Mobile Payments: Bills You Can Pay with Your Phone in the PH

We all know never to leave home without our wallets. But in case you do forget, worry not. As long as you have your smartphone with you, you can pay for a variety of things using a reliable digital payment app such as Maya. To learn more, read on for a comprehensive list of everything you can pay for using your mobile device.

Utility Bills

Settling your utility bills on time is crucial to keeping everything running smoothly at home. After all, we rely on easy access to electricity and water for most of our basic household activities. Additionally, a reliable landline, mobile, and Internet connection are essential for staying in touch with others.

While some companies do allow you to catch up on late payments, you’ll end up with additional penalties as a result. And missing too many payments could cause your electricity, water, and Internet connections to be cut off for an indefinite time.

To resolve service disconnections, you’ll likely have to spend hours talking to customer support. In some cases, you may have to go all the way to their physical offices just to deposit payments.

The good news is that you can avoid all of these hassles by using your smartphone to pay for your utility bills. Some will require you to register your service provider, while others simply ask you to fill in specific reference numbers and the payable amount. You may even be able to set them up to make automatic payments, so you never have to worry about missing utility payments ever again. Certain apps may even offer a cashback as an incentive, such as Maya’s Bills Payment Function.

Government Contributions

If you’re registered as a self-employed or voluntary member, you know how hefty penalties for late government contributions can be. And if you’re unable to make consistent payments for several consecutive months, you may become ineligible for claiming certain benefits.

But with how busy life can get, it can be hard to head out just to pay for them. And even if you did manage to fit this errand into your schedule, all that time spent waiting could have been used to pursue your passions or grow your business instead.

Fortunately, many government offices now accept online payments through various channels. This means that you can pay for your taxes, social security, health insurance, and more in just a few taps on your smartphone. And because you won’t have to spend the whole day waiting in line, you can spend your precious time working on more productive tasks instead.

Online Purchases

While window shopping can be a lot of fun, the same can’t be said for waiting in line at the cashier. And having to squeeze your way through a crowd during a mall sale may not make the savings worth the trouble. That’s assuming you have the time to go out and shop in the first place, given the heavy traffic you may have to endure just to get to the store and back.

Instead of tiring yourself out, you could buy your favorite clothes, gadgets, books, and other products online. Unlike shopping at a physical store, you won’t have to waste time searching for the right item. All you need to do is type in the product you want into a search bar, and you’ll be able to compare several listings at a glance. Once you’ve finalized your order, just pick your smartphone app as your method of payment. Alternatively, you can use a linked virtual card to pay via online bank transfers or credit card.

Dine-in and Take Out Meals

There’s nothing more embarrassing than finishing a scrumptious meal at a restaurant, only to realize you’re short on cash once the bill arrives. The same can be said for when you’re about to pay for your order at a fast-food stall, only to discover you left your wallet at home.

Luckily, many food establishments are starting to adopt cashless transactions so they can cater to more customers. So the next time you find yourself hankering for a snack, try looking for restaurants and stalls that allow for mobile payments. You can usually spot them from afar, as they usually display standees with QR codes printed on them. You might even get to avail of certain promos and discounts, as some food companies have exclusive partnerships with certain payment apps.

Food Deliveries

Food delivery services are incredibly convenient, especially on days when you just don’t have the energy to step out for a meal. They’re also great for when you’re planning a party but simply don’t have enough time to prepare all of the food yourself.

And with the growing popularity of food delivery smartphone apps, ordering has never been easier. Just tap on your favorite restaurant, your desired dishes, and your preferred payment method, and you’ll have food at your doorstep in no time.

That said, there can be some hiccups along the way. Sometimes your rider may arrive without enough change, forcing you to scrounge around your home for the exact amount on short notice. Other times, you might not have enough cash on hand to cover your total payment. And even if you chose to pay by swiping your debit or credit card upon delivery, portable POS devices can sometimes act up. For instance, these devices often have trouble picking up a strong enough signal to complete the transaction.

One way to forego these inconveniences is by ordering from establishments that accept smartphone app payments. By doing so, you won’t have to deal with handling coins and bills. Instead, the delivery person will simply arrive at your address, check your name and order, and hand your food over. Then, after confirming that you’ve received your order, the total amount will be automatically deducted from your smartphone app’s account balance.

That’s not all. Certain food companies may have tie-up promos with your chosen mobile payment app. Some may offer discount coupons if your order reaches a certain amount, while others may even waive the delivery fee altogether. So make sure to regularly check out what deals they have to offer!

