GCash opens local QR payments to Mastercard tourists

Visitors can link overseas credit and debit cards directly to the Philippine e-wallet app.

Philippine e-wallet GCash and Mastercard have partnered to expand payment options for international visitors.

The collaboration, Mastercard Pay Local, will allow tourists to link their Mastercard credit and debit cards to the GCash app and pay local merchants through their phones.

The payment option is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2026. Philippine merchants will be able to accept payments from tourists through the existing QR code setup.

“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,” Jason Crasto, country manager for the Philippines, Mastercard, said in a joint press release.

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 $38n (P2.3t) to the economy and supported 7.7 million jobs nationwide.

($1.00 = P60.94)