GCash enters tax refund market

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September 6, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — E-wallet giant GCash is going all in on its push to expand internationally, this time introducing a tax refund feature to speed up foreign currency conversion in 16 countries.

GCash is expanding its payment reach here and abroad ahead of the listing of its parent, Mynt Inc., entering a new market that caters largely to travelers.

GCash teamed up with Alipay+ and Swiss company Global Blue to bring Digital Tax Refund to the e-wallet, enabling Filipinos to receive their tax refunds instantly in pesos.

GCash vice president for international payments Carlos Bauza said the feature eliminates weeks of waiting for banks to credit tax refunds.

Travelers also no longer have to carry leftover foreign currency on their return home, which they still have to exchange.

Traditionally, travelers claiming tax refunds overseas could receive them in foreign currency. Or, they could wait up to four weeks, or longer, for the tax refunds to be credited into their financial accounts.

Given this, Bauza said such procedures expose Filipinos to conversion fees and foreign exchange rate fluctuations, reducing the value of their tax refunds.

The Digital Tax Refund, on the other hand, allows travelers to generate a QR code on the GCash app that airport authorities could scan to directly transfer the tax refund to the e-wallet.

“We are giving Filipino travelers a faster and more convenient way to receive the money they are entitled to, directly in pesos through the GCash app they already use every day,” Bauza said.

GCash’s tax refund is online in Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Bauza said more countries would be added soon.

GCash is widening its overseas reach to ease cross-border transactions for Filipinos. The Digital Tax Refund, for one, aims to give users the maximum value for purchases abroad.

In March, GCash also activated a feature that lets Filipinos send money to foreign bank accounts, with the amount credited on the same day.

The push to expand abroad comes as GCash’s parent, Mynt, nears its listing on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange, aiming for a record P92.3-billion debut.