Flights and Lodging

We all deserve a break every once in a while. However, going on a vacation can be rather costly, as you have to account for food, transportation, and lodging—just to name a few.

That said, there are several ways you can save on travel expenses, such as waiting for significant discounts on flights and accommodations. The catch is that many of these promos only allow you to pay via credit card. Without one, you might end up missing out on seat sales and room packages.

Fortunately, some smartphone payment apps allow you to activate virtual prepaid cards. Just like a physical credit or debit card, you’ll be provided with a card number, expiration date, and a card verification number. With these details, you easily can book flights and hotel rooms as well as make reservations at certain establishments.

All you have to do is top-up your virtual card via cash or bank deposit, and you’re good to go. There’s no need to print out your itinerary or reservation details, either. Just save a copy of your proof of payment to your smartphone. Then, present your proof of payment once you check in to the airport or hotel lobby.

Groceries

Shopping for groceries can be quite a cumbersome errand. Indeed, it can be quite a pain having to hunt through the store for the exact items that you need. And once you’ve finally got everything you need, you then have to stand in line for hours just to pay for your purchases.

It can indeed be incredibly stressful to finally get to the checkout counter, only to find out that you’ve gone over your estimated total bill. And though you can try to fall back on your debit or credit card, you’re out of luck if their POS system is malfunctioning.

To avoid moments like these, you may want to consider doing your groceries at establishments that accept smartphone payments. That way, you’ll have an additional way to pay in case you run out of cash or encounter problems with your bank cards. You may even get additional perks for doing so, such as discounts or cashback promos. So not only can you enjoy a hassle-free shopping experience, but you’ll also enjoy significant savings each time. And in these trying times, every peso counts.

If you want to save even more time, you could try going completely digital by simply ordering all of your groceries online. All you have to do is tap on your preferred grocery, select your items, and pick a payment method. Then, just sit back and relax as the grocery processes and delivers your order directly to your indicated address.

Event Tickets

When it comes to movies, plays, concerts, sporting events, and other forms of live entertainment, getting your hands on a ticket can be quite the challenge. This is especially true for popular and highly anticipated events, where tickets can sell out within a matter of minutes. And even if you were to line up incredibly early at the ticket office, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a ticket before they run out.

In most cases, you’ll have better chances of securing a seat by skipping the lines and buying your tickets online. Some movie houses, theatres, and other venues even allow you to reserve your seats in advance, all for a minimal fee. However, many of these companies only accept credit card payments.

This is where a smartphone payment app or virtual card can come in handy. With just a few taps, you can choose your ideal seats and pay for your tickets ahead of everyone else. You don’t even have to print out your ticket. Once the date of the event rolls around, all you’ll have to do is show a screenshot of your receipt to claim your seat. The best part is that online reservations typically have dedicated lanes, meaning you can skip the lines to verify your payment.

Streaming Services

For those who prefer to get the most value for their money, subscribing to multimedia streaming services may be the way to go. Depending on the subscription plan that you get, you can enjoy access to thousands of movies, songs, games, books, and other media for a minimal monthly fee. In fact, some plans are so affordable that they’re only the fraction of the cost for a single movie ticket. Additionally, these on-demand services allow you to watch, listen, play, or read any available titles whenever you want.

The thing is, you can only sign up for these subscriptions using a debit or credit card, as they automatically charge their users a monthly fee. But with your trusty smartphone app’s virtual card, this shouldn’t be an issue. Simply input your virtual card details when asked for your debit or credit card details, and your account will be ready for use.

But while you can use your virtual card in place of a credit card, it’s important to note that they aren’t the same thing. With a credit card, you can charge transactions to it immediately and then pay your outstanding balance at a later time. On the other hand, a virtual card functions more like a prepaid card, which works by accessing money that’s already held in your account. If your account balance is insufficient for a payment you want to make, then your virtual card will not allow any transactions to go through.

Hence, make sure to keep these differences in mind so that your subscriptions don’t get canceled by accident. As long as you keep your smartphone app’s balance topped up, you shouldn’t have a problem staying subscribed to your favorite streaming services. To ensure that you don’t miss a payment, you may want to set a monthly reminder to add money to your virtual card balance a few days before your subscription fee is due.

In Conclusion

These are just some of the various things that you can conveniently pay for using your smartphone. As more and more companies start accepting digital payment methods, this list will be sure to grow. Before long, further advances in technology may help make cashless transactions the norm. For now, you can give smartphone payments a try with the products and services we’ve listed so far.

References:

https://www.maya.ph/stories/top-13-places-where-you-can-use-your-paymaya-visa-app

https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/announcements/247142-shop-online-pay-with-paymaya