How international travelers, nomads & expats can pay with QR codes in the Philippines
Island hopping in Palawan, a jeepney across Manila, halo-halo in Cebu: the Philippines is easier when you can pay the way locals do. Moreta Pay scans the QR Ph code at the counter, funded from the bank or card you already have, so there is no Philippine account to open.
QR Ph
InstaPay
Costs, limits and tips
Paying in the Philippines
Guide updated
What it costs
- Transaction fee
- 1.5%
- Exchange rate today
- 1 USD = 62.05 PHPLive rate, updated recently
Limits
- Max payment
- 50,000 PHP
- Weekly limit
- 360,000 PHP
The app always shows the live rate and the exact cost before you pay.
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.
Why QR code is the best way to pay in the Philippines
QR codes are how people pay in the Philippines: hold up a phone, scan the code on the counter, done. Filipinos pay with GCash and Maya, and the code those apps scan is QR Ph, the national standard every bank and wallet shares. Sari-sari stores, coffee chains, resorts, pharmacies and taxi drivers show it, and in the cities it is faster than waiting for a card terminal.
Moreta gives you the same thing as a visitor. A scan is contactless, so there is no card to hand over and no cash to carry, and each payment costs one flat fee at the live rate instead of a foreign transaction fee and a marked-up rate from your bank at home.
The problem with paying abroad as a tourist, expat or nomad
Paying abroad with the card in your wallet is easy until it is not. Your bank may block the first charge as suspicious. When it goes through, most cards add a foreign transaction fee and convert at a rate of their choosing, and some terminals offer to charge you in your own currency at a worse one.
Cash is no better. ATMs stack your bank's withdrawal fee, the operator's fee and a poor rate, and you still end up carrying more Philippine peso than you need and changing the rest back at the airport. Paying by QR from a wallet you fund yourself skips all of it: one fee, the live rate and no plastic.
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 Moreta Pay works
Moreta is a wallet on your phone that pays QR Ph and InstaPay codes as if a local had scanned them. Set it up once, at home or on the plane, and it is ready before you land in the Philippines.
01Verify 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.
- 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.
- 03
Scan QR codes at local shops & restaurants
Tap Scan and point your camera at the QR Ph and InstaPay code on the counter. Moreta reads it the way a Filipino bank app would.
- 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.
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
Why Moreta Pay is better than alternatives
No local bank account required
Pay from the bank or card you already have. Nothing to open, nothing to close when you leave.
Seamless integration with QR Ph & InstaPay
QR Ph is the Bangko Sentral's QR standard, and payments settle over InstaPay, the real-time transfer network, so the merchant is paid the moment you slide. Moreta pays QR Ph codes wherever they are shown.
Designed for international travelers, expats & nomads
A two-week trip or a year abroad, it works the same, and what you do not spend stays for the next country.
Several accepted payment types
Top up by bank transfer in US dollars, euros, pounds, Canadian or Australian dollars, or with a card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or USDC.
Lower fees compared to cash or card alternatives
One flat fee per payment, shown before you confirm. No ATM fees, and most banks add no foreign transaction fee.
Instant, contactless QR payments
Scan, check, slide. Nothing to hand over, and the merchant is paid in seconds.
Real exchange rates
Every payment converts to Philippine peso at the live rate at the moment you pay.
See today's rate
Frequently asked questions
What travellers ask before paying by QR in Philippines.
Showing 6 of 9 questions
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