Landbank, Visa to expand cashless gov’t transactions

December 19, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  The state-run Land Bank of the Philippines has signed a strategic agreement with Visa to broaden digital payment options across government platforms to enable quicker and more secure electronic transactions for various public services.

In a statement yesterday, Landbank president and CEO Lynette Ortiz said the bank remains dedicated to driving digital transformation in government
transactions as the partnership supports the bank’s mission to boost financial inclusion.

“Our partnership with Visa reinforces this commitment as we work together to accelerate digital payment adoption, promote financial inclusion and contribute to the country’s vision of a more connected and inclusive digital economy,” she said.

The partnership is expected to accelerate digital payment adoption, building on last year’s growth when digital payments accounted for 57.4 percent of total monthly retail transactions by volume, an increase from 52.8 percent in 2023.

The growth was primarily fueled by merchant payments at 66.4 percent, person to person transfers at 20.6 percent and business to business supplier payments at 6.2 percent. By 2028, the government aims to digitize 60 to 70 percent of all retail payments conducted electronically.

The agreement will also bolster the government’s flagship digital services portal, eGov.ph, by further developing and integrating its systems into a single platform for all services to minimize revenue losses by encouraging the use of digital payments instead of cash.

”Visa will enable Landbank to faciliate card acceptance across platforms such as Link.Biz Portal, an e-Payment facility that allows clients to pay for products and services online from both the government and private sectors,” Landbank said.

It further includes transit and transportation systems, government agencies and government procurement systems.

From January to September, Landbank recently reported a 36 percent year-on-year increase in value of digital transactions at P3.14 trillion from more than 550 million processed transactions.

Last July, Visa and Landbank partnered to pilot the automated fare collection system on MRT-3, allowing commuters to pay fares effortlessly by tapping their existing EMV-enabled debit, credit or prepaid cards at the upgraded turnstiles.