As the pandemic continues to make digital payments indispensable to Filipinos, PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) continue to elevate the quality of their customers’ digital lifestyles through synergies with PayMaya, the financial technology (fintech) arm of PLDT-affiliate Voyager Innovations (Voyager).
With PLDT and Smart’s reliable internet and mobile services, customers like Rowena Lei, a Quezon City-based blogger, can enjoy the convenience offered by the PayMaya app.
“We do almost everything online now – from work to online school, to entertainment,” she said.
A PayMaya user since 2016 and a PLDT and Sun customer even before that, Lei shared that technology has helped her manage her household in multiple ways.
“Initially, I signed up for a PayMaya account because it was one of the accepted payment modes of a platform where my kids bought games. Later on, I’d use it to pay bills, order food, and others. PayMaya has made my life so much more convenient that I no longer need to go out to pay for stuff. I get cashbacks, too,” she said.
PayMaya is the only fintech company in PH operating an end-to-end digital financial services ecosystem with a widely used consumer e-wallet app, the most extensive on-ground agent network via Smart Padala, and the largest non-bank enterprise payments processing business.
Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 60,000 partner agent touchpoints serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved access to digital financial services.
“PLDT and Smart are continuously expanding and enhancing the digital ecosystem available to Filipinos through synergies with PayMaya. This collaboration underscores our efforts in putting the needs of our customers first, as they are the North Star for all our group-wide efforts. Through PayMaya’s services, backed by the widest network coverage of PLDT and Smart, we can elevate the quality of our customers’ experience,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications President and CEO.
Smart customers can also use GigaPay powered by PayMaya, which allows users to link their PayMaya wallet for in-app transactions such as buying load, subscribing to promos, and paying bills on Smart’s GigaLife app.
"Promoting digital payment transactions via PayMaya is aligned with our goal to make our customers’ lives simple and easy by bringing the most relevant digital services to more Filipinos," according to Jane J. Basas, head of Smart’s Consumer Wireless business.
PayMaya together with the reliable networks of PLDT and Smart are in the right position to support their customers’ needs as more and more Filipinos adopt digital payments, propelled by the steady growth of e-commerce in the country.
"We have embedded digital payments in the everyday life of Filipinos through an easy-to-use and trusted financial account via PayMaya. We're going beyond payments with exciting new financial services, in tandem with Maya Bank, as we further spur adoption and foster financial inclusion," said Shailesh Baidwan, President at PayMaya.
In September last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas granted a digital banking license to Maya Bank, which is targeted to launch in the first quarter of 2022. The digital bank's primary focus will be the largely unbanked and underserved consumers and MSMEs.
Maya Bank will leverage on PayMaya's successful track record and ready base of consumers and MSMEs, as well as its widest digital payments touchpoints and strong enterprise partnerships. Through its strong affiliation with PLDT and Smart, Maya Bank will also be able to promote a seamless digital banking experience among the two telcos’ customers.
Fintech, digital payments, and e-commerce are just a few among the many parts of the digital ecosystem powered by PLDT's fiber infrastructure, the country's most extensive at 743,700 kilometers as of end-December, and Smart's mobile network, the country's fastest mobile and 5G network according to Ookla, which covers 96% of the population from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. Interested subscribers can also make the Smart move via the GigaLife App or book a virtual store booking for MNP at http://smrt.ph/bookanapp. To know more, visit smart.com.ph/switch.
