MANILA, Philippines — Digital financial services company PayMaya Philippines has opened its service to Filipinos abroad, making it easier for them to pay for government fees and their family’s utility bills through the e-wallet app.
PayMaya said Filipinos overseas can now use their Philippine mobile SIM on roaming to register for a PayMaya account.
This would allow them to perform transactions such as paying government dues or utility bills, as well as sending money to other PayMaya users, even while abroad.
“Our vision of digital finance for all Filipinos includes our hardworking countrymen abroad, our modern-day heroes. Having a PayMaya account wherever you are in the world can empower Filipinos overseas and help them stay connected with their loved ones in the Philippines,” PayMaya founder and CEO Orlando Vea said.
PayMaya said paying for government fees such as taxes and social insurance contributions while abroad is among the top concerns of Filipinos overseas.
Citing 2020 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, PayMaya said there are an estimated 2.2 million Filipinos working abroad, with millions more who have already migrated and can still benefit from a strong fintech platform.
PayMaya said those who are currently abroad can now easily use their accounts to conveniently pay their individual Social Security System contributions using the SSS mobile app, as well as nominate their PayMaya accounts to receive loan proceeds and other disbursements from the agency.
Aside from the SSS, PayMaya users abroad can also transact with other government agencies such as the Pag-IBIG Fund, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Foreign Affairs, and over 60 other agencies and local government units that accept PayMaya as a payment option.
On top of government payments, Filipinos abroad can pay bills through the more than 500 active billers available in the PayMaya app, and can also send money to other PayMaya users in the Philippines or to any of the more than 37,000 Smart Padala centers nationwide.
PayMaya said the service was recently piloted in Singapore and has received positive feedback from Filipinos there, noting that many lack credit cards and other financial instruments that allow them to easily conduct financial transactions in the Philippines.
PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the country with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government.
Through its app and wallet, it 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.