How to Accept GCash on Shopify in the Philippines
Shopify Payments isn't available in the Philippines, so how do you take GCash, Maya and cards? The gateway options, setup steps, COD, and what to test before launch.
If you sell to Filipino customers, GCash isn’t optional. Many shoppers would rather pay with their e-wallet than enter card details, and some don’t have a card at all. Yet when Philippine store owners open Shopify’s payment settings, the obvious option isn’t there.
This guide explains why, which payment gateways let a Shopify store accept GCash, how to set one up, and what to check before you open the store to customers.
Why there’s no GCash button by default
Shopify Payments is Shopify’s built-in way to take payments, but it’s only offered in certain countries, and the Philippines isn’t one of them at the time of writing. Maya’s own Shopify setup page says the same thing. So instead of switching on one built-in gateway, Philippine stores connect a third-party payment provider. That provider is what puts GCash, Maya and QR Ph in front of your customers at checkout.
Your gateway options
Three Philippine-focused providers offer a Shopify integration. Each one needs its own merchant account, approved for online payments, before it can take real money.
| Provider | How it connects to Shopify | Payment methods (as listed by the provider) |
|---|---|---|
| PayMongo | PayMongo’s Shopify plugin | GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, QR Ph, cards, online banking, BillEase |
| Maya | Third-party provider in Shopify’s payment settings | Cards, Maya and other e-wallets, QR Ph |
| Xendit | App in the Shopify App Store | E-wallets, cards, bank transfer, retail outlets, installments |
Methods and requirements change, so confirm the current list on each provider’s site before you sign up. On PayMongo, for example, a method only appears at checkout once it’s enabled in your dashboard, and new accounts have to finish business onboarding before plugins can take online payments.
How to choose
- Payment methods your customers use. Check that GCash, Maya and QR Ph are all covered, not just cards.
- Fees. Compare the provider’s rate for each method you’ll actually use. Shopify can also charge its own transaction fee when you use a third-party gateway, depending on your plan, so check that too.
- Payout schedule. How quickly money reaches your bank account matters for cash flow.
- Checkout experience. Some integrations send the customer to the provider’s hosted payment page and back. That’s normal, but test that the return to your store is smooth on a phone.
- Documents and approval time. Each provider verifies your business. Start this early; it’s often the slowest part of launching.
Setting it up, step by step
- Set your store currency to Philippine pesos (PHP). Local gateways charge in pesos, and PayMongo’s plugin requires a PHP store.
- Open a merchant account with your chosen provider and complete their business verification.
- Get your API keys from the provider’s dashboard. Keep them private; anyone with your secret key can act on your account.
- Install or connect the integration in Shopify: an app, a plugin, or Settings › Payments › third-party provider, depending on the provider.
- Turn on test mode first and place test orders with each payment method.
- Switch to live mode and place one small real order yourself, then refund it.
Adding cash on delivery and bank transfer
Plenty of Filipino shoppers still prefer COD, especially for a first order from a store they don’t know. Shopify lets you add manual payment methods such as cash on delivery or bank deposit alongside your gateway. Orders paid this way show as pending until you mark them paid, so decide who on your team does that and when.
If COD returns are costing you money, you can limit COD to certain areas or order values through your shipping and checkout settings, or with a custom checkout rule.
What to test before launch
Common mistakes
- Asking for GCash screenshots instead. Sending your GCash number and checking screenshots by hand works for a few orders a week, then becomes a full-time job and a source of mistakes.
- Launching before the merchant account is approved. Customers reach checkout and can’t pay. Apply first, build second.
- Forgetting to leave test mode. Orders look fine, but no real money arrives.
- Only testing cards. E-wallet payments take a different path. Test each one.
When you need more than a plugin
A standard integration covers most stores. Some businesses need more: subscriptions, member-only prices, payments that must also be recorded in an accounting or ERP system, or checkout rules no app quite handles. Those are jobs for a custom Shopify app or a dedicated integration. If your payments already flow between several systems, our guide to no-code automation vs a custom integration explains when each makes sense.
If you’d rather have the whole store set up for you, with GCash, Maya, cards and COD configured and tested, see our Shopify store setup and development.