L-R: Pit Quevedo, Senior Vice President & COO, Bayad Center; Lawrence Ferrer, Vice President, Maya Philippines; Manny Tuason, President and CEO, Bayad Center; Oscar Reyes, Chairman of Bayad Center; Manny Pangilinan, Chairman of Voyager Innovations; Orlando Vea, President and CEO, Voyager Innovations; Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of Maya Philippines and COO, Voyager Innovations; Paolo Azzola, co-COO and Managing Director, Maya Philippines.
MANILA, Philippines, August 5, 2016 – Maya Philippines (formerly Smart Money, Inc.), the digital financial services unit of Voyager Innovations, and the country’s leading bills pay fulfillment company Bayad Center have partnered to provide Filipinos a more convenient, faster, and more secure option to pay their utility bills and government fee requirements via Maya, the leading digital payments app in the country.
By simply downloading the Maya app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store (or updating the app for existing users), consumers can now conveniently settle their bills on time with a simple tap on the ‘Pay Bills’ feature on the app. The billers that are now available on Maya’s Pay Bills include Bayad Center partners and private companies such as MERALCO, PLDT, Laguna Water, and Cignal. Soon, more partners and government agencies will be onboarded including Smart, Sun Cellular, SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, POEA, Maynilad, PRC, and NBI among others.
“At Maya, we strive to accelerate financial inclusion in emerging markets and improve lives through payment innovations. Our partnership with the leading payment fulfillment company Bayad Center is a demonstration of this commitment. Through the Pay Bills feature of Maya, we are proud to redefine the customer experience of Filipinos and provide a hassle-free option to pay their bills by a simple tap on their smartphone from the comfort of their home, without the need for a bank account or enroll their bills,” said Orlando Vea, President and CEO of Maya Philippines and Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart.
“Bayad Center has always been committed to bringing the payment collection service closer to every Filipino. Through Maya, we make it even more convenient for the paying public to settle their bills since they can easily access the facility through their mobile phones. What is even better is that our OFWs can now pay for their bills back home without having to send money and pay charges. It is payment made available anytime, anywhere,” said Oscar Reyes, Chairman of Bayad Center.
On top of the Maya virtual account that can be used to pay for online transactions, customers can also request for their own Maya physical prepaid card which can be used in brick-and-mortar stores worldwide that accept Visa. A variant also comes with its own beep™ wallet, allowing users to ride the MRT, LRT, BGC buses, and other point-to-point (P2P) transportations powered by beep™ for their daily commute. Users who link their Maya app and card, and upgrade their Maya account can facilitate peer-to-peer money transfers and ATM withdrawals.
The Maya difference
Apps by leading banks enable users to pay their bills once enrolled in their app. Originally meant to manage and track deposit money, these apps will be useful if you have a bank account. This remains to be a challenge in the Philippines as roughly only 31% of the population have bank accounts.
With Maya, access to financial services is made easier with just a smartphone and a mobile number. To be able to pay your bills, all you need to do is download the Maya mobile app, register and activate your account with basic information such as name and mobile number—no need for a bank account or enroll your bills.
For existing users, all they need to do is update their app to enable the Pay Bills feature of their Maya. Once your account is activated, you can load your Maya at any of the 15,000 reloading stations nationwide that include SM Malls Business Centers, Robinsons Department Stores, Bayad Centers, 7-Eleven stores with Cliqq kiosks, TouchPay Kiosks, and Smart Padala Centers, on top of online banking via BDO. Maya is bank-agnostic and this means you do not need to go to bank branches just to load your account.
Leading domestic money remittance service provider Smart Padala, a brand under Maya Philippines, is also an agent of financial inclusion. With the partnership, Smart Padala is set to expand the list of merchants under its existing bills payment service, welcoming government agencies such as NBI, SSS, and Pag-IBIG among others.
Among the Maya’s innovations include: Smart Money, the pioneering mobile money service linked to the Smart SIM and mobile phone; Smart Padala, the leading domestic remittance service brand in the market and; Maya Business, a suite of digital payment acceptance solutions which allows all types and sizes of business to accept various modes of payment such as online, credit, debit, and prepaid card payments, anytime, anywhere.
It’s everything and a bank. What more could you need?
For existing PayMaya users, update your app to Maya
