Tourists in Siargao can now tap their cards on a business owner’s smartphone to pay for purchases at 100 local businesses. The service enables businesses to accept contactless card payments without a separate card machine.
Visa, a digital payments processor, partnered with USSC Money Services Inc. (UMSI), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and provincial and local governments to bring the service to the island. Participating businesses include homestays, other accommodations, restaurants, cafes, surfing instructors, and souvenir shops.
“Digital acceptance can help ensure that local businesses benefit as tourism destinations such as Siargao grow,” said Jeffrey Navarro, country manager for Visa Philippines. “Through the Visa-powered uGrow app, payments innovation is within easier reach of Filipino entrepreneurs, giving them secure and seamless ways to accept payments from both Filipino consumers and tourists traveling to the Philippines.”
The payment feature, called U Accept, is available through uGrow, UMSI’s app for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It uses Visa Accept to allow businesses to receive card payments on compatible smartphones.
Business owners can use the app to email receipts to customers, review past payments, track sales, and monitor stock. They can also receive money from card payments on their U Visa Prepaid Card in near real time.
“This successful public-private collaboration is part of our bigger policy thrust of capacitating our MSMEs and transforming our tourism infrastructure by building a resilient, tech-enabled tourism sector,” said Dita Angara-Mathay, Secretary of Tourism. “When we empower our MSMEs and tourism frontliners to accept digital payments, we enable them to keep in step with evolving tourist preferences and give our visitors the best that Filipino hospitality can offer.”
The project is part of Visa and the DOT’s work to help tourism micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) accept digital payments and learn to use digital tools.
“Through our collaboration with Visa and the Department of Tourism, we are bringing practical, easy-to-adopt payment solutions to businesses in Siargao, helping merchants serve more customers while supporting the island’s continued growth as one of the Philippines’ premier tourism destinations,” said Jose Xavier Gonzales, president and CEO, UMSI.
Visa and UMSI have also conducted workshops during DOT regional roadshows to teach business owners how to use uGrow.
More than 1,500 businesses nationwide have signed up for the platform since its launch. Of these, 40% are in Luzon, 31% in Mindanao, and 29% in the Visayas.