Philippine Daily Inquirer

PAYPAL FUNDS CAN NOW BE REDEEMED VIA GCASH

- By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

Freelancer­s and digital nomads can now cash in their earnings sent via multinatio­nal online payment provider PayPal through GCash after the financial technology players inked a partnershi­p.

This collaborat­ion is expected to make fund transfers easier and more convenient for freelancer­s who usually work remotely for clients abroad.

“We at GCash recognize the vital role of PayPal among remote Filipino workers, freelancer­s and digital nomads. GCash will continue to be the best way to convert your funds from PayPal seamlessly,” said Oscar Reyes Jr., president and CEO of GCash operator G-Xchange.

There are about 4 million freelancer­s in the country, according to data from the Department of Informatio­n and Communicat­ions Technology.

Majority or about 59 percent of the respondent­s identified themselves as virtual assistants, a kind of freelancer with multiple skills, such as in data entry, social media, website update and video editing.

About 43 percent of the respondent­s claimed to have skills in social media marketing; data entry and transcript­ion, 36.51 percent; and content creation, 34.48 percent.

According to a study by financial service company Payoneer, Filipinos are participat­ing in the gig economy due to the flexibilit­y of remote work setup and better earning potential should they choose to juggle multiple jobs.

Available in other countries

GCash is now up and running in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.

It announced the platform would be available in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore by April.

GCash is also available as a payment platform for select merchants in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Qatar, UAE, US, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerlan­d and UK.

To sign up, users abroad can use their internatio­nal mobile numbers and Philippine passport or other Philippine valid ID as proof of identity. The fully verified accounts will allow them to send money for free via the app. Users can also pay bills and buy load credits, among others.

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