GCash: Everything You Need To Know To Make Life Easier
Enjoy new experiences with GCash — the number one financial app in the Philippines!
Nowadays, it’s possible to do wonderful things through your smartphone. You can talk to anyone anywhere in the world, play music whenever you want and look up anything online in the blink of an eye.
A more recent and notable digital development in this space is the e-wallet, of which the Philippines is no stranger to, thanks to GCash. Arguably a household name for convenient electronic transactions, GCash is an app that you can install on any of your devices—be it a smartphone or a tablet. It allows you to pay your bills, purchase goods and services, and even send or receive money wherever you are.
To date, GCash has made financial transactions easier for its 33 million registered users. And with over 73,000 partner merchants in the country, it truly has helped revolutionize the way Filipinos transact.
GCash takes financial inclusion to the next step with its accessibility to the unbanked sector of the country, as well as to different mobile network users. Regardless of where you are, you can enjoy all the benefits that come with the innovation.
What Can You Do With GCash?
GCash takes convenience to an entirely different level. You can do so much on the app that it has effectively taken away the struggles of braving heat—or rain—in Manila traffic, as well as long lines and wasted time. With the hours you save, you can invest more in the things that infinitely matter more: family, friends, passions and health.
Pay bills. GCash takes the dread out of waiting in long lines at payment centers. With a simple tap on your screen, you’re finished paying off your financial obligations. The app allows you to pay utilities, credit card bills, government bills, loans and even tuition fees without breaking a sweat.
To make things even easier, GCash allows you to save your preferred billers and billing details on the app and can set a monthly reminder so you never oversee another due date! Also: the occasional rebate.
Save Money. Enjoy greater security and financial freedom in life by building up your savings with GCash's GSave.
GSave makes saving money more accessible and easy for both banked and unbanked individuals. You don’t need to worry about maintaining balance because GSave doesn’t require it. Moreover, users get to enjoy a 3.1% interest rate with any amount deposited. See your savings grow quickly within the app. You can also schedule auto-deposit within the GSave feature, so you don't forget to save regularly.
Plant a Tree. Enjoy planting virtual trees like Avocado, Guyabano, Yakal, and Narra—that have real-life equivalents—on GForest. Every time you use GCash for transactions, whether to buy load, send money, or pay bills, you are rewarded with “green energy points” you can collect and use later to “plant” a tree, as spearheaded by Globe.
With GForest, you get to make every day Earth Day by harvesting energy points to plant more trees and contribute to enriching the country’s natural resources.
Book movies. Take more control of your leisure time and book your seat at movies as early or as late as you want at any our partner cinemas. Skip the queue and straight to the theaters of your favorite Ayala Malls, SM Supermalls and Uptown Bonifacio.
Transfer money. Stressed about the fees that your bank charges whenever you transfer or send money to another account? Install the GCash app! You can send money to anyone or any of our partner banks in real-time.
The Send Money To Bank Account feature lets you transfer money from your digital wallet to any partner bank—eliminating the need for multiple banking apps! Take note that starting November 2020, sending money via bank transfer costs Php15. Meanwhile, GCash also allows you to transfer money to another GCash wallet with no additional charges, no matter what network you’re using.
Cash Out/Withdraw Cash. If you’ve accumulated a significant amount of GCash, you can cash out the money through partner outlets, transfer directly to your bank account or withdraw from any Bancnet ATM with your GCash card.
Use GCredit. Think of GCredit as your personal credit line with the app. You can use it to shop now and pay later at partner merchants or to pay your bills. This feature is only available for fully verified users who have raised their GScore to acertain level, however—so use the app often! The more transactions you make, the bigger your limit will be.
Buy load. Running low on load? You can top it up through the GCash app! Buy load for any network and possibly earn a 5 percent cashback! Aside from prepaid load, you can also purchase load combos, gaming pins and even broadband packages.
Borrow load. If you’re low on digital cash but need the load urgently, you can take advantage of the Borrow Load feature of the app. You’ll have two days to pay back the amount without having to pay interest or service fee.
Order food and shop online with GLife. GLife aims to level up and simplify your shopping experience. It's a new permanent feature that integrates "mini-apps" from various merchants or brands within the GCash dashboard. Now, you can shop and use the services of local and international online stores within this app thanks to this new shopping feature.
Within the GCash app, you can conveniently order food online or shop without the need to download your merchant's online shopping app. For instance, if you need to buy something from Lazada, you don't need to access or download the app and just shop within the GCash Lazada mini-app.
Currently, there are over 30 lifestyle brands on GLife, including online shops, food delivery services, airline companies, gadget stores, grocery stores, and more.
You can also order food and shop online with GLife and pay with cash. Simply choose GCash as your payment option and confirm your transaction. Since you're already shopping within the app, it’s easier for you and the merchant to process the payment.
You can also shop online and transact through other payment methods in the GCash ecosystem. You can apply for American Express Virtual Pay through the GCash app with your email or get a GCash Mastercard for only Php150.
Grow money with GInvest. For those who are new to investing and planning to make their first investment but unsure where to start, the GInvest feature is a good investment for beginners. GInvest allows you to invest in different investment funds from GCash's reliable partner product providers.
GInvest has a swift account verification process and is more inclusive than banks. With GInvest, you only need to get your account verified and put in a minimum investment of Php50. There are no commission and sales fees, and you can sell and buy through your GCash wallet.
Wondering how to invest money in GCash? Read on—it's easy, hassle-free, and affordable!
