Finance
Smart, UnionBank partner for credit card rewards
Up to PhP 5,000 welcome gift
Smart subscribers are set to enjoy up to a PhP 5,000 welcome gift as the network provider has partnered with UnionBank for exclusive credit card rewards.
Under the team-up, Smart prepaid subscribers will receive a PhP 2,000 welcome gift with their new UnionBank Rewards credit card.
Meanwhile, Smart postpaid and Infinity subscribers are entitled to a PhP 5,000 welcome gift with UnionBank Rewards, UnionBank Miles+, or UnionBank Reserve credit cards.
Redeem exclusive welcome gifts
To receive the welcome gift, prepaid users must simply link their UnionBank Rewards credit card to GigaPay on the Smart App, then purchase PowerAll 99.
Postpaid users, on the other hand, should enroll their postpaid accounts to the Auto Bills Payment on UnionBank’s website.
This applies to Smart Infinity members on Plan 3500 who plan to get the UnionBank Miles+ credit card and Smart Infinity members on Plan 5000 and Plan 8000 who intend to get the UnionBank Reserve credit card.
More rewards
In addition to the welcome gifts, UnionBank Miles+ credit card users may also get 30,000 of never-expiring miles while UnionBank Reserve clients may redeem up to PhP 18,000 worth of eGifts from Giftaway merchants with an accumulated spend of PhP 40,000 within 60 days of card approval.
The exclusive promo will run until February 29.
GCash is future-proofing micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with new customer-first payment innovations. This, as the Philippines continues to become a digital payments nation.
The app expanded its suite of solutions to make digital payments more accessible, convenient, and secure for merchants.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, GCash has payment devices designed for different business sizes and ways of operating.
One is the GCash EasyPOS, an all-in-one terminal for medium and even large enterprises. This accepts QRPh, Visa, and Mastercard payments and also supports features like digital receipts, refunds, settlements, and transaction monitoring.
Meanwhile, GCash SoundPay Plus is designed for micro and small merchants, specially in the retail and F&B sectors. It combines QR payments, card acceptance, and instant voice confirmation so merchants can immediately check when a payment pushes through.
The rollout of these two solutions builds on earlier solutions GCash introduced, including PocketPay and SoundPay.
PocketPay is designed for MSMEs, bazaar or pop-up merchants, and mobile sellers who take their products and services wherever their customers are.
It turns an NFC-enabled Android smartphone into a contactless card terminal. This makes payments easy and affordable — without investing in additional hardware.
SoundPay, meanwhile, is a portable QR payment device that provides instant voice confirmation for every transaction.
According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), 57.4% of retail payment transactions by volume were made digitally in 2024.
The central bank is targeting a digital payment share of 60% to 70% by 2028, with businesses increasingly expected to support cashless transactions.
Finance
GoTyme Bank grows to 10 million users in the Philippines
Over US$ 859.4 million in customer deposits
GoTyme Bank has reached the 10 million-user milestone in the Philippines, one of its key markets.
A joint venture between the parent Tyme Group and the the local Gokongwei Group, the digital bank has officially grown to 10 million strong, its latest accomplishment after debuting in the country three years ago.
The milestone is backed by over PhP 53 billion (~859.4 million) in customer deposits and sustained engagement across the GoTyme Bank ecosystem.
A core driver of the bank’s rapid growth is its integration into users’ daily financial habits. GoTyme was the Most Used Visa Debit Card in the Philippines, based on Visa debit active usage data in 2025.
The bank has also offered free InstaPay transfers from the start (capped at 20 transactions a month) for greater flexibility. There are also more than 160 billers on the app.
Complementing the digital-first infrastructure is an extensive physical network. There are now more than 600 kiosks in major malls nationwide.
Customers can also conveniently deposit and withdraw cash through more than 2,500 Robinsons Retail store lanes. Cash deposit is also allowed through more than 4,500 7-Eleven stores nationwide.
Among GoTyme’s recent offerings is MoreTyme, a flexible, transparent, and easy-to-understand credit solution.
Through Visa, GoTyme also took part in FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns, with raffle winners being flown to watch the matches live.
Finance
UnionDigital Bank, Chubb partner for accessible insurance protection
Chubb insurance products now integrated into UD app
UnionDigital Bank and Chubb Philippines have partnered to bring accessible insurance protection to Filipinos.
The strategic partnership integrates Chubb’s insurance solutions directly on the UD app. These comprehensive solutions will be seen among UD’s suite of financial products. That way, insurance protection becomes more accessible for consumers.
The two key insurance products in the initial rollout are Loan Protect Insurance and Kaya Protect Insurance.
The first product is automatically included for eligible UD loan borrowers at no additional cost for the first three months once the loan is approved.
In the event of accidental death, permanent disability, temporary disability, or death due to illness, Loan Protect Insurance pays up to the original loan amount to cover 100% of the customer’s outstanding loan balance.
Any remaining balance is released to beneficiaries. Loan Protect Insurance is currently available for loans up to PhP 30,000 with short-term repayment periods.
Meanwhile, Kaya Protect Insurance will be available soon. This provides personal accident and accidental death coverage up to PhP 150,000 and is activated automatically by maintaining a low minimum balance of PhP 100 in the insured’s savings account.
The partnership between UnionDigital Bank and Chubb aims to address the protection gap, as according to a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey, 48% of adult Filipinos are currently uninsured.
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