Asia United Bank (AUB), one of the fastest growing and publicly listed universal banks in the Philippines, recently launched another industry first: the AUB PayMate Unified Card QR link that enables its over 30,000 AUB PayMate merchants to accept Mastercard and Visa payments using only one QR code and tap the underserved micro and small enterprises.

The bank unveiled the Unified Card QR Link as the latest feature of AUB PayMate, its all-in-one digital payment acceptance product that enables all types of merchants to accept digital payments — whether local or foreign e-wallets, bank payments, and cards — from their customers.

“We’ve had very good reception when we introduced our Mastercard Card QR Link in the market in 2021, which was the first of its kind in the country. This is the reason we immediately developed a Unified Card QR Link so our AUB PayMate merchants can accept both Mastercard and Visa prepaid, debit and credit card payments from their customers,” said Mags Surtida, AUB senior vice president and Cards and Acquiring Business Group head.

She said the high cost of point-of-sale (POS) terminals has been deterring merchants from accepting these card payments. The globally accepted cards also require a high transaction volume, which most micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) do not have. “With the Unified Card QR Link, merchants, big or small, need not worry if they can meet the required volume of transactions as we made the card acceptance at no additional cost to them,” she added.

“Customers today are used to paying merchants by using their e-wallet app to scan the QR code. We leveraged this same customer experience and introduced the card QR link to accept Visa and Mastercard payments,” said AUB Executive Vice President and IT & Operations Group Head Wil Rodriguez. “The all-in-one PayMate App/portal can now support different types of payment transactions, including Mastercard and Visa.”

With AUB’s latest innovation, customers can simply use their smartphone camera with internet connection to scan the Card QR code displayed on the AUB PayMate merchants’ stores. They will be directed to a secure AUB PayMate checkout site and receive an OTP to complete and secure the transaction. Merchants can then view the payment status in real time using the same PayMate app they use when processing e-wallet QR transactions.

“Visa is happy that AUB PayMate consumers and partner-merchants are now able to use Visa credentials for everyday digital payments,” said Tareq Muhmood, Group country manager, Regional Southeast Asia, Visa. 

He cited Visa’s 2021 Consumer Payment Attitude Study which reveals that nearly four in five (77%) Southeast Asian consumers plan to use cashless payments more often, as driven by the widespread use of mobile wallets (52%) and contactless card payments (44%). 

In the Philippines, more than 80% of consumers have attempted to go cashless and rely on other payment methods, with approximately 57% and 32% of new consumers using mobile wallets and cards online, respectively, during the pandemic. 

“I am optimistic that with all stakeholders continuing to collaborate together, our shared vision of a cashless society will be quickly coming to fruition,” he said.

For Mastercard’s part, Simon Calasanz, country manager of Mastercard in the Philippines, the unified card QR link solution on AUB Paymate “will drive better cashless adoption and inclusion in the Philippines.” 

According to the Mastercard New Payments Index, Asia-Pacific consumers perceive digital payment options like QR code to be cleaner (76%) and more convenient (71%) for in-person payments. 

“As consumer behaviors evolve, this latest venture will not only address consumer demands for choice and flexibility in payment solutions, but it will also enable MSMEs to integrate sustainable practices in their day-to-day operations with digital transaction histories and e-receipts – all recognized as effective ways of reducing waste and emissions, while improving customer transparency and purchasing experience,” he said.

Asia United Bank (AUB) is one of the fastest-growing publicly listed universal banks in the country. Established at the height of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, AUB is one of only two local commercial banks licensed at the time which has since thrived and expanded its operations. 

It is known for its digital innovations, which started years prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic which spurred many of its competitors to embark on digital transformation. Among its digital innovations are e-wallet HelloMoney, pioneering payments via QR and the early adoption of the national QR PH code, and AUB PayMate, its all-in-one digital payment acceptance product.

Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Its mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive to include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Its mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, its innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. 

Its decency quotient (DQ) drives its culture and everything it does inside and outside of the company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, Mastercard is building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.