CUSTOMERS and merchant partners of Electronic Commerce Payments, Inc. (ECPay), a subsidiary of Globe Telecom, Inc., had increased by 114% and 18%, respectively, from April to July, as more Filipinos shifted to digital channels for their payment transactions amid a pandemic crisis.
“ECPay has recorded an 18% increase in digital merchant partners in April to July, resulting in a 114% hike in the number of customers reached via mobile apps for eMoney, banking, lending as well as payment vending machines,” as compared to pre-pandemic levels, Globe said in an e-mailed statement on Monday.
ECPay, according to Globe, currently has access to about 27 million customers nationwide.
The multi-payment platform has 560 merchant partners with a total of 25,000 outlets spread across the country, according to Globe.
ECPay also saw a 20% increase in its biller portfolio from 286 to 345 unique billers during the said period. This improvement expands ECPay’s portfolio to “2,872 billers, with growth coming from billers engaged in loans, water, electric cooperatives, cable and internet, schools, and courier services,” Globe said.
Jasmin Montelibano, ECPay chief executive officer, said: “We are seeing the public’s growing willingness to adopt the digital lifestyle and we are glad to be able to support them by providing convenience through various touch points that may be closer to our customers and easier to get to for bills payment, cash-in services, and purchase of electronic load. We now have a good mix of traditional and digital channels that we enable with the one-stop shop proposition.”
Globe also noted that the cash-in volume of its mobile wallet arm GCash had gone up by “five times.”
In June, GCash said its transaction volume soared by 700% year on year in May.
The finance app also saw its registration volume more than triple during the first month of the enhanced community quarantine.
Globe acquired 77% equity interest in ECPay for about P1.5 billion last year.
“This in turn will help stimulate growth in the e-commerce industry and the digital economy, supporting Globe’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” it said. — Arjay L. Balinbin
