USSC Money Services, Inc. (UMSI) product manager for Global Money Movement Jayne Famorcan; head for Digital Development Mylene Paris; chief marketing officer and head for Corporate Affairs Dickie Soriano; and president and chief executive officer Jose Xavier Gonzales; together with Visa Philippines country manager Jeff Navarro; head of Clients Isidore Bada; director for Commercial and Money Movement Solutions Abigal Aguilar; and director and account executive Oliver Ornido.
Global digital payments leader Visa has teamed up with USSC Money Services Inc. (UMSI) to launch Visa Direct in the Philippines, marking a major step forward in expanding digital remittance and payment solutions across the region.
The partnership introduces Visa Direct, Visa’s real-time money movement platform, to support faster and more efficient cross-border payments for businesses and individuals alike. With the Philippines recognized as one of the world’s top remittance-receiving nations, the collaboration also taps into the country’s growing outbound payment demand—particularly in the business-to-business (B2B) sector.
According to Visa’s Money Travels: 2024 Digital Remittances Adoption report, the outbound remittance market in the Philippines represents a $151-billion opportunity, largely driven by business-related transactions such as supplier payments, international procurement, merchant settlements, and trade activities involving small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The report also revealed that 58% of Filipinos now prefer digital channels for sending money, citing frustrations with high transaction fees, long processing times, and the inconvenience of visiting physical locations.
With Visa Direct, businesses in the Philippines can now send funds directly to eligible cards, bank accounts, or digital wallets in over 195 countries and territories, supporting more than 150 currencies and reaching over 11 billion endpoints globally.
“Visa Direct aims to be Asia Pacific’s leading real-time payment platform by continuously innovating and working closely with partners like UMSI,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Visa’s country manager for the Philippines. “As more businesses turn to digital apps for cross-border payments, Visa remains committed to providing secure, fast, and reliable money movement solutions that strengthen financial resilience and drive economic growth.”
Through this latest partnership, UMSI’s business clients can leverage Visa Direct to streamline outbound payments for international suppliers and partners. The collaboration builds on a previous deal between Visa and UMSI, which introduced the U Visa Prepaid Card—an inclusive financial solution targeting business process outsourcing (BPO) employees and MSMEs.
“Cross-border payments and remittances are rapidly converging, and USSC is proud to help lead this transformation alongside Visa,” said UMSI president and CEO Jose Xavier Gonzales. “By combining our physical store network and U Mobile app with a Visa-powered digital wallet, we’re creating seamless cash-to-digital pathways for OFWs and underserved Filipinos, reaffirming our commitment to financial inclusion.”
The launch of Visa Direct in the Philippines is expected to accelerate the country’s shift toward digital payments, supporting both personal remittances and business-driven fund transfers across borders.
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