If you run a store, salon, clinic, or an online shop in the Philippines, you already know the awkward dance at checkout: "GCash lang po ba? Maya kaya? Pwede bang bank transfer?" — and then three different QR codes taped to the counter, half of them belonging to the owner's personal account. This guide walks through how to get a QR Ph merchant code in the Philippines so a single code accepts GCash, Maya, and any BSP-supervised bank, and how to collect that same payment inside a chat instead of on paper.
QR Ph is the national QR standard mandated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). One interoperable code, any participating wallet or bank. No more asking customers which app they use.
Why a merchant QR beats a personal QR
A lot of small sellers start by screenshotting their personal GCash "Receive Money" QR. It works — until it doesn't. Here's why a proper merchant code is worth the small effort:
- It's under the business, not your personal number. Cleaner for BIR bookkeeping and for anyone who later handles the counter.
- Higher limits and no monthly cap headaches. Personal wallets have receiving limits that a busy store hits fast.
- QR Ph P2M (person-to-merchant) may waive the customer's transfer fee, unlike some person-to-person sends. Customers notice.
- You get a real transaction reference and settlement report, which matters once you register with BIR and issue receipts.
- One code, every payer. A GCash user, a Maya user, and a BPI or UnionBank app user all scan the same sticker.
If you're still operating on a personal account and haven't sorted your registration, read how to register as a sari-sari store or online business with BIR first — the merchant QR and your BIR registration should line up on the same business name.
The two ways to get a QR Ph merchant code
There are two realistic paths, and which one you pick depends on how much volume you do and whether you want deposits landing in a bank versus a wallet.
Path 1: Through a wallet (GCash or Maya)
This is the fastest route for micro and small sellers.
GCash — apply for GCash for Business (formerly the QR / Payments merchant tier) inside the GCash app or via the business signup page. You'll submit basic KYB details: business name, nature of business, and a valid ID; DTI or BIR documents strengthen the application and lift your limits. Once approved you get a QR Ph P2M code and a merchant dashboard.
Maya — sign up for a Maya Business merchant account. Same idea: business details plus ID, and you receive a QR Ph acceptance code plus a portal that shows settlements. Maya settles into your Maya Business balance, which you can cash out to a bank.
The catch with the wallet route: the code is issued by that wallet as your acquirer, but because it's QR Ph, customers on the other wallet and on banks can still scan and pay it. You are not locked to one app's users.
Path 2: Through your bank
If your money should land straight in a business bank account, ask your bank for QR Ph merchant acquiring. Most major PH banks (BPI, BDO, UnionBank, Metrobank, Landbank, RCBC, and others on the InstaPay/QR Ph rails) offer this to business-account holders. You'll typically need a business deposit account, DTI/SEC registration, and your BIR Certificate of Registration (Form 2303). Turnaround is longer than a wallet — days, sometimes a couple of weeks — but settlement into your operating account is cleaner for higher volumes.
Quick comparison
| Wallet (GCash / Maya Business) | Bank QR Ph acquiring | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup speed | Same day to a few days | A few days to ~2 weeks |
| Documents | ID + business details; DTI/BIR helps | Business account + DTI/SEC + BIR 2303 |
| Money lands in | Wallet balance (cash out to bank) | Your business bank account directly |
| Best for | Micro/small sellers, online shops | Higher-volume retail, multi-branch |
| Who can pay | Any GCash, Maya, or bank app user | Any GCash, Maya, or bank app user |
The bottom row is the whole point of QR Ph: whichever path you choose, every payer can scan the one code.
Documents you'll want ready
Save yourself the back-and-forth by preparing these before you apply:
- One valid government ID of the owner/authorised signatory
- DTI Certificate (sole proprietor) or SEC registration (corporation/partnership)
- BIR Certificate of Registration (Form 2303) and, ideally, your Mayor's/Business Permit
- A business bank account (required for the bank path; useful for wallet cash-outs)
- Your business name spelled exactly the same across all three, or approvals stall
Not registered yet? Our step-by-step on registering with DTI and BIR covers the sequence. And if you sell mainly on Facebook, Shopee, or Lazada and aren't sure you even need to register, this piece on BIR registration for online sellers settles it plainly.
Which one should you actually pick?
For most micro sellers: start with a GCash for Business or Maya Business QR because it's live within days, then add bank acquiring once volume justifies the cleaner settlement. If you're deciding between wallets, our breakdown of GCash vs Maya vs QR Ph for Filipino SMBs compares fees, cash-out, and limits side by side so you don't guess.
A common gotcha: sellers assume a "GCash QR" only accepts GCash. Since 2023 the QR Ph P2M standard means a properly issued merchant QR is scannable by other wallets and banks. If your customer says "I only have Maya" and your code is GCash-issued P2M, it should still go through. If it doesn't, you likely still have a personal GCash QR, not a merchant one — that's the tell that you need to upgrade the account tier.
Take that same payment inside a chat, not just at the counter
Here's where most PH sellers leave money on the table. The counter sticker is fine for walk-ins, but the majority of Filipino buying now happens in Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Viber — someone asks "magkano po," you reply, and then the thread goes quiet at the payment step because there's no easy way to pay right there.
The fix is to send the QR Ph code (or a payment link) directly in the conversation, the moment the customer says yes. We cover the exact flow in how to accept GCash payments in chat: send payment links and QR Ph right from your inbox. If you also sell face-to-face, the companion guide on a POS with GCash and QR Ph for Filipino retail, salons, and clinics shows how the counter and the chat share one record.
A tool like Remarketly ties this together: your Messenger, Instagram, Viber, and WhatsApp chats sit in one inbox, an AI can auto-reply to price questions and quantities, and you drop the QR Ph or payment link into the same thread so the buyer pays without ever leaving the conversation. If chats keep piling up faster than you can answer, managing Messenger, Instagram, and Viber in one inbox is the piece that pairs naturally with this one — and if you want the bot to actually take the order and delivery details, see how to set up a chatbot that takes orders automatically for PH sellers.
The short version
- Register your business (DTI/SEC + BIR) under one consistent name.
- Apply for a merchant QR — GCash for Business or Maya Business for speed, or your bank for direct settlement.
- Confirm it's a P2M merchant code, not a personal Receive-Money QR, so every wallet and bank can scan it.
- Print it for the counter and keep the digital version handy to drop into chats.
One code, every payer, no more taped-up screenshots. If you're ready to collect that QR Ph payment inside the same conversation where the customer already said yes, see how Remarketly puts your chats and payments in one place.