Digital bank takes out fees for bank transfers via QR Ph

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 18, 2025 | 10:32am

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine-based virtual bank UNO Digital Bank is taking out bank transfer fees for transactions conducted via QR Ph, easing spending particularly at the height of the holiday season.

QR Ph is the national quick response (QR) standard established by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas designed to make payments safer and easier across participating banks and e-money issuers.

P2 million person-to-merchant transactions grew over 2,700% from 2022 to 2023, signifying the preference for scan-to-pay options when it comes to daily purchases.

UNO also noted that more than half of monthly retail transactions in 2024 were digital. Additionally, e-commerce payments are project to grow by almost 20% this year as InstaPay and PESONet transfers rose to P12.8 trillion in 2023 alone.

Using QR removes the "wrong send" panic since such scans automatically fill in account details, and an added layer of security is provided by regulateed and standardized rails like InstaPay.

Related: Philippines getting Google Pay, Apple Pay for cross-border payments

The fee-free QR transfers sees UNO absorbing the cost without any limits, caps, or hidden conditions.

"Filipinos shouldn’t have to pay more when they choose to give more," said the digital bank's chief executive officer Manish Bhai in a statement. "By making QR transfers free across all banks, we're enabling a more inclusive, convenient, and cost-friendly way for people to share what they can this Christmas and beyond."

The virtual bank sees the removal of transfer fees not just as a convenience but as a commitment to let people move their money freely and confidently.

"We don't see 'free transfers' as a promo. We see it as a principle," said Bhai. "Our role is to empower Filipinos to manage, move, and share their money without friction."

The elimination of transfer fees is also UNO supporting the central bank's goal a more digital, inclusive, and cash-lite economy while still advocating for a fairer and more consumer-focused banking experience.

RELATED: Digital banking allows parents to have more quality time with kids