FINTECH | Western Union, JuanPay expand remittance access in the Philippines
Filipino communities with strong ties to overseas workers will gain access to another physical channel for international money transfers as Western Union and JuanPay begin rolling out remittance services through JuanPay locations across the Philippines.
The companies announced the partnership Wednesday during an event at Western Union’s office at Vertis North Corporate Center Tower 1 in Quezon City.
The service is planned for an initial rollout across about 1,400 priority locations from JuanPay’s network of 2,000 owned and franchise-operated outlets, with the companies intending to progressively expand coverage across the network.
The partnership combines Western Union’s cross-border money transfer network covering more than 200 countries and territories with JuanPay’s community-based network of financial service outlets.
JuanPay, operated by ACM Group of Companies, provides services including bills and loan payments, government transactions, pharmacy services and other consumer transactions. Its network has a presence in provincial markets and communities with large populations of families with overseas workers.
Vince Tallent, senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific for Western Union, said the partnership reflects the company’s strategy of providing customers with multiple ways to access its services.
“If a customer wants to go to a retail location, they’re very welcome. If they want to go and use a very simple outbound app, they’re very welcome to do that as well,” Tallent said.
“Our focus again is to put the customer first at all times, and make sure that the customer has the choice. And we’re there for them whenever, wherever they need us,” he added.
Tallent said the Philippines remains one of the company’s key markets in the Asia-Pacific region, alongside India and China, citing the country’s importance as an inbound remittance market.
He said Western Union’s retail partnerships are also subject to extensive compliance requirements.
“Every time we sign a partner, we don’t do that lightly,” Tallent said. “There’s a lot of compliance rules; there’s a lot of nitty-gritty things that you have to go through to become a Western Union partner.”
For JuanPay, the partnership provides a way to connect Western Union’s international network with local communities.
Rico Fernando M. Chico, chairman of ACM Group of Companies, said the companies have a strategic fit because both businesses serve communities connected to overseas Filipinos.
“If you think about it, it’s really a strategic fit between two entities with the same mission,” Chico said.
He added that JuanPay’s locations are embedded in communities served by the company.
JuanPay’s network is also intended to provide access for customers who may prefer face-to-face financial services rather than relying exclusively on digital platforms.
Chico said the partnership is significant because of what it could mean for communities served by JuanPay.
“We have seen firsthand that while technology continues to change financial services, one thing remains constant: people still need access, people still need trust, and people still need someone close enough to serve them when it matters,” he said.
He said financial inclusion should not be measured solely by the availability of technology.
“We do not believe financial inclusion is achieved simply by building more technology. Technology is important, but technology must eventually reach a person. It must reach a barangay, it must reach a family, it must become useful in someone’s daily life,” Chico said.
Gregory Laurent, Western Union’s regional vice president for the Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, said partnerships are central to the company’s approach to expanding access.
“Partnerships are one of the most powerful ways we innovate,” Laurent said. “By collaborating with JuanPay, we’re creating new and more effective ways to serve customers, making international remittances more accessible, convenient and integrated into the platforms they already use every day.”
The partnership adds another retail channel to Western Union’s existing physical and digital presence in the Philippines. The company launched an upgraded mobile application in October 2025 with send-and-request capabilities.
Western Union said its services connect consumers, businesses and other customers across more than 200 countries and territories and nearly 130 currencies.
JuanPay said the partnership supports its broader goal of making financial services more accessible through a combination of technology, physical locations and community-based services.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is also performed by human editors, with artificial intelligence (AI) used only to assist with additional grammar and style guide corrections..
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