GCash India: All you need to know

GCash is an e-wallet in the Philippines that can be used for digital payments. Completely cashless, it is the #1 mobile wallet in the country and has 55 million users with 4.5 million Filipino businesses on the platform. Learn more about GCash and how it works if you are in India.¹

Is GCash available in India?

Yes and no. It is available in India for users with a registered account and a working Filipino mobile number. But is not available to Indian mobile numbers.

The app is available for download on the iOS and Android app stores. But to be able to register for a verified GCash account you must either be a Filipino citizen or a qualifying foreign national.

A foreign national must submit the following documents to be able to register on GCash:

• Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR)
• A DOLE Alien Employment or School Registration Form
• Proof of billing
• A valid passport

Once a non-Filipino citizen has submitted these documents along with verifying the registered Filipino number, you can sign up for GCash.

After you are registered you can use GCash with your phone wherever you are, including in India. GCash helps users transfer money, but also pay bills, online shop, request money, and even book movie tickets in the Philippines. ²

How can I send money from India to GCash?

It depends. Family and friends can send money to the Philippines from India, but not all options allow for payments directly into GCash. While GCash does not have a remittance partner in India, here are a few ways to send money to the Philippines.

Banks

Most Indian banks offer ways to send money abroad from India. Contact your bank’s online banking platform or your bank directly to send outward remittance wire transfers to the Philippines. While this does not allow for transfers to GCash directly, it will allow you to send money to a Filipino bank account.

But keep in mind that banks can be pricey - with transaction fees and hidden exchange rate fees- and can take a lot longer than modern transfer providers.

Wise

Wise is a digital money transfer service where Indian residents can send money abroad- including to the Philippines. Wise Web/Android/ iOS app can help you transfer money to the Philippines and compare the best rates.

There is just one low transfer fee and 1.88% of the amount, and the real exchange rate when sending money abroad with Wise. The real exchange rate is the one you see on Google and doesn’t have a markup.

But Wise only allows for Indian users to send directly to a bank account in the Philippines as GCash does not have a registered service provider in India.⁴

Western Union

With Western Union, if you are in specific countries like the US, you can use the service to send money directly to a mobile wallet like a GCash account in the Philippines. However, if you are in India and trying to send money to the Philippines, you can only transfer to a bank account directly. Recipients in the Philippines can then load their GCash account from the bank deposit.

If your sender is in a country where Western Union does allow transfers to a mobile wallet, it is easy to get the remittance with GCash’s ‘Cash-In’ option. Here are the steps once your sender has completed the transaction on their side:

1. Open your GCash app
2. Choose the Cash In option
3. Select Western Union, under Remittances
4. Enter in the precise transfer amount from your sender
5. Enter in the Reference number or the Western Union 10 digit Mobile Transfer Control Number
6. Confirm the transaction
7. The fund will be sent to your account immediately

You must provide your sender the following to be able to transfer to your GCash account:

• Your GCash registered name
• Your GCash 09XXXXXXXXX account number

Your sender also needs to make sure to send you the Mobile Transfer Control Number (MTCN) so you can pull the transfer into your account.³

GCash India fees and charges

Let’s take a look at how GCash fees look, and what you can expect for charges when sending money from India to the Philippines with Western Union or Wise.

Here is a list of GCash’s fees for Cash-In:⁵

Save money on international transfers with Wise

Wise is the simple, fast, and cost-effective way to send money overseas. Indian residents can now use Wise to transfer money to local bank accounts abroad right from their mobile or computer. And with a free account, it is easier than ever to send money to friends or family, pay tuition or reserve your next holiday.

Over 12 million people around the world use Wise to send money around the world. Join Wise for free and see how much you can save on your next transfer abroad.