Which Philippine banks accept Apple Pay?

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino consumers now have a new way to pay without cash or cards in hand, as Apple Pay officially launched in the Philippines on Tuesday, joining Google Pay in the country’s growing contactless payments market.

For now, only four banks support the service: Chinabank, GoTyme, Metrobank, and UnionBank. Apple said more banks are expected to come on board in the coming months, meaning cardholders outside these four will need to wait before they can add their cards to Apple Pay.

Visa and Mastercard both confirmed that eligible debit and credit cardholders from these banks can now load their cards onto Apple Pay across iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and Macs. To pay, users simply double-click the side button on their device and hold it near a contactless terminal.

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“The launch of Apple Pay enables secure, seamless, and convenient payment experiences for consumers in the Philippines,” said Jason Crasto, Mastercard’s country manager for the Philippines, adding that the rollout reflects the region’s accelerating shift toward digital payment options.

Following Google’s lead

Apple Pay’s entry comes nearly a year after Google Pay launched locally, setting up direct competition between the two tech giants in a market where smartphone penetration continues to deepen. Both platforms work the same basic way: cards are stored digitally on the phone, and purchases are completed with a tap, fingerprint scan, or facial recognition — no physical wallet required.

How secure is it?

Apple said it does not store card numbers on either the device or its own servers. Each card is instead assigned an encrypted device account number, held in a secure chip built into the phone. Every transaction uses a one-time dynamic security code, and Apple said no transaction data is retained in a form that could be linked back to a user’s identity. The company also does not charge fees for using Apple Pay in stores, online, or within apps.

Part of a bigger cashless push

The timing lines up with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ broader digitization agenda. Digital channels already accounted for 57.4 percent of retail payments as of 2024, according to central bank data, and officials have set a target of pushing that figure to between 60 and 70 percent by 2028.

“With Apple Pay, Filipinos and tourists alike now have seamless and secure ways to pay across shops, restaurants, travel destinations, and public transport, supporting the nation’s vision to become a cash-lite economy,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Visa Philippines’ country manager. / Ian Nicolas Cagaral

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