The feature, which rolls out this month, lets users link up to three credit or debit cards and automatically pay for purchases even when their GCash wallet has little or no balance, the company said in a statement on Monday.
No more cash-ins
The move removes one of the biggest friction points in digital payments by eliminating the need to manually cash in before completing a transaction.
“Our commitment to innovation means building solutions that make daily payments simpler, safer and completely effortless,” said Ren-ren Reyes, president and CEO of G-Xchange Inc., the operator of GCash.
“We are thrilled to soon allow GCash users to link their Visa or Mastercard directly for payments," he added.
Users can choose a default payment card, manage linked cards within the app and authenticate eligible transactions using one-time passwords, biometrics or a phone PIN.
Payments battle
The rollout comes as digital wallets, banks and card networks race to become consumers’ preferred payment platform by making everyday transactions faster and requiring fewer steps at checkout.
For GCash, the new feature further expands its role beyond a stored-value wallet, allowing users to switch seamlessly between wallet funds and bank cards while staying inside the app.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
