The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced Filipinos to stay at home to flatten the curve, but with the enhanced community quarantine in most parts of the country, paying bills has become a burdensome task for some.
Typically, Filipinos pay for their bills via payment centers, but due to the limitations in manpower and the strict implementation of social distancing protocols, lines at these facilities have become longer than usual.
Aside from the stress from the long wait, this also exposes people who are lining up to pay their bills to the deadly virus. With this, health experts and even government officials encouraged people to transact -- including paying for their utility bills or even government dues -- digitally to avoid going out amid the national health crisis.
GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, has made it easier for its users to pay for their bills at the comforts of their homes through their smartphones. In as short as a minute, GCash users have the ability to settle payments for their electricity, water, cable, internet, telecoms, credit cards, loans, government dues, insurance, rent, and healthcare providers, among others.
“As the leader in the local financial technology landscape, we strive to provide Filipinos with the best service in the market. We have partnered with over 400 billers nationwide to make it easier for our users to transact. Our digital bills payment solution is a powerful tool that can help the government in implementing social distancing and other health protocols during these trying times,” GCash Chief Technology and Operations Officer Pebbles Sy-Manalang said.
To use the service, GCash users need only to click on the Pay Bills icon on the GCash app, choose their biller, input their accounts and the amount that they need to pay, and click on confirm.
GCash users may also save their frequently used billers and their respective accounts to make it easier to pay for their bills. For instance, one can save his Globe postpaid account by clicking on the Pay Bills icon, then tapping the Add a Biller option on the upper left portion of the screen, and inputting the billing details. The user may also set an in-app monthly reminder for further convenience.
“We all need to stay at home during this national health crisis and follow health protocols to help flatten the curve. Using digital finance to manage bills payments is a way for us to contribute in this fight against COVID-19,” Sy-Manalang said.
Aside from settling utilities and other transactions, the Pay Bills icon in the GCash app also houses the accounts of non-government organizations that have partnered with GCash, as well as the GCash-led digital donation drive called #FightCOVID19. GCash users may donate any amount to these accounts to support medical frontline workers as well as help provide daily necessities to those who are most affected by the virus.
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