DOT, GCash expand cashless payments for tourism MSMEs

November 6, 2026

Tourists visiting Philippine destinations will have more ways to pay digitally as the Department of Tourism (DOT) partners with GCash to equip accredited small businesses with cashless payment facilities, including options for transactions using supported foreign-issued cards.
The initiative seeks to reduce tourists’ dependence on cash, particularly in remote destinations where access to money changers and banking services can be limited, while helping local enterprises capture more visitor spending.
Under a memorandum of understanding, G-Xchange Inc., operator of GCash, will onboard DOT-accredited micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to GCash for Business, providing payment acceptance tools, promotional support and financial literacy training.
Participating businesses will gain access to several digital payment solutions, including GCash SoundPay, PocketPay, SoundPay Plus and EasyPOS.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the partnership would help ensure that small tourism enterprises can keep pace with visitors’ growing preference for digital transactions.
“Visitors already want to pay digitally, and our accredited enterprises should be ready for them,” she said.
“From homestay hosts to market vendors and local artisans, these are the people who make a destination lively enough to be worth visiting,” she added.
The expanded payment options could benefit businesses that traditionally rely on cash transactions, including community-based tourism operators, accommodation providers, market vendors and local artisans. Accepting digital payments also gives these enterprises an opportunity to serve international visitors who may not readily carry Philippine pesos.
Under the agreement, the DOT will encourage merchant participation through its regional offices, tourism events and trade activities. It will also provide lists of accredited enterprises for merchant outreach and verification, subject to data privacy requirements.
GCash, meanwhile, will streamline merchant registration, offer incentives and develop joint promotional campaigns with the department to encourage adoption.
The partnership forms part of efforts to improve the country’s tourism services by making transactions more convenient for visitors while expanding digital finance access among smaller businesses.
Beyond payment convenience, wider merchant adoption could help tourism communities retain more visitor spending by allowing local enterprises to accommodate customers who increasingly prefer cashless transactions.
The initiative also gives MSMEs an entry point into the digital economy, potentially improving their ability to manage sales and participate in the broader tourism value chain.