Digital Payments in Developing Economies
Digital payments have brought convenience to millions of households. Consumers are embracing mobile apps and online platforms for seamless bill settlement, leading to a 42.7% YoY increase in digital payments in 2022. The Philippines is at the forefront of this digital revolution in Southeast Asia, with consumers increasingly turning to mobile apps and online platforms for seamless bill settlement. Notably, over 25 million households in the Philippines now opt for mobile payment platforms, underlining the rising preference for digital payments among the tech-savvy population. This surge is backed by the demand for innovative financial services, driving the growth of mobile payment platforms like e-wallets and digital apps provided by traditional banks.This phenomenon is not exclusive to the Philippines; Nigeria, for instance, witnessed a staggering 400% surge in electronic bill spending on power and utilities between 2019 and 2022, spotlighting the transformative potential of digital payments for both utility providers and consumers.
Accelerating Adoption of Mobile Payment Platforms in the Philippines
Driven by the Philippine government's target of converting 50% of total retail payments to digital by the end of 2023, the adoption of mobile payment platforms is accelerating. This strategic push aligns perfectly with evolving consumer preferences for secure and contactless transactions, effectively reducing friction. Consequently, the nation's utility bill payment landscape is transforming radically, ushering in an era of enhanced efficiency with a tech-driven ecosystem.
Convenience and Accessibility: A New Era for Utility Bill Payments
The emergence of online bill payment solutions serves a dual purpose: addressing the limitations of fragmented payment facilities and catering to the preferences of today's digital-savvy consumers. Such digital solutions enhance accessibility and convenience for customers, allowing them to settle bills through their preferred online platforms anytime and anywhere, effectively replacing the long queues at payment centres or bank branches that were once the norm. This applies domestically within the Philippines, but also to the Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who pay for the electricity, water and internet bills of their families back home.
Beyond consumer benefits, this transformation holds strategic implications for businesses. By embracing innovative solutions such as DT One's robust network infrastructure, businesses can easily offer digital bill payments and cater to a wider spectrum of individuals who prefer the simplicity of digital transactions. This, in turn, enables businesses to retain their existing customer base and attract new segments of consumers seeking hassle-free payment options. With recurring bill payments, businesses can seize opportunities to introduce complementary products and services.
Top Picks: In-Demand Billers in the Philippines
The growing adoption of online payment methods for bill settlement reflects Filipinos embracing a cashless lifestyle. DT One offers a range of prepaid and postpaid billers in the Philippines, allowing partners to offer payment services for electricity, water, internet, TV, loans, insurance, and government payments domestically and internationally.
DT One enables businesses to deliver payments seamlessly to these billers in the Philippines – via a single connection:
Government
DT One offers two impactful payment services from the Philippines government: SSS Contribution & SSS Short-Term Loan.
SSS is a state-run social insurance program in the Philippines for workers in the private, professional and informal sectors. Filipinos, including OFWs, have to make mandatory contributions and can access social security benefits when needed. As of 2021, there are 41 Million total members, out of which 1.4 Million are OFWs. With DT One's platform, you can convenient payment services for SSS members to make contributions to the fund in their preferred payment method - whether multi-month or single month, or using a payment reference number (PRN) to retrieve a billing statement.
SSS Short-Term Loan is a cash loan granted to an employed member or a currently-paying self-employed or voluntary member. It is intended to meet the member's short-term credit needs. Members can pay their existing loans with this payment service.
Electricity
Meralco is the largest electric utility company serving 7.6 million households in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Water
Maynilad provides waste and wastewater services to over 9.9 million households across 17 cities and municipalities in Greater Manila.
Manila Water distributes water to more than 7.3 million households in Metro Manila and Rizal Province.
Internet
Smart Communications is subsidiary of PLDT, offering mobile communication services to more than 66 million subscribers. The leader and pioneer of 5G in the Philippines, Smart brings wireless fiber-like speeds to the homes of Filipinos with its Smart Bro Home Wifi.
Globe Telecom is the leading telecom and broadband service provider serving over 87.9 million subscribers, offering broadband internet to Filipinos with its Globe at Home Prepaid Wifi.
Television
Cignal TV is the Philippines' largest pay-TV provider with over 3.6 million subscribers.
GSAT is one of the biggest pay-TV operators in the Philippines with a growing number of serviced households. Consumers from both urban and rural areas benefit from a affordable DTH service with access to high-quality content for entertainment and educational purposes.
DT One is constantly expanding its network with the most popular billers in the Philippines and is launching more payment services for government-mandated contributions and health insurance such as Pag-IBIG and PhiHealth soon. For the latest insights and DT One's full utility bill payment coverage in the Philippines, get in touch with us!
Partner with DT One to Launch Utility Bill Payments
In the ever-evolving digital payments and essential services landscape, bill payment solutions have become integral to Filipinos all over the world. To explore how your business can provide and benefit from the country's sought-after utilities and bill payment services, contact us today.
“Thanks to DT One's vast array of services and global network, we are able to launch comprehensive pre-paid international airtime, data and overseas bill payment plans efficiently in multiple markets. Hence, empowering us to become an all-in-one app that truly serves the needs of our customers.”
