Selecting a payment gateway in the Philippines calls for a clear view of how people in the country pay, what buyers expect, and how each provider supports your business across channels. You face a range of choices, and your decision affects approval rates, revenue capture, and operational efficiency. This guide brings together key data, the most relevant factors, and practical steps for merchants.
What is the Philippines’ payments landscape like?
The Philippines continues to shift towards wider use of digital payments, while cash retains a specific role for the unbanked. You see a mix of mobile wallet popularity, strong QR adoption, and ongoing challenges around security. Several figures highlight this picture:
- As of 2025, about 50.2% of Filipinos aged 15 and above owned an account with a bank or a regulated entity. This is well below the 83.3% average in East Asia and the Pacific.
- Cash transactions are projected to fall from 47% to 27% of total payment value between 2019 and 2025. Cash still supports many unbanked customers through over-the-counter deposits and top-ups.
- Digital payments made up 57.4% of retail transaction volume and 59% of value in 2024. These figures exceeded government targets under the Philippine Development Plan.
- QR Ph adoption continues to grow at a pace. In 2023, P2P payments rose by about 600%, while P2M payments increased by 2,800%.
- Online security concerns remain part of the picture. Phishing and smishing incidents continue to influence how buyers approach digital payments.
- Popular payment methods in e-commerce include mobile wallets such as GCash and Maya, debit and credit cards, and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options like BillEase, Home Credit, and SPayLater.
This blend of growing digital confidence, emerging risks, and strong wallet usage shapes what buyers expect at checkout and what you may need from a payment gateway in the Philippines.
Factors to consider when choosing a payment gateway in the Philippines
When you compare payment platforms or providers in the Philippines, it helps to look at several practical areas that directly influence your revenue and operations.
Supported payment methods
The best payment gateway for your business supports the payment methods your buyers prefer. In the Philippines, this includes GCash, Maya, QR Ph, cards from local and international issuers, and a range of BNPL and wallet options.
Supporting at least ten local methods can help you serve both domestic and cross-border audiences. You also gain more flexibility if the gateway offers bank transfers, over-the-counter payments, and recurring payment options.
Ask yourself: do these payment methods match the markets you target today and the regions you plan to serve next?
Security and compliance
Security is a critical point for buyers in the Philippines. Your provider should meet recognised standards such as PCI DSS Level 1 and support 3D Secure.
Alignment with Central Bank of the Philippines (BSP) rules and GDPR requirements gives you a clearer framework for handling data. When fraud costs typically absorb about 1-2% of revenue, strong risk controls matter. Look for features such as tokenisation, device fingerprinting, and automated risk checks that help reduce disputes and false declines.
Fees and pricing
Understanding fees helps you assess the true cost of each gateway. The merchant discount rate generally ranges from 2-4%, and cross-border fees may add 1-2%. Some gateways may also include setup charges or monthly fees.
Comparing these costs against your volumes, refunds, and chargeback patterns gives you a more accurate view of your total payment spend. One helpful question is: how do these charges interact with your average order value and your refund frequency?
Integration and ease of use
Your development team benefits from clear documentation, flexible APIs, SDKs, and plug-ins for commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento. The Philippines sees significant online traffic coming from mobile devices, so mobile optimisation matters. A gateway that supports both web and app flows with low friction helps you offer a checkout experience that aligns with buyer behaviour.
Conversion optimisation features
A payment gateway can influence your conversion rates in several ways. Features such as one-click payments, payment routing, and retry tools give buyers a smoother checkout. Trials suggest that optimised payment flows can raise conversion by a meaningful margin. These improvements add up when you operate in a market with strong mobile wallet usage.
Scalability and support
If you expect to grow across Southeast Asia, consider whether the gateway supports multiple currencies, both for pricing and settlement. You may want access to Philippine peso (PHP) along with regional currencies. Reliable support, available around the clock, helps you address technical or operational questions without delays.
Think about which markets you plan to enter next and whether your current provider can support that path.
Payout speed
Faster settlement improves your cash flow. T+1 payouts help finance teams manage working capital more easily. This timing also reduces reconciliation delays and gives you quicker access to funds during peak sales periods.
How the right gateway boosts conversions in the Philippines
- Local wallet coverage: Supporting local wallets, QR payments, and BNPL options gives buyers payment methods they already trust, which reduces cart abandonment.
- Mobile‑aligned flows: Localised payment steps keep buyers within familiar screens, helping them complete payments more consistently.
- Stronger approval outcomes: Effective risk controls reduce false declines, giving you steadier approval rates across peak and off‑peak periods.
- Intelligent routing: Routing features guide transactions through more suitable channels, improving the likelihood of a successful payment.
- Recovery of failed payments: Clear retry logic helps retrieve payments affected by temporary balance issues or connectivity problems.
- Cross‑border flexibility: Multi‑currency capabilities support international buyers by reducing friction when paying in their preferred currency.
Best practices for higher checkout conversion
- Offer wide local coverage: Include GCash, Maya, QR Ph, and local cards to meet buyer expectations.
- Reduce steps: Keep checkout stages minimal to limit buyer drop‑off.
- Provide clear guidance: Use direct, simple error messages that help buyers fix issues quickly.
- Support guest checkout: Let buyers complete their purchase without creating an account.
- Optimise for mobile: Adjust spacing, button size, and load times to suit mobile‑first browsing.
- Show totals upfront: Present full costs early to avoid hesitation at payment.
- Give straightforward confirmations: Offer clear messages after success or failure so buyers know what happens next.
Conclusion
Choosing a payment gateway in the Philippines calls for attention to payment method coverage, security standards, pricing, integration, and the quality of support you receive. The country’s payment habits are changing quickly, with clear movement towards digital payment preferences and mobile-first buying. Your gateway shapes how well you respond to these shifts.
Antom offers a broad set of local payment methods and flexible payment capabilities across regions, which can support global merchants aiming to serve buyers in the Philippines. If you plan to expand your footprint or strengthen your digital payment flows, Antom can provide solutions to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
