Global payment infrastructure provider Thunes said on Tuesday it has expanded its collaboration with Philippine mobile payments platform GCash to enables users to top up their wallet balances directly within the app using funds from UK and European bank accounts.
GCash is already a member of Thunes' proprietary “Direct Global Network” payment infrastructure that aims to make cross-border top-ups real-time and more cost efficient. Under the expanded arrangement, Filipino expats living and working in Europe who also have a GCash digital wallet can top up their wallets instantly using local accounts in the UK and Europe.
According to Thunes, there are around 2 million Filipino expats in Europe who maintain ties to the Philippines. Paul Albano, GM of GCash International, said the new deal enables them to more easily send remittances back home to support their relatives, as well as ensure that the money is used as intended, whether for education, healthcare, or household expenses, giving them more convenience and financial control.
“This service will support hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in the UK and Europe by improving how they move money across borders into their digital wallets with better control over their finances,” he said in a statement.
According to the World Bank, the Philippines is the fourth largest market worldwide for inbound remittances, with US$39 billion sent in 2024. In 2024, Europe alone sent US$3.8 billion to the Philippines.
Singapore-based Thunes says its network connects directly to over 7 billion mobile wallets and bank accounts worldwide, as well as 15 billion cards via more than 320 different payment methods, including GCash, M-Pesa, Airtel, MTN, Orange, JazzCash, Easypaisa, AliPay and WeChat Pay, among others.
