Billease moves into digital banking with rural bank acquisition

Insider Spotlight

• Billease acquires Rural Bank of Sta. Maria to anchor digital-banking shift
• New CEO Dennis Valdes to lead banking transformation
• Google Pay, QRPh and everyday transactions to roll out soon

Billease is accelerating its evolution from a pure Buy Now, Pay Later platform into a full digital-centric banking player with its acquisition of the Rural Bank of Sta. Maria – Ilocos Sur (RBSM), a move that formally integrates regulated banking infrastructure into its ecosystem.

Why it matters

The deal positions Billease to move beyond consumer loans and instalments into savings, deposits and daily payment services—effectively broadening its reach to the financial routines of over 10 million users across the Philippines.

Since its launch in 2017, the company has disbursed over P100 billion in loans. Leadership says this acquisition marks the next phase in its transformation into a fully regulated, feature-rich digital banking app.

Dennis Valdes

The bank’s new CEO will steer the group’s transition into the digital sphere.

Driving the transformation

To modernize the 56-year-old RBSM, Billease appointed Dennis Valdes as President and CEO of the bank. Valdes previously led one of the country’s largest rural banks and is tasked with steering the shift to a digital-first banking model.

“We are marrying the heritage of a bank founded in 1969 with the speed of modern fintech,” said Valdes. “We are now in the process of completely transforming our core systems to get ready for digital-centric banking, with plans to launch our new suite of banking products next year.”

Georg Steiger, co-founder and CEO of Billease, underscored the groundwork laid to stabilize and prepare the bank for scale. “Over the past months, we have focused heavily on improving the bank’s capitalization, strengthening governance, and bringing in a top-notch leadership team like Dennis. We are building a foundation that ensures safety and trust as we scale.

From BNPL to daily life

Billease is pushing aggressively into everyday payments—from morning coffee to groceries, bills and mobile top ups—as it aims to become a primary payment method for Filipinos.

What’s coming

Billease is rolling out features designed to rival traditional credit cards, including:

• Zero interest for daily spend via QRPh and NFC with conversion to instalment options
• Google Pay integration enabling tap-to-pay across Android devices
• Billease Deals aggregating merchant discounts in-app

“Our vision is to support our customers through every financial moment—whether it’s a major purchase or a simple daily transaction,” said Kurt Molina, head of POS products.

As the platform expands, Steiger said customers will continue to receive the “responsive, human-centric support” that built Billease’s reputation as the country’s highest-rated consumer finance app.

– Ed: Dax Lucas