Go to GInvest and start with the registration process. Answer the questions on the screen honestly to see the type of investor you are. Once you complete the process and read the GInvest User Agreement or Terms and Conditions, you’ll see your risk profile assessment result.
After this, you can start viewing the investment products on GInvest and start your GCash investment. You can also schedule your preferred time to remind you to grow your funds so that you can invest money regularly.
Have peace of mind with GInsure. Be financially secure and ready for anything with GInsure. This feature on the GCash app offers users access to various insurance products that provide cash assistance and medical coverage. With GCash Insurance, you can access different protection products powered by Singlife, such as:
- Cash for Dengue Costs
- Cash for Income Loss (Accidents)
- Cash for Income Loss (Any Cause)
Getting started with GInsure is simple. Just open the GCash App and head to GInsure. Choose the insurance product you want and select the coverage plan you prefer. Review your GCash profile and confirm your details, then confirm the payment. A congratulatory page will show after successfully paying for your insurance coverage.
You can buy any of the protection products as long as you are:
- 18 to 54 years old (18 to 64 years old for Cash for Income Loss due to accidents)
- A fully verified GCash user
- A Filipino citizen or a foreigner who is a legal resident of the Philippines
- In good health and able to work and do not have any pre-existing conditions (for Cash for Income Loss due to any cause)
- In good health and has never been a “confirmed COVID-19 case” (for Cash for Dengue Costs)
You can get covered and buy and manage retail insurance packages for as low as Php300 per year on GInsure. With that amount, you can stay prepared for emergencies and live worry-free without breaking the bank. You don't have to go through long forms and processes. As long as you have a verified GCash account, you can apply and choose among the types of insurance you need in minutes.
Buy in-store. Besides the online shopping, you can make the most out of your account by using it to pay for in-store purchases with over 73,000 GCash merchants. Enjoy the experience of going cashless when you shop; just scan the store QR code to pay with GCash when you buy food, groceries, clothes and more.
Mobile Facilities and Online Banking Partners
With GCash, you never have to worry about urgent money matters. You can send money to your loved ones or make transactions with other users through these mobile facilities and online banking partners:
- 7-Eleven Barcode
- MoneyGram
- Western Union
- BPI to GCash
- PayPal to GCash
- RCBC to GCash
- Mastercard/Visa Debit to GCash
- UnionBank to GCash
You can also view the full list of Gcash’s banking partners in the GCash app by tapping “Bank Transfer” then “View All.”
Where Can You Cash-In?
Your balance running low? Do a quick cash-in to replenish your funds—just don’t forget to bring a valid government-issued ID—at these partner outlets:
- Globe stores
- Bayan Center
- SM Business Center
- Cebuana Lhuillier
- 7-Eleven CLiQQ kiosks
- Puregold
- RD Pawnshop
- Tambunting Pawnshop
- Villarica Pawnshop
Where Can You Cash-Out?
In urgent situations where you can’t withdraw directly from an ATM, you can always cash out directly from your e-wallet. Just visit any of these GCash partner outlets:
- Bayan Center
- SM Business Center
- Puregold
- RD Pawnshop
- Tambunting Pawnshop
- Villarica Pawnshop
- Robinson’s
- Expresspay
GCash New Features
A. GCash Personal QR
QR codes are convenient and secure. Merchants can generate and use QR codes for smoother transactions and payments, but individual users can, too! GCash’s QR code feature lets you generate unique QR codes to pay or receive money.
With this, you don't have to disclose your mobile number, and it eliminates the fear of sending money to the wrong numbers, making transactions safer and easier for the people involved.
B. Enhanced Security Through Biometrics (Fingerprint or Face ID)
More transactions are now being done over mobile apps. To strengthen security and privacy, GCash has added an extra layer of protection via biometric authentication. Now, users can log in via fingerprint or Face ID login. Your biometric characteristics are impossible to hack and steal, making your account even more secure from fraudsters and scammers.
Make sure to update the GCash App to the latest version and enable the feature on your GCash account to use this.
How Does GCash Bridge The Gap In Financial Institutions?
GCash was awarded the Best Mobile Payment Service in the 2018 Telecom Asia Awards—and with this achievement comes a deeper significance to the country. Additionally, data from App Annie, the industry standard for mobile data and analytics, ranks GCash as the top finance app (10 million downloads within nine months) with the most number of active users among Filipinos.
In 2019, over 51 million Filipinos were found to have no bank accounts due to lack of enough money, lack of documents, and refusal to open a bank account. Nine out of 10 locals were also found to have no access to credit cards, credit lines, or credit scores.
However, the silver lining in this situation is that in a country of 107 million people, 73 million are mobile users, of which 67 million are online at any time of the day.
GCash bridges the gap between the banked and unbanked sectors by allowing anyone to pay for anything from bills to online and offline shopping, load for prepaid cards and sending or receiving money to and from loved ones no matter where they are in the world. Credit lines have also become available with GCash, allowing all users to make urgent transactions.
How Else Can You Maximize GCash?
Everyone can use GCash, whether or not they’re Globe users or have the usual bank requirements. When you’ve embraced the mobile payment service and are ready to take your experience further, then you can make the switch from a Globe prepaid sim to a postpaid line.
By subscribing to Globe Postpaid, you’ll be able to earn mobile promos, bill rebates, and points, which you can use as cash at a variety of partner stores. You can also check out GPlan with GCash, a new flexible offering that allows customers to use GCash credits for mobile and life essentials, such as data allocations, content subscriptions, GInsure coverage, and shopping vouchers
Live with the convenience of paying your bills through GCash, too. Not only will you boost your GScore, but you’ll also get more GCredit perks in no time!
