Despite the quarantine easing up, many of us, thankfully, are still going out only to buy food and supplies; which is a good practice, as it avoids unnecessary physical contact (the Corona virus is still out there). But many of us still go out carrying cash. This makes it easier for the watchful mandurukut. One to way to avoid losing your purse or wallet to thieves is to not bring cash at all (we all have our phones with us anyway). And the GCash app makes that happen.

Consider some of the already familiar conveniences of the GCash app:

  • order food via Grab, with your Grab account connected to your GCash app for topping up
  • pay for online purchases, not just shopping, but also others such as games, subscriptions, and “utilities” such as online storage.
  • send money to another GCash user, as payment to a merchant (grocery delivery, food establishment, items merchant, money to a relative or friend in need).
  • pay your Meralco bill (or any bill listed in the GCash app) without having to find a “bayad center” and fall in line there. 
  • pay via Scan-to-Pay at merchants where GCash QR is available (these include restaurants, stores, and groceries).
  • pay using the unique barcode generated by a GCash partner merchant, such as 7-eleven.

It’s almost as if GCash was designed to help us cope with quarantine. Because you can stay at home and order food, groceries, non-essentials, and even pay your bills, so you’re actually meeting the goal of the Quarantine (which is to cut down on physical contact and avoid crowded spaces). You just need a smartphone with GCash installed and internet connection.

Your mobile wallet “is” your phone

In case you have to go out, you only still have to bring at most your phone, a small bag (or wallet), and an ecobag for storing your purchases. You won’t need to bring loads of cash. We’ve heard stories about those who’ve been robbed (their handbags and backpack slashed and their wallet/purse stolen) but they still had their smartphones with them. As long as you have your phone with you, you are not helpless – you can call the police or a loved one, buy stuff with GCash, and book a Grab ride home.

In the event your smartphone gets stolen, as long as the thief doesn’t know your MPIN, your GCash wallet’s amount is safe. When you get a new phone, and GCash app runs well even on budget phones, your GCash life can resume just like before.

Your GCash app is your mobile wallet swiss army knife

Having the GCash app on your smartphone means that you can pay for nearly everything – online purchases, bills, groceries, medicines, restaurants, and any purchase made at GCash partner merchant stores. You can even send money, buy load, borrow load, save up, donate to charities, invest, and make loans via GCredit. And you can even top up your GCash wallet without carrying cash, through fund transfers.

When you want to use physical cash to top up your GCash wallet, you can do so at hundreds of loading centers (including 7-eleven). These are just some things you can do with GCash. 

Our purses and wallets can be taken away, but as long as we have our phones, we can find a way to pay, with GCash.