PalawanPay to launch physical Visa card in Q4
PalawanPay, the mobile e-wallet of Palawan Group of Companies, will issue its first physical Visa card in the fourth quarter, its president and CEO said on Thursday.
Source: BusinessWorld Philippines · August 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 21 AUGUST 2026 —
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PalawanPay, the mobile e-wallet of Palawan Group of Companies, will issue its first physical Visa card in the fourth quarter, its president and CEO said on Thursday.
Market Impact
“We’re targeting November or December,” Karlo M. Castro told reporters. “Q4 is the goal but regulatory approvals remain the main hurdle. The technology itself is ready.”
The card will enable in-store purchases and ATM withdrawals with minimal foreign exchange fees and low card charges, Castro said. “It’s not just a Visa card—it also works like a debit card, so users can withdraw cash,” he added. “The usual Visa and forex fees will apply, but we’ll keep them affordable.”
The launch follows the 2023 rollout of PalawanPay’s virtual Visa card, which already supports Google Wallet for contactless payments. Castro said 1.8 million of the platform’s 23 million users have activated their virtual cards since launch.
Users can already settle bills, buy insurance and access pawn services through the app, with free cash-ins at more than 3,500 Palawan Express branches nationwide. “All Palawan Group services are interconnected,” Castro said. “You can use PalawanPay for pawning, insurance or renewals, and vice versa.”
The physical card expands the wallet’s offline reach while keeping most features digital. For Malaysia, the move intensifies competition in the regional digital payments market, where local e-wallets are also expanding card-linked services.
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