Wallets/maya
Maya (formerly PayMaya)
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Supported standards
This wallet supports the following visual-code standards:
Overview
Maya (formerly PayMaya) is the Philippines' second-largest e-wallet and the country's only end-to-end digital financial-services platform, combining a feature-rich wallet with a full digital-banking licence operated by Maya Bank, Inc. under supervision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). It processed over ₱1 trillion in transaction value during 2024 and serves as the leading merchant acquirer for Visa in the Philippines. Maya operates a wallet, savings accounts, crypto trading, credit cards, and a nationwide agent network of over 63,000 partners under the Maya Center brand.
History
2014 — PayMaya launched as a mobile wallet by Voyager Innovations, a Philippine fintech company founded in 2010 by John Gokongwei Jr. (JG Summit Holdings) and Andrew Tan (LT Group). The launch was funded with approximately ₱1 billion from the two investors.
2015 — PayMaya received an Electronic Money Issuer (EMI) license from the BSP, enabling it to issue stored-value cards and accept deposits up to ₱50,000 per customer.
2017 — PayMaya integrated with InstaPay, the BSP's real-time fund-transfer network, allowing users to send and receive money between banks and wallets.
2019 — PayMaya launched its physical debit card in partnership with Visa, enabling ATM withdrawals and point-of-sale payments at merchants accepting Visa.
2020 — During the pandemic, PayMaya expanded into bill payments, mobile load, and crypto trading, adding Bitcoin and other digital assets to the platform. Transaction volume surged as contactless payments grew.
2021 — Maya Bank, Inc. received a Digital Bank License from the BSP. This allowed PayMaya to offer full banking services — savings accounts earning interest, personal loans, and credit lines — within the same app.
2022 — PayMaya rebranded to Maya across all products, including the consumer app (Maya), the business platform (Maya Business), and the agent network (Maya Center). The rebrand signalled a shift from "just payments" to an all-in-one financial platform. Maya Black Credit Card launched in partnership with Mastercard.
2024 — Maya processed over ₱1 trillion in total transaction value. The platform continued expanding its merchant acceptance network and crypto offerings.
Ownership & operator
- Maya Philippines, Inc. — the EMI and end-to-end digital payments company. Operates the Maya wallet and Maya Business platform.
- Maya Bank, Inc. — the digital-banking subsidiary. Offers savings, deposits, and credit products. Deposits insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) up to ₱500,000 per depositor.
- Parent: Both entities are controlled by Voyager Innovations, which is majority-owned by JG Summit Holdings (John Gokongwei Jr.) and LT Group (Andrew Tan).
- Regulator: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) — supervises both the EMI and digital-bank licenses. PCI DSS Level 1 certified.
Technical integration
QR Ph — Maya is a full participant in the BSP's QR Ph national interoperability standard. Merchants can accept payments from Maya and any other QR Ph-connected bank or e-wallet (GCash, UnionBank, BPI, etc.) through a single QR code. Maya supports both static (fixed-amount) and dynamic (variable-amount) QR Ph codes for merchant payments QR Ph.
InstaPay — Maya is a direct participant in InstaPay for real-time P2P and wallet-to-wallet transfers, available 24/7 with transaction limits up to ₱50,000 per transfer InstaPay.
PESONet — Maya supports PESONet for batch-processed, higher-value transfers (typically ₱250,000+) for payroll, B2B, and government payments PESONet.
Channels: Mobile app (iOS, Android), web dashboard for business accounts. No USSD or feature-phone support.
Identifiers accepted: QR code (QR Ph), phone number, email address, Maya @username for P2P transfers.
Users & growth
- Registered users: Over 8 million (2024, Maya press materials). Maya describes itself as the "#1 Digital Bank App in monthly active users" in the Philippines.
- Transaction volume: Over ₱1 trillion processed in 2024. This includes wallet transfers, QR Ph merchant payments, InstaPay/PESONet bank transfers, and bill payments.
- Market position: Second-largest e-wallet in the Philippines behind GCash (which has ~94 million users). Maya is the leading merchant acquirer for Visa in the Philippines.
