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InstaPay logoMoreta Pay

Philippines · Instant payment system

Works with Moreta Pay

Pay InstaPay codes without a Filipino bank

Yes. Moreta Pay lets visitors pay InstaPay codes in the Philippines without a Filipino bank account. Add money from the bank or card you already have, scan the InstaPay code at the counter and slide to pay in Philippine peso. The merchant is paid the same way as when a local scans it.

The Philippines in blue line art: a bangka outrigger boat in a lagoon under limestone cliffs and a palm tree

The network

What is InstaPay?

InstaPay is the Philippines’ 24/7 real-time transfer system for pesos, launched in 2018 under the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, with BancNet running the switch. Filipinos use it to send money instantly between banks and e-wallets, and it carries the payments behind QR Ph codes.

Currency
Philippine peso (PHP)
Type
Instant payment system
Run by
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
How locals pay
They scan the code with their own bank or wallet app
With Moreta
Pay it from your Moreta balance
InstaPay logo

How to spot it

An InstaPay or QR Ph mark on the code at the counter; InstaPay itself mostly shows up as the way the money moves.

Can tourists pay InstaPay?

InstaPay is paid from a Filipino bank or wallet app, so a code on the counter needs an account opened in the Philippines. A card from home can’t pay the code on the counter, and opening a local account takes paperwork a visit rarely leaves time for.

Moreta closes that gap. It pays the InstaPay code itself, from a balance you top up with your own bank, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and converts at the live rate at the moment you pay. One flat fee, shown before you slide to pay.

Card or cash

  • A foreign transaction fee on most cards
  • Your bank's rate, or the terminal's worse one
  • ATM fees from your bank and the operator
  • Leftover Philippine peso to change back

Moreta

  • One flat fee, shown before you slide to pay
  • The live rate at the moment you pay
  • No ATM and no card to hand over
  • What you do not spend stays for the next country

How to pay a InstaPay code

Set Moreta up once, at home or on the plane. After that, paying a InstaPay code in the Philippines is a scan and a slide.

  1. Identity verification screen asking you to capture your selfie, with a face inside a round frame, tips for good lighting, no glasses and no hats, and a Take photo button
    01

    Verify your identity

    Download Moreta, scan your passport and take a selfie. Verification usually takes a few minutes, and your account can move money as soon as it passes.

  2. 02

    Load funds to your Moreta Pay wallet

    Link a US bank through Plaid, or send a SEPA, Faster Payments, Interac or PayID transfer. Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and USDC work too, and you can top up from the road.

    Payment methods

    Every way to top up, with live fees.

    Bank transfers

    MethodSpeed and currencyFee
    Bank account1-3 business daysUSD1 USD feeFree over 250 USD
    SEPA transferUsually instantEUR1.50 USD feeFree over 225 EUR
    Faster Payments transferUsually instantGBP1.50 USD feeFree over 200 GBP
    Interac e-TransferInstantCAD1.5% + 1 USD fee
    PayIDInstantAUD1.5% + 1 USD fee

    Instant methods

    MethodSpeed and currencyFee
    Apple PayInstant2.5% fee
    Google PayInstant2.5% fee
    CardInstant2.5% fee
    CryptoInstantFree

    Money added with crypto can't be spent in Thailand or China.

    Your first deposit is on us. Availability depends on your country, the payment method and the app version.

  3. 03

    Scan QR codes at local shops & restaurants

    Tap Scan and point your camera at the InstaPay code on the counter. Moreta reads it the way a Filipino bank app would.

    Supported payment networks

    Scan any merchant QR on these networks and Moreta pays it locally.

  4. 04

    Get seamless payments on the go

    Check the amount in Philippine peso, what it costs in your own currency and the fee, then slide to pay. The merchant sees the payment in their own app the moment it clears.

Costs, limits and tips

Paying in the Philippines

Your currency
Transaction fee
1.5%per payment, at the live rateEvery fee
Exchange rate today
63.05PHPfor 1 USDLive rate, updated recentlyCompare rates
Max payment
50,000PHPabout 793 USD
Weekly limit
360,000PHPabout 5,710 USD

The app always shows the live rate and the exact cost before you pay.

Guide updated

Local tips

  • Look for the QR Ph mark on the sticker. A code labelled only for one wallet may not be a QR Ph code.
  • Carry small peso notes for tricycles, jeepneys and remote island stalls.
  • Mobile data can be slow on outer islands, so top up the wallet while you have a good signal.

InstaPay questions

What visitors ask before paying InstaPay in the Philippines.

Showing 6 of 9 questions

Payment methods

Every way to top up, with live fees.

Bank transfers

MethodSpeed and currencyFee
Bank account1-3 business daysUSD1 USD feeFree over 250 USD
SEPA transferUsually instantEUR1.50 USD feeFree over 225 EUR
Faster Payments transferUsually instantGBP1.50 USD feeFree over 200 GBP
Interac e-TransferInstantCAD1.5% + 1 USD fee
PayIDInstantAUD1.5% + 1 USD fee

Instant methods

MethodSpeed and currencyFee
Apple PayInstant2.5% fee
Google PayInstant2.5% fee
CardInstant2.5% fee
CryptoInstantFree

Money added with crypto can't be spent in Thailand or China.

Your first deposit is on us. Availability depends on your country, the payment method and the app version.

Activate your Moreta Pay account before your trip

Set up Moreta, add money and land in the Philippines ready to scan. No cash to change, no card to worry about, and one flat fee at the live rate on every payment.

Also works in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, and 10 more countries