GCash, QRPH, or Cash: What Filipino Guests Pay With

Your guest is ready to book. They ask, "Pano mag-bayad?" If your answer does not include their preferred payment method, you risk losing that booking. Here is what Filipino guests actually use and why you should accept all of it.

GCash

GCash is the most widely used e-wallet in the Philippines, with over 90 million registered users as of 2024 according to Mynt (the company behind GCash). For most Filipino travelers, sending a GCash payment is as natural as sending a text message.

The upside: nearly everyone has it. Transfers are instant. You get a transaction receipt automatically.

The downside: GCash charges fees on certain transactions, and there are daily and monthly transfer limits. For larger bookings (group stays, holiday rates), guests may need to split payments across multiple transfers.

For operators, GCash works well for deposits and partial payments. Just make sure you are using a GCash Business account if your volume is high enough to justify it.

QRPH

QRPH is the QR code payment standard from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. It connects banks and e-wallets through a single QR code. A guest with BDO, BPI, UnionBank, Maya, or any QRPH-participating institution can scan your code and pay directly from their account.

The big advantage: lower fees than e-wallet transfers. Bank-to-bank transfers through QRPH via InstaPay typically cost 0 to 25 pesos per transaction, compared to percentage-based fees on other platforms.

QRPH is gaining ground fast, especially with younger and more bank-savvy guests. If you do not have a QRPH code displayed at your front desk yet, you are leaving easy money on the table.

Card Payments

For international guests and some domestic travelers, credit and debit cards are the default. If you accept online bookings from foreign tourists, you need a way to process cards.

The catch is cost. Card processing fees in the Philippines typically run around 3.5% plus 15 pesos per transaction through common payment gateways. On a 5,000-peso booking, that is about 190 pesos in fees. It adds up.

Still, refusing cards means losing international bookings entirely. If you operate in a tourist area like Palawan, Siargao, or Boracay, card acceptance is not optional.

Cash

Cash is still king in many parts of the Philippines, especially in provincial areas. Walk-in guests, last-minute bookings, and older travelers often prefer paying in cash.

The advantage: zero processing fees. The money is in your hand immediately.

The disadvantage: cash is harder to track. Without discipline in recording cash payments, your books will not match reality at the end of the month. Every cash payment should be logged with the guest name, room, dates, and amount.

The Right Answer: Offer Everything

Do not pick one payment method. Offer all of them and let the guest choose. GCash for the quick deposit. QRPH for the fee-conscious guest. Cards for international visitors. Cash for walk-ins.

The more important habit is tracking which method was used for each booking. When it is time to reconcile your income at the end of the month, you need to know how much came in through GCash versus cash versus bank transfer. Mixing everything into one mental bucket is how operators lose track of their actual revenue.

Tuluyan helps property operators track bookings and payments across multiple methods in one platform. See how it works at tuluyan.ph/operators.