Quick Answer: HitPay is a leading QR payment gateway for Philippine SMEs, supporting QR Ph, GCash, Maya, InstaPay, PESONet, and 50+ payment methods with no monthly fees and next business day payouts in PHP for local wallet and QR methods. Philippine merchants can sign up and get approved in 1–3 business days. HitPay operates across Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines under MAS licence PS20200643.

QR code payments have reshaped how Philippine businesses collect money. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) launched QR Ph as the national QR standard, enabling any bank or e-wallet app — GCash, Maya, UnionBank Online, and others — to send and receive payments through a single scannable code. For a sari-sari store in Quezon City or a boutique in BGC, that means one QR code can accept payments from virtually every digital wallet a customer carries.

Choosing the right gateway to power that QR code is a separate decision. Fees, payout timing, and the breadth of payment methods vary significantly across providers. This comparison covers the platforms Philippine SMEs evaluate most often.

What Makes a QR Payment Gateway Right for Philippine SMEs?

Four factors determine fit: payment method coverage, transaction fees, payout speed, and setup complexity.

Payment method coverage matters because Philippine customers are fragmented across apps. A café in Makati will serve GCash users, Maya users, and customers who prefer to scan via their bank app through QR Ph. A gateway that supports only one or two wallets forces customers to pay another way — or not at all.

Payout speed directly affects cash flow. A small retailer in Cebu running on thin margins cannot wait a week to access funds. Domestic transactions settling next business day versus T+7 is a material operational difference.

For a deeper look at how QR code payments work across Southeast Asia — including QR Ph, DuitNow, and PayNow — that guide covers the mechanics and cross-border implications in full.

How Do the Main QR Payment Gateways Compare?

The table below summarises the key facts across the most-evaluated gateways for Philippine merchants.

Card transaction rates vary by provider. For HitPay’s current rates, see hitpayapp.com/pricing.

Which Providers Are Worth Considering — and for Whom?

HitPay

Best for: SMEs across the Philippines that want zero monthly fees, 50+ payment methods including QR Ph, GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, InstaPay, PESONet, BillEase, and over-the-counter options — with next business day payouts in PHP for local wallet and QR methods and no bank relationship required.

HitPay supports QR Ph natively, including a Scan to Pay feature built for in-person Philippine merchants that generates a static QR code for counter display. Cross-border QR payments are also available — a Korean tourist paying via Korean wallet users or Indonesian customers using QRIS can complete a purchase at a Davao shop without any currency exchange at point of sale. Cross-border transactions settle at T+2.

HitPay is PCI DSS compliant and operates under MAS licence PS20200643.

PayMongo

PayMongo is a Philippines-focused gateway trusted by over 10,000 businesses. It supports QR Ph, GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, SPayLater, BillEase, and major online banks. Card fees are 3.125% + ₱13.39 for domestic transactions and 4.02% + ₱13.39 for international. The PayMongo Storefront plan costs ₱349/month.

Best for: Philippine-only businesses that want a locally built product with a built-in storefront and capital features, and are comfortable paying a monthly fee for those extras.

Maya Business

Maya Business is the merchant-facing arm of the #1 digital bank app in the Philippines by monthly active users. It supports QR code transfer, phone number transfer, InstaPay, debit and credit cards. Maya Business is deeply integrated with the Maya consumer ecosystem but does not natively support GCash acceptance.

Best for: Businesses with existing Maya/PayMaya banking relationships that primarily serve Maya wallet users and need tight integration with Maya’s financial products.

2C2P

2C2P supports online and offline QR payments, cards, BNPL, and over-the-counter payments at more than 600,000 locations across Asia. Pricing is custom and enterprise-oriented. Payout speed ranges from T+1 to T+3.

Best for: Established enterprises or platforms processing high volumes across multiple Southeast Asian markets that need a single regional contract and over-the-counter payment scale.

Adyen

Payment options for Philippine merchants on Stripe and Adyen are predominantly card-based in the PH market, with limited local e-wallet support compared to homegrown gateways. Adyen processes €1.4 trillion annually and offers enterprise-grade uptime (99.999% historical). Its Philippine footprint is card-focused.

Best for: Global enterprises already on Adyen’s platform that process predominantly card transactions and do not require deep local e-wallet coverage in the Philippines.

Airwallex

Airwallex’s strength is multi-currency treasury, global transfers, and corporate cards. Its subscription pricing starts at $79/month (Grow plan). Local Philippine e-wallet acceptance is limited compared to purpose-built local gateways.

Best for: Businesses with significant cross-border treasury needs — FX transfers, multi-currency accounts, or global expense management — where payment acceptance is secondary to financial operations.

What Should Philippine SMEs Do Before Choosing a QR Gateway?

1. List every payment method your customers currently use — GCash, Maya, QR Ph bank apps, cards.

2. Check whether the gateway supports all of them natively, not just through a third-party workaround.

3. Confirm payout timing for each method — domestic vs cross-border settlement differs.

4. Calculate the true monthly cost: transaction fees × average volume, plus any monthly subscription.

5. Verify the gateway holds a BSP Operator of Payment Systems (OPS) licence or operates under a licensed partner for Philippines transactions.

6. Test onboarding speed — most Philippine SMEs need to go live within days, not weeks.

For merchants evaluating how to generate a QR Ph code for their business, that step-by-step guide covers the setup process, BSP requirements, and static vs dynamic QR options in detail.

The right gateway is the one that covers the methods your customers actually use, pays out on a schedule that matches your cash flow, and charges fees proportional to your volume — not a flat monthly fee regardless of whether you sell.

Frequently Asked Questions