PayMaya: Pinoys going ‘cashless’ for travel-related expenses

With more Filipinos having access to the internet combined with brands offering the best travel deals, more and more Filipinos are finding greater value in going “cashless” to pay for their travel-related expenses.  

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PayMaya, the digital financial services arm of Voyager Innovations, reported that in the first quarter of the year, travel continued to be a fast growing use case for consumers, with payments for airlines and accommodation landing among the top cashless transactions for its customers.

During the first quarter of the year, PayMaya customers, in particular, were using their accounts—through their virtual card, physical card, or via QR—to purchase airline tickets in Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, as well as to book accommodations in sites like Airbnb. 

“Many Filipinos are now discovering the added value of using PayMaya for their travel needs, because aside from enabling them to book that ‘Piso Sale’ deal or get the best travel accommodations, they are also able to seamlessly use it here and abroad wherever Visa or Mastercard is accepted,” said Paolo Azzola, PayMaya’s chief operating officer and managing director. 

Meanwhile, PayMaya Business recorded a significant increase in the first quarter in terms of the number and amount of credit, debit, and prepaid card transactions it processed as the acquirer of top online commerce sites that offer travel services. Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines and one of the biggest online travel booking platforms in Asia, Agoda earned the top 2 spots.

The best card for travel 

Azzola noted that PayMaya account holders are also increasingly using their PayMaya physical cards when they travel overseas. “When you’re out there traveling, features such as getting real-time text confirmations for every transaction provides not just convenience, but peace of mind,” he said.

PayMaya allows users to use their virtual and physical cards abroad without the need to call in advance to activate; purchase in Visa- and Mastercard-accepting merchants and withdraw from ATMs; and be instantly updated of their purchases through the PayMaya app. They can also block their physical cards in real-time via the PayMaya app, allowing for fast action in case of lost cards.  

“With the fusion of convenience and great deals we are confident that we see continuous growth in travel-related transactions as we aggressively widen opportunities for consumers by giving them the means to make purchases with PayMaya, the best travel card out there today,” Azzola said.  

To help encourage even more travel transactions through its platform, PayMaya is offering its users a one-of-a-kind travel experience through its “Tara!” travel promo, where account holders can get a chance to enjoy their choice of curated travel experience with three of their family or friends. They can choose between an adventure of Ice and Fire in Iceland and Croatia, a culinary adventure in Italy, a safari escape in South Africa, a K-pop experience in Seoul, South Korea, or a magical tour in London and Scotland.  

To participate and earn raffle entries, they simply have to do any of the following:

• Activate their virtual card (10 raffle entries)
• Link their PayMaya physical card to the app (10 raffle entries)
• Add money (10 raffle entries)
• Upgrade their account (10 raffle entries)
• Pay bills (5 raffle entries per biller)
• Send money (1 raffle entry per day)
• Shop online and in-store (1 raffle entry for every P300 spend)
• Purchase digital goods in the PayMaya in-app shop or via PayMaya in Messenger (1 raffle entry per purchase)
• Pay with PayMaya QR (1 raffle entry for every P100 spend)

PayMaya Tara! Travel promo will run from March 1 to May 31, 2019. Tara and make the PayMaya card your official travel buddy! All you have to do is download the PayMaya app, register, link your PayMaya card to your app, add money to your account, and choose your next adventure!