Visa and GCash have partnered to allow overseas users to send money directly to GCash wallets in the Philippines and to let overseas Filipinos use foreign-issued Visa cards to fund their GCash accounts.
Visa Direct enables individuals and businesses abroad to transfer funds straight to GCash wallets. This gives more than 90 million GCash users a way to receive money from overseas without going through traditional remittance channels. Overseas Filipinos can also use their foreign-issued Visa cards as a funding source through the GCash Overseas app.
The companies said the setup is intended to make cross-border payments easier for Filipinos living or working abroad, as well as for visitors who need to move money into local wallets while in the Philippines.
“With this cross-border account funding solution, we hope to make payments more flexible for millions of overseas Filipinos and tourists and bring them the benefits of Visa’s global network and technology,” said Jeffrey Navarro, country manager for Visa Philippines.
The Philippines is among the Asia Pacific markets with high use of digital remittances, according to Visa’s Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report. The study covered 44,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 countries and territories. It found that 74% of Filipinos send money through digital channels, while 66% prefer to receive remittances digitally. About 45% of respondents said digital remittances are a safe and private way to move funds.
GCash is widely used in the country, with eight out of 10 Filipinos having used the app for payments and transfers. Use of digital apps for remittances cuts across age groups. All respondents in the Philippines aged 65 and above said they plan to send remittances digitally. This compares with 72% among those aged 45 to 64, 75% among those aged 35 to 44, and 74% among those aged 18 to 34.
“Our mission at GCash is to make financial services accessible to every Filipino. By teaming up with Visa, we are expanding our reach and delivering even greater value to our users, both at home and abroad,” said Paul Albano, general manager, GCash International.