eTap goes phygital

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May 30, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Self-service payment kiosk provider eTap Solutions has gone phygital in a bid to connect cash-reliant Filipinos and various digital financial services.

In a statement, eTap said it recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Makati with self-service payment kiosks offering e-wallet top-ups, bills payments and access to government services, among others.

eTap marketing head Paolo Macaraeg said the move mirrors global fintech trends with brick-and-mortar locations to better connect with customers.

In fintech, the phygital approach is being recognized for enhancing customer experience while expanding access to financial services, especially among underserved or digitally hesitant populations.

Macaraeg said this is also a way for the company to combine the convenience of digital payments with the reliability of an in-person experience.

“It is nice to have a hub where users can immediately get in touch with company representatives and connect in-person for inquiries, explore our latest solutions firsthand and share feedback directly,” he said.

Further, the store opening aims to bridge the gap between cash-reliant Filipinos and the benefits of digital payments considering that 87 percent of payments in the country are still done in cash.

“eTap kiosks have millions of unique users, many of whom are first-time users of e-wallets or bill payment services. The store offers a hands-on, humanized way to introduce them to safer, faster and more reliable financial transactions,” Macaraeg said.

The eTap store likewise serves as a hub for the company’s other key services such as ePuhunan,which allow partners to deposit end-of-day earnings to major banks.

Founded in 2015, eTap currently operates over 4,000 self-service kiosks nationwide across various store partners.