Digital financial services leader PayMaya is making it even easier for overseas Filipinos to pay for government fees and their family’s utility bills through the PayMaya e-wallet app.
In time for Labor Day on May 1, PayMaya opens this service for Filipinos overseas so they can use their Philippine mobile SIM on roaming to register for a PayMaya account, allowing them to perform transactions such as paying government dues and utility bills, as well as sending money to other PayMaya users, even while abroad.
“Our vision of Digital Finance for All Filipinos includes our hardworking countrymen abroad, our modern-day heroes,” said Orlando Vea, founder and CEO of PayMaya. “Having a PayMaya account wherever you are in the world can empower Filipinos overseas and help them stay connected with their loved ones in the Philippines.”
According to 2020 data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are an estimated 2.2 million Filipinos who are currently working abroad, with millions more who have already migrated and can still benefit from a strong fintech platform that can help them and their families who are still in the Philippines.
Expanding financial inclusion for Filipinos worldwide
Paying for government fees such as taxes and social insurance contributions while abroad is among the top concerns of Filipinos overseas. For example, those who are currently abroad can easily use their PayMaya accounts to conveniently pay their individual Social Security System (SSS) contributions using the SSS mobile app, as well as nominate their PayMaya accounts to receive loan proceeds and other disbursements from the agency.
“Since 2019, this partnership between the Social Security System (SSS) and PayMaya has opened doors for many overseas-based Filipinos to easily and speedily remit contributions and receive disbursements to the pension fund–made all the more crucial during these trying times when mobility is limited to help curb the spread of COVID-19. This new offering from PayMaya will allow even more Filipinos to derive benefits and take advantage of the services offered by SSS, from practically anywhere in the world,” said Aurora C. Ignacio, SSS president and CEO.
Aside from the SSS, PayMaya users abroad can also transact with other government agencies such as the PAG-IBIG Fund, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and over 60 other agencies and local government units that accept PayMaya as a payment option.
PayMaya recently piloted the service in Singapore with positive feedback from Filipinos in the city-state, especially since many lack credit cards and other financial instruments that allow them to easily conduct financial transactions back home.
On top of government payments, overseas Filipinos can also pay their or their families’ bills through the more than 500 active billers available in the PayMaya app. On top of this, they can also send money to other PayMaya users in the Philippines or to any of the more than 37,000 Smart Padala centers nationwide once they have added money to their accounts.
To start using PayMaya abroad, all they have to do is download the PayMaya app on their phones (https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133) and register using their Philippine mobile SIM with international roaming activated, their address in the Philippines, as well as a valid Philippine ID such as passport, driver’s license, UMID, SSS ID with digitized photo, PRC license, and postal ID.
Once done, they can Add Money to their account through VISA, Mastercard, or JCB debit or credit cards, or through PayMaya’s international remittance partners such as Western Union and Moneygram.