GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance super app, has partnered with global payment solutions provider BPC to launch ‘GCash PocketPay’, a new card-present acceptance solution designed to democratise digital payments for millions of merchants.
Powered by BPC’s next-generation SmartVista platform, the solution allows any compatible NFC-enabled Android device to function as a secure payment acceptance point. This move opens up low-cost, modern card and contactless payment acceptance to over six million businesses, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and social sellers currently using the GCash for Business ecosystem.
Transforming smartphones into terminals
The launch of GCash PocketPay addresses a critical barrier for small businesses: the cost and complexity of traditional hardware terminals. By leveraging BPC’s technology, merchants can now accept payments directly on their smartphones, removing the need for expensive point-of-sale (POS) hardware.
This initiative supports the Philippines’ broader transition towards a “cash-lite” economy. With internet access now reaching over two-thirds of the population and MSMEs rapidly digitising, the demand for accessible payment infrastructure has never been higher. The solution expands payment choices at the street level, allowing even the smallest merchants to accept Visa and Mastercard contactless payments.
“We always work to provide meaningful digital finance solutions that empower people, organizations, and the nation,” said Jong Layug, general manager of GCash for Business at G-Xchange, Inc. “With BPC’s SmartVista acquiring platform, we can stand up to our promise and provide modern payment acceptance. This product democratizes access to digital payment portals, which can often be intimidating for MSMEs.”
A modular approach to acquiring
GCash selected BPC for its ability to deliver a flexible, modular acquiring stack that could meet ambitious time-to-market targets. The SmartVista platform is engineered for seamless integration via open APIs and rapid certification with international schemes. Its modular architecture allows GCash to introduce new capabilities on demand while maintaining a single operational view across all channels and payment types.
Beyond card payments, the platform is set to support GCash closed-loop QR and QRPH, unifying card and QR payments across channels. This consolidation simplifies operations for merchants, who can now track and manage payments through the easy-to-use GCash for Business Portal. Notably, the service offers merchants no wallet limit when receiving cashless payments and zero transaction fees for supplier payments.
Driving digitalisation in Filipino communities
The partnership highlights the role of fintech in bridging the gap between traditional banking infrastructure and the needs of the emerging digital economy.
“We’re proud to power GCash for Business acquiring journey and to help in driving digitalisation through Filipino communities,” said Pallav Malik, BPC account manager for GCash. “I would like to commend collaboration between BPC and GCash that allowed this project to go live in record short time. Thanks to SmartVista’s modular cloud-ready design and open APIs that give super-apps like GCash the speed to launch new services, the flexibility to innovate, and the resilience to scale acquisition across all its merchant network.”
By removing hardware barriers and lowering costs, GCash PocketPay is poised to accelerate the migration from cash to digital payments nationwide, empowering millions of Filipino entrepreneurs to participate more fully in the formal economy.
The post GCash Taps BPC’s SmartVista Platform to Launch ‘PocketPay’ and Fuel Cash-to-Digital Shift in the Philippines appeared first on The Fintech Times.
