News

GrabPay now has BDO, BPI, Unionbank, SM, and 7-Eleven as cash-in partners

Topping up GrabPay wallets is now more convenient

Published

April 11, 2021

Kenrick Buduan

Grab continues to expand its online transaction and payment service — GrabPay — by adding more cash-in partners for the service. Users can now cash in with their Banco de Oro (BDO), Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), and Unionbank bank accounts, or pay through SM’s payment centers and 7-Eleven stores.

GrabPay users can link their BDO, BPI, and UnionBank accounts in seconds through the Grab app. To link their accounts, they must do the following:

Tap on the “Payment” tab located at the bottom of the Grab app.
Select “Cash In” on the payment screen.
Select “Linked Bank Account” among the cash-in options
Users can now choose whether to link their BDO, BPI, or UnionBank account and input their account details.

Once this is done, their bank accounts will be linked to their GrabPay account. Users don’t have to enter their banking details every time they cash in. For added security though, Grab is requiring users to enter a one-time password sent to their mobile numbers every time they do a transaction.

Cash in at SM and 7-Eleven

Users can also cash in through any of SM’s business centers and 7-Eleven branches nationwide. This option is convenient for those who don’t want to link their bank accounts or those who want to pay over the counter. To cash in at any 7-Eleven branch, GrabPay users simply have to do the following:

Navigate to the “Payment” tab.
Select “Cash In” when the payment screen appears.
Tap the “In-Store” cash-in method.
Choose “7-Eleven”.
Enter the desired cash-in amount and tap “Submit”.

Users will have to show the generated barcode to the cashier to complete their payment. For those transacting at any of SM’s business centers, they have to show their payment reference code to the respective business center agents and pay the amount they chose.

The payment service for every need

GrabPay has expanded over the years, and users can take advantage of the service to pay both online and offline. GrabPay integrates with GrabFood and GrabMart for food and grocery deliveries. It also integrates with GrabExpress for sending deliveries to any person, be it a friend or a family member.

Those who love to shop online can even use GrabPay for secure and seamless cashless transactions with retailers including Zalora, BeautyMNL, Shein, Shop SM, Power Mac Center, Kumu, GoodWork.ph, and Taxumo. GrabPay is also available for offline transactions across malls, beauty and wellness retailers, restaurants, and more.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Users can also use GrabPay to buy prepaid loads and pay bills. Most transactions also award users with points that they can earn and redeem for various discounts, products, or services. As Grab continues to expand its payment service further, users can expect more functionality to come in the future too.

Related Topics:Grab Grab Philippines GrabPay

News

Xiaomi 18 Pro series is launching globally, Xiaomi confirms

Xiaomi’s phone with two screens is finally going global.

Published

September 25, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As you can probably read from our reviews, we were impressed with the Xiaomi 17 series. Like previous years, the Chinese brand knows how to make impressive flagships. Unfortunately, despite our raving, the world didn’t get the complete flagship experience because the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max were exclusive for Chinese users. This year, however, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max will finally grace the entire world with their presence.

Recently, Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 18 Pro duo. Normally, the launch of the Pro series doesn’t make waves outside of China because of the exclusive release. However, soon after the series’ debut, Xiaomi CMO Xu Fei officially confirmed that the duo will make a global debut sometime this year.

Now, the launch of the two smartphones should catch your eye. While the regular Xiaomi 18 series belongs to the more traditional form factors for smartphones, the two Pro models feature a smaller 2.7-inch (or a 2.9-inch) LTPO AMOLED rear screen, adding that extra bit of spice even if the phone is facing downwards. Other than that, the series comes with up to a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It also features a trio of rear cameras including a 200-megapixel main sensor, a 200-megapixel periscope lens, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor. In front, it has a 50-megapixel selfie shooter. Finally, the series goes up to an 8500mAh battery.

To be clear, there is a chance that the global version won’t match these specs. Regardless, it’s surely an impressive phone when it does launch elsewhere.

Apps

Google Photos can now censor your kid’s face better

The new Redact feature can censor sensitive information.

Published

September 25, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Censoring photos is heavy work. Either you stick on random emojis or draw an indiscriminate splotch of doodles to cover sensitive information. It’s an imperfect art but an essential one to protect privacy. Today, Google Photos is getting a Redact feature which can censor sensitive bits with pixelated blocks.

An addition to the Markup tool, Redact acts like a nifty pen that can hide information that you don’t want seen. Unlike a ghastly emoji or a splotch, the censored bar mixes better with the surrounding elements. In the example that Google used, a censored license plate blends well with the car it’s attached to, making the photo look more cohesive. Besides license plates, it’s the perfect tool for covering other information like phone numbers, addresses, and the faces of your loved ones.

Google Photos is also rolling out Moods, a set of filters that give photos a nostalgic look, including a 2000s night digicam vibe that’s popular today. There are also 15 new Remix templates to add more creation options.

Both the Redact and the Moods features will roll out to Android users starting today. The new Remix templates, however, will be limited to some countries on both Android and iOS.

News

Power Mac Center SM Aura is now an Apple Premium Partner store

With a new protection plan dubbed as “1Protect” for your precious new iPhones

Published

September 23, 2026

Vincenz

Photos and graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Power Mac Center has upgraded its SM Aura branch into an Apple Premium Partner (APP) store. The “APP” designation is the highest tier for reseller stores worldwide.

Originally opened in 2014, the redesigned store now houses its retail space, training center, and a service center in one.

The new space also puts more emphasis on learning. Free group demos will be held every Friday to Sunday. These will cover topics such as iPad creativity, or camera features, personalization, and Continuity for the latest iPhone series.

To celebrate the opening, customers can also score discounts on select Apple devices and accessories until September 27, 2026.

Deals include up to:

₱PhP 36,000 off MacBook Pros
PhP 19,500 off iPads
PhP 3000 off Apple Watches; and
PhP 11,000 off iPhone models

There are also service discounts until September 25. Plus, new iPhones purchases here are also covered with 1Protect device protection.

ICYMI, it’s a partnership between PMC and Bolttech. It’s basically a new way to protect your precious new iPhones.

Your regular one-year warranty does not cover accidental drops and water damage. Purchasing this new device protection plan (good for one year) gives you an unlimited dose of that.

Parts are guaranteed original and is an official part of AppleCare Services.

This protection program also covers one-time unwarranted exchanges (or change of mind returns) from micro scratches to color options. It will even replace your iPhone (of the same model and configuration) if it was stolen once.