Sari-sari stores across the Philippines are rapidly shifting to digital operations as more Filipinos embrace e-wallets, according to a new report by Filipino tech startup Packworks.
Data from the report showed that half of store owners saw a 75 percent increase in e-wallet usage between January and August 2025. Another 20 percent reported usage doubling, 20 percent saw a 50 percent increase, and 10 percent recorded a 10 percent rise.
The findings were based on Packworks’ internal transaction data and a survey of over 2,000 sari-sari store owners within its nationwide network of more than 300,000 stores.
Store owners cited growing consumer demand as the main driver of this shift, as more customers now use e-wallets to buy goods, access funds, and pay bills.
E-wallets are being used for various purposes: 40 percent for in-store payments, 30 percent for bill payments, and 30 percent for cash-in and cash-out services.
The digital shift is also proving profitable. About 13 percent of store owners said their e-wallet earnings now match their sales from physical goods. For others, 66 percent earn about 20 percent of revenue through e-wallet transactions, while 21 percent said these make up 10 percent of their income.
GCash and Maya dominate the market, with 85 percent of store owners using GCash and 15 percent using Maya. To meet rising demand, many stores now operate up to five e-wallet accounts, enabling a combined monthly transaction capacity of up to ₱3.5 million. About 30 percent of store owners are interested in upgrading to business accounts with higher monthly limits of ₱1 million.
The trend aligns with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data showing that 57 percent of retail transactions were cashless in 2024, underscoring the shift toward digital payments.
Packworks chief platform officer Hubert Yap said the rapid adoption of e-wallets shows how sari-sari stores are becoming essential digital hubs in their communities.
“The surge in e-wallet use proves that sari-sari stores are rapidly evolving into vital digital hubs for their communities,” Yap said. “Aside from simply selling ‘tingi’ physical items, they are now diversifying their product range, offering high-margin, value-added financial services and integrating digital tools such as our app to fundamentally improve their operations and function as near-frictionless nano-banks for the neighborhoods they serve.”
He added:
“There’s an urgent need to support these micro-entrepreneurs with the right fintech to ensure they can fully capitalize on this opportunity. As they often say in sari-sari stores, a peso saved is a peso earned!”
