DOT, GCash sign MOU to expand cashless payments among accredited tourism MSMEs

GCash tools and training to help local merchants welcome cashless payments from Filipino and foreign travelers

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and GCash, through its mobile wallet operator G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), have partnered to promote cashless payments among tourists and DOT-accredited micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Local merchants will receive digital payment tools and training so they can serve visitors more conveniently.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on November 3. Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay and Assistant Secretary for Branding and Marketing Communications, Armand Lorenze Sapitan, signed for the DOT. Paul Albano, General Manager of GCash for Business, and Juan Carlos “Caloy” Bauza, Vice President and International Payments Head of GCash International. The MOU sets a framework for joint campaigns, merchant onboarding, and financial literacy initiatives in support of Philippine tourism.

As mobile payments become a way of life around the world, travelers increasingly expect to pay with their phones wherever they go. For tourism businesses, offering digital payment options is fast becoming essential to staying competitive. The benefits are greatest in remote destinations, where money changers may be far away or nonexistent. Visitors no longer need to carry large amounts of cash or convert currency before they arrive, and merchants no longer lose a sale because a customer is short on pesos.

This initiative will enable local businesses to seamlessly accept a wider range of payment methods, including supported foreign-issued cards, giving international visitors greater convenience while helping local businesses capture tourism-driven spending.

“Visitors already want to pay digitally, and our accredited enterprises should be ready for them. From homestay hosts to market vendors and local artisans, these are the people who make a destination lively enough to be worth visiting,” said Secretary Angara-Mathay. “This partnership with GCash gives them the tools and the training to accept digital payments, so more of what tourists spend stays in local communities.”

“The DOT will do its part by endorsing and actively promoting the onboarding of our accredited MSMEs, consistent with our Love the Philippines and Discover More to Love campaigns,” she added.

Under the MOU, the DOT will provide guidelines on the proper branding of its marketing campaigns and give GCash access to its digital assets for co-branded efforts, along with relevant tourist arrival data. It will also share lists of accredited entities for outreach and merchant verification, subject to data privacy laws, invite GCash to its events and trade activities where merchants may be onboarded, and coordinate with relevant offices, particularly its regional offices.

On its part, GCash will organize co-branded campaigns in support of the DOT’s tourism advocacy and streamline the onboarding of accredited MSMEs. It will provide merchant incentives, customized digital payment toolkits, and promotional support to drive cashless transactions across key tourism destinations, and will facilitate financial literacy training for MSMEs. GCash will also share insights on campaign performance and consumer trends, and work with the DOT on tourism product development projects that support local artisans and other creative enterprises among the accredited MSMEs.

GCash, in addition, will onboard tourism-accredited MSMEs to GCash for Business and equip participating merchants with payment acceptance solutions such as GCash SoundPay, GCash PocketPay, GCash SoundPay Plus, and GCash EasyPOS. With simplified registration requiring only a verified GCash account to get started, more small businesses can access digital payment facilities without the complexities of traditional banking.

“At GCash, our mission of ‘Finance for All’ means ensuring that every Filipino, including every single micro and small merchant who brings our local tourism destinations to life, can thrive in the digital economy. Through this partnership, we are boosting the Philippine tourism sector by connecting even the smallest local businesses to more tourists, both local and international, and giving them the tools to benefit from global tourism opportunities,” said Albano.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), tourism contributed over ₱2.27 trillion to the economy in 2025, or 8.1 percent of GDP, and supported 7.7 million jobs. By equipping accredited MSMEs to accept digital payments, the partnership aims to help more of that spending reach local communities.

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