How to accept Maya in the Philippines

If you’re expanding into the Philippines, a card-only checkout can leave money on the table. Many shoppers prefer cashless payment options like mobile wallets and QR, especially in day-to-day retail settings such as large malls. 

Maya is a key local payment method to support: in 2024, it processed over PHP 1 trillion (almost USD 17 billion) in merchant payments and was recognized by Visa as the top acquirer for merchant transaction volume. 

This guide breaks down what Maya is, how it compares with other payment methods, and the most practical ways global merchants can add Maya to their payment stack.

What is Maya?

Maya is a local payments ecosystem: customers use a Maya wallet account they can fund and pay from, while merchants can accept Maya online (via hosted checkout, APIs, or plugins) and in-store through QR.

Many Filipino users still move between cash and digital payments. Maya supports multiple “cash-in” paths into the Maya Wallet, including over-the-counter partners such as convenience store counters and services found in malls and supermarkets. Maya users can cash in to their Maya wallet with a minimal convenience fee. 

This helps explain why wallet payments remain practical even in a cash-heavy market: customers can convert physical cash into “Maya cash” (wallet balance) and then pay digitally.

Maya Bank’s customer base reached 5.4 million users by the end of 2024, representing a 71% year-on-year increase, a clear indicator of scale and adoption.

Maya vs GCash vs QR Ph vs Cards

These options aren’t mutually exclusive, but many high-performing Philippine checkouts offer a mix. Here’s a practical way to think about each:

Maya Payment Acceptance Options

The right choice depends on your channel mix (online vs in-store), speed-to-market needs, and how much control you want over the integration.

Use a payment service provider that supports Maya

Working with a payment service provider (PSP) is often the fastest way for global merchants to add Philippine payment methods without building a direct local integration. It’s key to confirm that the PSP supports Maya, GCash, QR Ph, and credit cards. 

The chosen PSP should also be able to handle settlement currencies and FX with clear payout options, provide reliable refunds/disputes workflows and reconciliation reporting, and offer orchestration features like routing and retries. Antom is one example of a reputable payment partner; the right fit depends on your Philippine expansion plan.

Direct integration with Maya (API/hosted checkout)

If you want tighter control (or already operate locally), you can integrate directly.

• Hosted checkout (Maya Checkout): With Maya Checkout, customers complete payment on a Maya-hosted checkout page, so you don’t have to handle sensitive payment details directly, and—depending on your setup—you can offer options such as cards, QR Ph, and Maya Wallet.
  
  
• More direct “wallet-led” experience (Pay with Maya): “Pay with Maya” supports express payment using the customer’s Maya account via Maya login or generating a Maya QR Ph.

Platform plugin

If you’re on an established e-commerce platform, plugins can shorten implementation time.

Maya’s developer documentation lists plugins as an integration method (including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento). 

Operationally, plugins are usually best when:

• You can accept the platform’s checkout constraints
• You want a faster go-live with minimal custom coding
• You still need good reconciliation/export reports for finance

In-store/omnichannel via QR

For physical-store, pop-up, retail, restaurant, and service merchants, QR-based flows are a common path. A key advantage of QR Ph is that merchants can accept payments from multiple banks and e-wallet apps using one QR code. QR Ph is BSP-supervised, and customers pay with their phone by scanning a QR Ph code.

If you’re evaluating costs, Maya Business publishes different transaction fees for QR Ph depending on the solution type (offline vs online). 

How to Add Maya for a global checkout

Use this as a practical checklist for implementation planning.

1. Decide what Maya acceptance means for your business

First, choose where Maya should show up in your customer journey: online checkout (web), in-app payments, in-store QR acceptance, or an omnichannel setup that connects online and offline sales with shared reporting.

2. Choose your integration route

• PSP: best for fastest rollout and multi-method coverage
• Direct + hosted checkout: good balance of speed and control 
• Direct + deeper wallet integration: for wallet-first experiences 
• Plugin: best for Shopify, WooCommerce-style stacks
• QR Ph in-store: best for physical collection points

3. Plan the customer payment experience

Keep the checkout copy simple: label Maya clearly (for example, “Pay with Maya wallet” or “Pay via QR Ph”), keep the flow short on mobile, and offer a fallback like cards in case a customer switches methods mid-checkout.

4. Align settlement, reconciliation, and reporting early

Before you launch, confirm settlement timing and payout location, how you’ll reconcile transactions (order ID vs payment ID), how refunds are initiated and reported (including partial refunds), and how chargebacks are handled for card payments.

5. QA using realistic scenarios

Test the full journey end-to-end: successful Maya wallet/QR payments, failed attempts and retries, refunds (including partial refunds), and, if you use them, webhooks or payment status notifications.

Benefits of accepting Maya payments

• Meet local payment expectations: Maya is a familiar option for everyday spending. Offering it signals that you understand local habits rather than forcing customers into card-only flows that feel foreign or inconvenient.
  
  
• Lower friction for mobile-first checkouts: Wallet users expect speed. Maya supports fast, app-based confirmation, which suits shoppers who move quickly between browsing and paying on their phones.
  
  
• Clear payment confirmation: Most transactions confirm almost immediately. That visibility helps you manage orders, inventory, and fulfilment without waiting for delayed status updates.
  
  
• Reach customers beyond cards: Not every shopper relies on a credit or debit card. Adding Maya opens the door to customers who prefer wallets for budgeting, security, or ease of use.
  
  
• Work across channels: Maya supports online checkout, in-app payments, and QR-based in-store flows. You can offer a consistent experience whether customers buy on a website, inside an app, or at a physical counter.
  
  
• Strengthen your mix: Maya works best alongside cards and other local methods. You give customers choice, reduce drop-off at checkout, and keep flexibility as your payment strategy grows.

Conclusion

Accepting Maya is a practical step toward paying the way customers in the Philippines already live and shop. When checkout feels familiar and mobile-friendly, customers hesitate less and complete purchases with more confidence.

As you expand or refine your setup, working with a payment partner like Antom can help you bring these options together through a single integration. You stay flexible, your payment mix stays local, and your business stays ready as customer expectations continue to shift.