GCash, the Philippines’ largest e-wallet, and Mastercard today announced their collaboration for Mastercard Pay Local, which will soon allow eligible international visitors to the country to link their Mastercard credit and debit cards to the GCash app and pay local merchants using their mobile phones, without the need to cash-in or load their e- wallet.
Expected to launch in Q3 2026, the service is designed to make everyday spending easier for international visitors, reducing the need to carry cash, exchange currency or use unfamiliar payment methods while abroad. Whether dining, shopping, visiting attractions or paying for transit, travelers can use the Mastercard cards they already prefer and trust to pay like locals throughout their stay in the Philippines.
Merchants in the Philippines will be able to accept payments from international visitors through their existing QR setup, expanding their reach to more customers without any changes to their existing payment infrastructure.
“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.”
“Trips should be about experiencing a destination, not worrying about how to pay for essentials and experiences,” said Ren-ren Reyes, President & CEO of G-Xchange, Inc. (the mobile wallet operator of GCash). “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.”
As international tourism to the Philippines continues to grow, convenient and accessible payment experiences are becoming increasingly important for visitors and businesses alike. Between January and mid-June 2026, the Philippines welcomed 2.96 million foreign visitors, up 6.16% from the same period last year. In 2025, tourism contributed PHP 2.27 trillion to the economy and supported 7.7 million jobs nationwide.
This service builds on the longstanding collaboration between Mastercard and GCash across card issuance, merchant acceptance and QR enablement to make digital payments more accessible and secure for local residents, international arrivals and merchants across the Philippines.
Supporting details on eligible cards and customer registration will be announced closer to the availability of Mastercard Pay Local on the GCash mobile app.
