of ten Filipinos have used the platform, underscoring its role in everyday payments nationwide. Adoption cuts across age groups, with digital apps preferred even among older users. 

All respondents aged 65 and above in the Philippines indicated plans to send remittances digitally, compared with 72 percent among those aged 45 to 64, 75 percent among the 35 to 44 age group, and 74 percent among users aged 18 to 34.

“Our mission at GCash is to make financial services accessible to every Filipino. By teaming up with Visa, we’re expanding our reach and delivering even greater value to our users, both at home and abroad,” said Julie Ann Abalos, Head of Product, GCash International.

Visa said the partnership aligns with its broader push to make cross-border payments more flexible and inclusive. 

“Visa shares with GCash a longstanding commitment to make payments safer, more secure, and seamless. With this cross-border account funding solution, we hope to make payments even more flexible for millions of overseas Filipinos and tourists and bring them the benefits of Visa’s global network and leadership in technology. This also aligns with the government’s goal to expand financial inclusion while transforming the country to become a cash-lite society,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Country Manager for Visa Philippines.

By combining Visa’s global reach with GCash’s dominant local ecosystem, the partnership aims to simplify how money moves across borders, reinforcing the Philippines’ position as a leading market for digital remittances and cashless financial services.