Provincial digital payment adoption accelerates beyond Metro Manila

Insider Spotlight

• Google Trends analysis found search interest in accepting digital payments outside Metro Manila nearly tripled since 2022
• Northern Mindanao, Western Visayas, and the Davao Region posted the fastest year-over-year gains in payment-acceptance searches in 2025
• PayMongo said merchant transactions rose 89 percent and its merchant base expanded 93 percent in the first half of 2026
  
  
  

Interest in accepting digital payments is growing fastest outside Metro Manila as more provincial businesses embrace digital commerce, according to a PayMongo analysis of Google Trends data. 

The study found search interest for terms such as “accept maya,” “accept gcash,” “accept qrph,” and “accept payments online” has reached its highest level in five years across key regions in the Philippines.

Across Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and the Davao Region, search interest in payment-acceptance terms nearly tripled since 2022. During the first half of 2026, search interest averaged 177 percent higher than the same period in 2022, highlighting rising demand for digital payment solutions beyond the capital.

Why it matters

The data suggest the country's digital commerce expansion is increasingly being driven by businesses outside Metro Manila as entrepreneurs seek payment tools for online, social, and in-store sales.

Growth accelerated significantly in 2025. Northern Mindanao recorded a 238 percent year-over-year increase in payment-acceptance search interest, followed by Western Visayas at 192 percent and the Davao Region at 130 percent. By comparison, the National Capital Region posted 43 percent growth. The report also noted five-year peaks for searches related to GCash QR in several provincial regions.

The big picture

At the same time, searches for major shopping platforms including Shopee and Lazada declined 37 percent between the first half of 2022 and the first half of 2026 as shopping behavior shifted toward in-app experiences. 

Meanwhile, challenger platforms such as TikTok Shop, Temu, and Facebook Marketplace captured a larger share of search interest, suggesting sellers are diversifying beyond traditional marketplaces.

PayMongo said its own mid-year figures reflected the trend, with completed merchant transactions increasing 89 percent from the first half of 2025 to the first half of 2026, while its merchant base nearly doubled with 93 percent growth. 

The study also found increasing searches for QR payment solutions and online business-related terms, indicating continued momentum in entrepreneurship and digital payment adoption across the country. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma