Cashless is the way to go in the country’s business landscape, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
At the recent launch of the Philippine e-Commerce Roadmap 2022 organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, digital financial services provider PayMaya noted that based on industry estimates, digital payments have already surpassed cash in terms of consumer preference for mode of payment in online shopping, with the company processing over P95 billion for online commerce transactions alone in 2020.
Meanwhile, PayMaya has made life easier for sellers in Viber, Messenger, Instagram, and other social media and chat apps to accept cashless payments through the Payment Links and QR Ph features of the PayMaya app.
Sellers only need to generate a Request Money link or get their QR Ph code by going to the PayMaya app, clicking the User Profile icon on the top-left portion, and tapping on the QR code icon next to their name and mobile number. Once they have generated a payment link or saved a screenshot of their QR Ph code, they can easily send these to their customers via social media and chat apps to instantly receive cashless payments for their orders.
Meanwhile, it said buyers only need to tap on the link sent by the seller or scan or upload the seller’s QR Ph code through the PayMaya app to make a payment. When they do this, the seller’s PayMaya account details will automatically be filled in on their PayMaya app, and they can just enter the amount or press “Pay” for faster and easier payments.
“Since last year, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of online and chat sellers using our PayMaya app, driven by shift to digital because of the pandemic. That’s why we have developed the necessary tools and programs such as our Payment Links and QR Ph features, on top of other solutions, to make e-Commerce payments as easy as sending a message via chat,” Shailesh Baidwan, president of PayMaya said in a news statement.
Payment Links allow any PayMaya user with an upgraded account to generate a request money link that already integrates the amount that their buyer needs to pay for faster and more convenient transactions.
Moreover, PayMaya’s QR Ph-enabled code, on the other hand, allows sellers to instantly receive payments from other PayMaya users or from 18 other banks and financial institutions currently participating in the QR Ph initiative of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) via InstaPay. All they have to do is send their PayMaya QR code to their customer. In turn, their customers can simply save the QR code and choose it when using PayMaya or their own QR Ph-sending financial app.
QR Ph is the national QR code standard launched by the BSP in 2019 and PayMaya was the first e-Wallet to adopt it among other local financial institutions.
The BSP had earlier noted that person-to-person transactions through QR Ph surged 5,678 percent just a year after it launched, with PayMaya as one of its pioneering participants. Meanwhile, the DTI in 2020 saw a surge in business name registrations and renewals, with over 88,000 names signed-up for online stores alone.
Baidwan pointed out these payment options enable online sellers to easily send to buyers via social media or through chat apps such as Viber and Messenger, which have increasingly become the focal points of online commerce as consumers increasingly prefer using digital tools for their everyday needs.
“We continue to work with the government and our partner merchants to bring in game-changing innovations in the payments space. Filipinos are adept in using digital tools such as social media and chat apps, and at PayMaya, we are here to make it easier to pay and get paid,” Baidwan said.
PayMaya pushed the envelope as it formed partnership with Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), allowing its restaurant brands such as Jollibee, Burger King, Chowking, Mang Inasal, and Red Ribbon, among others, to accept card and e-Wallet payments through their Messenger chatbot. It also accelerated its push in enabling various payment solutions for MSMEs and large merchants, including its PayMaya Checkout online payment gateway, Pay with PayMaya using mobile number, PayMaya Negosyo app, and PayMaya One terminals for card and QR acceptance.
Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide.