Seeds for Thought8 min read

PayMongo vs Maya Business vs GCash for Business: Which Is Best for You?

PayMongo vs Maya Business vs GCash for Business: Which Is Best for You?

Choosing between PayMongo, Maya Business, and GCash for Business isn’t straightforward because they’re built for different types of businesses. PayMongo is primarily an all-in-one financial infrastructure, Maya Business is a digital bank-powered business suite, and GCash for Business is a mobile wallet-first platform with merchant tools. 

Understanding the difference is the key to making the right call for your business. This guide compares pricing, payment methods, integrations, and business features to help you choose. 

At a Glance

Not sure which platform fits your business? Here’s a quick cheat sheet.

Need

Winner(s)

Online payment options 

PayMongo, Maya Business

Physical stores / POS

Maya Business

QR payments (lowest fee)

GCash for Business

Developer tools (most user-friendly) 

PayMongo 

Highest loans

PayMongo

Fastest setup

GCash for Business, PayMongo

Business banking

Maya Business

E-commerce / online stores  

PayMongo 

Invoicing

PayMongo

Omnichannel

Maya Business

Sari-sari stores/pop-up stalls 

GCash for Business

PayMongo

What Is PayMongo?

PayMongo is a fintech company that offers a financial operating system for growing businesses in the Philippines. It enables merchants to accept payments, move money, borrow capital, and integrate payment gateways on websites all through a single, unified platform. 

What sets PayMongo apart from the other two platforms on this list is its breadth: it's not just a way to accept GCash or process a card swipe. It's a full financial infrastructure layer, covering collections, disbursements, capital, prepaid virtual cards, and embedded finance, built specifically for the Philippine market.

Best for: Startups, SMEs, and enterprises across retail, F&B, e-commerce, and services that want a single platform to run their entire financial operation – from accepting every payment method Filipino customers use, to paying out suppliers, to accessing growth funding.

Unique Value Proposition: PayMongo is the infrastructure layer for Philippine businesses that sell online. Plug in every payment method your customers use, automate payouts, and access growth capital, all through one API with zero setup costs and security certifications.

PayMongo Pros and Cons 

Strengths

Limitations

Fast onboarding, no setup fees, no monthly fees; only pay a fee per transaction. 

Higher card fee: 3.5% + ₱15 per credit card transaction

Wide payment method coverage: Visa/MC, GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, QR Ph, major OTC banks

No proprietary POS hardware; only QR Ph standees for in-store use

Full Financial OS: accept payments, move money, borrow capital, integrate online checkout, build an online store, and issue cards in one account

No banking features (savings, PDIC insurance) – a Financial OS, not a digital bank

User-friendly API for custom websites and apps 


Payment Links available and shareable quickly, no website needed


Invoicing with VAT and withholding tax computation built in


Business Loans via GoTyme Loan up to ₱3M or Yield Credit Line up to ₱10M 


Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento plugins


PayMongo Fees (as of 2026)

Payment Method

Fee / MDR

Visa / Mastercard

3.125% + ₱13.39 per transaction

E-Wallets

Gcash: 2.23%

Maya: 1.79%

GrabPay: 1.96%

ShopeePay (including SpyLater and MariBank): 1.70%

QR Ph

1.3%

Direct online banking 

0.71% or ₱13.39 

Buy Now, Pay Later

1.34% (offers flexible BNPL payment options from BillEase) 

Payment Links, Plugins, API Payments, and Pages

Standard MDR 

PayMongo Storefront (AI-powered storefront builder for small businesses) 

₱349/month

Loans (via GoTyme and Yield Credit Line) 

Custom pricing

*All % rates above are VAT-exclusive.

Maya Business

What Is Maya Business?

Maya Business is the merchant and enterprise arm of Maya Philippines, Inc., the company behind the Maya super app. Unlike a standalone payment gateway, Maya Business is a full business financial suite: you get merchant payments, a business bank account, and access to unsecured business loans of up to ₱2 million. Maya is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and is consistently recognized as the country's leading payments acquirer.

Best for: Brick-and-mortar businesses, restaurants, retail stores, and SMEs that want an all-in-one solution combining merchant payments with business banking and access to credit.

Unique Value Proposition: Maya Business is the only merchant platform in the Philippines that is also a bank in which your daily sales build your credit profile, your float earns 2.5% interest, and you can unlock a loan of up to ₱2M without a separate bank application. 

Maya Business Pros and Cons

Strengths

Limitations

All-in-one: payments, banking, and lending under one roof

More complex onboarding vs. gateway-only products

Business bank account with 2.5% annual interest on deposits

Best features require staying in the Maya ecosystem; switching costs apply

Business loans up to ₱2M unlocked through transaction history

SMB-focused products may limit flexibility for larger enterprises

In-store + online coverage: POS terminals, QR, payment links, checkout

Not all fees are publicly listed; some pricing requires direct inquiry

SariMall integration — order, restock, and resell with suppliers in one app


Omnichannel platform


Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento plugins


Maya Business Fees

Payment Method

Rate / Fee

Notes

Credit/Debit Card

3.5% +  ₱10 per transaction 

No monthly fee

GCash

2% 

Via Maya terminal, payment link, or online checkout

Maya QR

1.5% 

Via standee or online checkout 

QR Ph

1.5% MDR

Online, POS, and static QR

Bank Transfer 

₱15 per transaction via InstaPay or waived until further notice via PESO

Transferring funds to Maya accounts or Maya wallet is free 

Flexi Loan

Variable

Up to PHP 2M

BNPL

Available upon request


Maya Business uses a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) model. Published rates are available at maya.ph/business/pricing. 

GCash for Business

What Is GCash for Business?

GCash is the Philippines' #1 financial super app with 94 million users. GCash for Business is designed for merchants, social sellers, and enterprises. Because GCash has the broadest consumer reach in the country, having a GCash merchant account is practically table stakes for any business serving Filipino consumers.

Best for: Micro-merchants, sari-sari stores, market stall owners, food stalls, and any business that primarily sells in-person and wants instant QR payment acceptance from the country's largest e-wallet user base.

Unique Value Proposition: GCash for Business gives you direct access to the biggest pool of digital wallet users in the Philippines with minimal setup and a QR code you can start using the same day.

GCash for Business Pros and Cons

Strengths

Limitations

Largest consumer reach  (94 million GCash users can pay directly)

Primarily GCash wallet ecosystem; not a full multi-method online checkout gateway

Instant QR setup – start accepting payments with just a printed QR code

Limited card acceptance (3.2% MDR; less functional than a full gateway)

Low QR Ph fee  (1.0% MDR for QR Ph transactions)

No business bank account or lending product on the merchant side

Free for micro-merchants; zero MDR promotions for qualifying businesses

Wallet limits may constrain high-volume merchants

Real-time notifications – instant payment confirmation on your phone

Less developer-friendly; no open API for custom site/app integration

No dedicated hardware required for QR payments

Settlement goes to GCash wallet first, then to bank  (adds an extra step vs. direct bank settlement)

GCash Padala integration for disbursements and commissions


Huge offline acceptance footprint 


GCash for Business Fees

Payment Method

Fee / MDR

QR Ph (QR payments)

1.0% per transaction

Card transactions

3.2% per transaction

Setup fee

None

Monthly fee

None

*Source: GCash Help Center. Rates subject to change; always verify at help.gcash.com.

PayMongo vs Maya Business vs GCash for Business

Choosing the right payment solution depends on your business model, transaction volume, and growth plans. The tables below break down how PayMongo, Maya Business, and GCash for Business compare across pricing, payment acceptance, banking, and advanced features — so you can see exactly where each platform leads and where it falls short.

Pricing

Feature

PayMongo

Maya Business

GCash for Business

Setup fee

None

None

None

Monthly fee

None

None

None

Card MDR

3.125% + ₱13.39

3.5% + ₱10

3.2%

QR Ph fee

1.3%

1.5%

1.0%

*Note: Check with the provider if fees above are Vat-Inc or Vat-Ex. 

Payment Acceptance

Feature

PayMongo

Maya Business

GCash for Business

Accepted payment methods

Cards (Visa, Mastercard),  E-wallets (GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay), QR Ph, Direct Online Banking (BDO, BPI, Unionbank, Landbank, Metrobank), BNPL (BillEase)

Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, JCB), QR Ph, E-wallets (WeChatPay, ShopeePay, and GCash), Direct Online Banking (BPI, BDO, Unionbank), BNPL

GCash, GCash QR, Cards (Visa, Mastercard)

Online checkout / API

✅ Full API + hosted checkout

✅ Maya Checkout 

❌

Payment links

✅

✅

⚠️ Limited

In-store QR (QR Ph)

✅

✅

✅

Branded cards

✅ Virtual card (Mastercard)

❌

❌

QR Soundbox

❌ Discontinued 

❌

✅

Banking and Capital

Feature

PayMongo

Maya Business

GCash for Business

Payouts / disbursements

✅ Real-time, automated

✅ Disbursement tool

⚠️ Via GCash Padala

Business loans / capital

✅ PayMongo Capital via GoTyme Loan (up to ₱3M) or Yield Credit Line (up to ₱10M) 

✅ Flexi Loan up to ₱2M

❌

Advanced Features

Feature

PayMongo

Maya Business

GCash for Business

Invoicing

✅ With VAT/WHT computation

✅ Invoice Payments

❌

E-commerce plugins

✅ Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento

✅ Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento

❌

AI Online Store Builder

✅ Storefront AI

❌

❌

POS terminal / hardware

❌

✅ Maya Terminal

✅ PocketPay (SoftPOS)

BNPL integration

✅ BillEase
✅Home Credit (via QR Ph)

✅ BillEase

❌

Business bank account

❌

✅ 2.5% interest p.a. (PDIC-insured)

❌

Automated payments and payment splitting

✅

❌

❌

Developer API

✅

✅

❌

Fraud detection

✅ 

✅

⚠️ Basic

Dashboard & analytics

✅ 

✅

⚠️ Basic

BSP-regulated

✅(EMI licensed + OPS licensed) 

✅ (Bank + EMI licensed)

✅ (EMI licensed)

Security certification

PCI-DSS + SOC 2 Type 2

PCI-DSS + SOC 2 Type 2

PCI-DSS

✅ = Available   ⚠️ = Partial / Limited   ❌ = Not available

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose PayMongo if you want more than just a payment gateway. It's the most complete business financial platform of the three, covering online payments across every major method Filipinos use, payment splitting, automated workflows, capital access, and an AI-powered store builder, with e-commerce plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento that work out of the box. Whether you're a freelancer sending invoices, a scaling e-commerce brand, or a business that needs a full-stack solution that grows with you, PayMongo is built for it.

Choose Maya Business if you want your payments to do more than collect money. Maya is the only option here that's also a bank. Your daily sales build your credit profile, your float earns 2.5% interest, and you can unlock a loan of up to ₱2M without a separate bank application. Best for retail stores, restaurants, and growing SMEs where the banking layer is as valuable as the payment layer.

Choose GCash for Business if you're a micro-merchant, market stall owner, or any in-person seller who primarily wants QR payments from GCash users. The 1.0% QR Ph rate and same-day setup make it the lowest-friction entry point into digital payments for the smallest businesses.


Looking for more? Read our guides on how to accept online payments in the Philippines and everything you need to know about qr ph.


Frequently Asked Questions

Is PayMongo better than GCash for Business?

It depends on how you sell. PayMongo is a full payment gateway that supports multiple payment methods, including GCash itself, and is designed for online checkout. GCash for Business is best for in-person QR payments from GCash users. If you sell online, PayMongo is the stronger choice. If you're a micro-merchant accepting walk-in payments, GCash for Business is simpler to set up.

Can I sue PayMongo and GCash for Business at the same time?

Yes, and many businesses do. You can use PayMongo for online payments, invoicing, online checkouts, etc. while using a GCash merchant QR for walk-in customers. Both platforms operate independently, so there's no conflict in using both.

Which payment platform has the lowest fees in the Philippines?

For QRPH transactions, GCash for Business charges 1.0% MDR, one of the lowest available. For card transactions, fees vary across platforms (typically 3.0–3.5%). PayMongo publishes transparent per-method pricing at paymongo.com/pricing. Always compare based on the payment methods your specific customers use most.

Does Maya Business offer business loans?

Yes. Maya Business offers unsecured business loans of up to ₱2 million, with eligibility based on your transaction history on the platform. But PayMongo also offers loans via GoTyme Loan (up to ₱3 million) and Yield Credit Line (up to ₱10 million)

Do I need a website to use PayMongo?

No. PayMongo's Payment Links feature lets you create a shareable checkout page without any website or coding. You can send the link via Viber, Facebook, Instagram, or email; customers click, pay, and you get notified instantly.


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