- Agent network: Over 63,000 Maya Center partner agents nationwide, providing cash-in/cash-out services for unbanked and underbanked communities.
Use cases
- P2P transfers: Send money using phone number, email, or Maya @username. Supports InstaPay for instant bank transfers.
- Merchant payments (QR Ph): Static and dynamic QR Ph codes for brick-and-mortar and e-commerce payments. Maya Business provides merchant dashboards, sales reporting, and automated reconciliation.
- Bill payments: Electric, water, telco, government fees, and other billers. Supports cash-in at Maya Center agents.
- Crypto trading: Buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin and other digital assets within the app. One of the earliest Filipino wallets to integrate crypto.
- Savings & lending: Maya Savings accounts (up to 10% p.a.), Maya Credit (pre-approved credit lines up to ₱30,000), and Maya Black Credit Card.
- Remittances: OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) remittance support through Maya Center agent network and partner integrations.
- Mobile load & gaming pins: Prepaid load for Smart, TNT, and other telcos; gaming pins for popular titles.
Implementations & partners
- Bank partners: UnionBank, BPI, and other BSP-regulated institutions for InstaPay/PESONet integration and bank-transfer funding.
- Merchant partners: Jollibee, McDonald's Philippines, Mercury Drug, Shell, Watsons, Bench, Agoda, National Bookstore, Landers, and 63,000+ Maya Center agents.
- Card networks: Visa (physical and virtual debit cards) and Mastercard (Maya Black Credit Card).
- Cross-border: Maya participates in BSP's regional interoperability initiatives including Project Nexus (ASEAN cross-border real-time payments). InstaPay links with Singapore's PayNow for ASEAN transfers.
Fun facts
- Maya was one of the first Filipino wallets to offer crypto trading (Bitcoin) directly within the app, predating many traditional Philippine banks' crypto integration.
- The rebrand from PayMaya to Maya in 2022 was accompanied by a complete app redesign and the launch of Maya Bank as a separate legal entity with a full digital-banking licence.
- Maya Center's 63,000+ agent network reaches communities where traditional bank branches are scarce, functioning as micro-ATMs for cash-in/cash-out.
Comparison
| Feature | Maya | GCash |
|---|---|---|
| Users | >8M registered | ~94M registered |
| QR Ph | Full participant (static + dynamic) | Full participant |
| Digital bank | Yes (Maya Bank, BSP-licensed) | Yes (mynt., BSP-licensed) |
| Crypto | Yes (Bitcoin, altcoins) | Yes (GCash Crypto) |
| Credit cards | Maya Black (Mastercard) | GCash Credit Line (Visa) |
| Agent network | 63,000+ Maya Center | 500,000+ GCash Cash-in Points |
| Visa merchant acquirer | #1 in Philippines | #2 |
| Cross-border | Project Nexus, PayNow link | UnionPay QR, Western Union, Panda Remit |
Maya differentiates through its integrated banking approach — combining wallet, digital bank, and business services in one platform under a single BSP license, whereas GCash operates as a super-app with broader but less deep financial services. Maya's Maya Center agent network (63,000+) is also more focused on community-level financial inclusion compared to GCash's broader but less structured cash-in points.
Status
Active. Maya continues to expand its merchant acceptance, agent network, and financial services in the Philippines. The platform is regulated by the BSP under both EMI and digital-bank licenses. Maya Bank deposits are PDIC-insured up to ₱500,000 per depositor. The 2024 transaction volume of ₱1+ trillion demonstrates continued growth.
Sources
[1] Maya — official site — Maya Philippines, 2026. [2] Maya Bank — digital banking — Maya Bank, Inc., 2026. [3] PayMaya → Maya rebrand page — Maya, 2022. [4] Philippines Payment Rails — Transfi — Transfi, Jul 2025. [5] QR Ph Activation Guide — HitPay — HitPay, May 2026. [in-cro]: PH-philippines
Source
Biography extracted from maya.md. See matrix.md for standards-support matrix if present.