Starpay

What Starpay does

Starpay Corporation is a Philippine financial technology company headquartered in Pasig City, founded in 2012, that operates a BSP-licensed Electronic Money Issuer (EMI) platform under the brand "Pitaka ng Bayan" (Wallet of the Nation). The company serves unbanked and underserved Filipino consumers, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), small and medium business merchants, and local government units (LGUs), reporting a base of 6 million users, 10,000+ nationwide touchpoints, and 6,000 partner outlets. It maintains a headcount of 51-100 employees and is privately held with no disclosed investors or parent company.

The core product is the Starpay mobile wallet application, distributed through Google Play, Apple App Store, and Huawei AppGallery. The wallet integrates the QRPH interoperability standard for merchant payments, Instapay for real-time bank transfers, Bayad for bills payment (Meralco, PLDT, Home Credit, Easytrip RFID), and Uniteller and PLDT Global/TINBO for international remittance receipt. Identity verification follows a Level 1/Level 2 account structure aligned with BSP e-KYC requirements, and the company carries a registered Data Protection Officer under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Adjacent products include Business QR (merchant acceptance) and Payroll & Disbursement (B2B), plus LGU e-government integrations live with the City of San Juan and the Municipality of GMA Cavite.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees across cash-in, cash-out at partner pawnshops (Cebuana Lhuillier, M Lhuillier), bills payment processing, e-load commissions for Smart and Globe, gaming PIN sales, and government disbursement. Pricing is published in-app at point of transaction, with an inactive-account maintenance fee kicking in after 180 days of no monetary activity. Distribution is hybrid: direct consumer app downloads plus a partner-led channel strategy through pawnshop cash-out agents, telco prepaid load resellers, biller networks, and government partnerships. Notable external validation includes recognition as an Outstanding BSP Stakeholder in 2021 following ayuda distribution to 5.8 million Filipinos during the pandemic.

Name

Starpay

Legal name

Starpay Corporation

Website

https://starpay.com.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Starpay Corporation is a Philippine BSP-licensed Electronic Money Issuer operating a mobile digital wallet that serves 6 million unbanked Filipino consumers, OFWs, SMB merchants, and LGUs with cash-in/out, Instapay transfers, QRPH merchant payments, bills payment, remittance receipt, and e-government disbursement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Digital Wallet

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

QR Code Payments Wallets (FSAMAEAC), A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF), Alternative Payment Methods (APM) Enablement (Wallets, A2A, Local Rails) (FSAGABAJ)

Keywords

• Mobile digital wallet
• Electronic money issuance
• Bill payment processing
• Peer-to-peer transfers
• QR code payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasig

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: Fees charged on financial transactions including convenience fees, transaction charges, and percentage-based deductions disclosed in-app prior to transaction completion.
2. Cash-In/Cash-Out Services: Revenue generated from cash-in and cash-out transactions through partner networks including Cebuana Lhuillier, MLhuillier, and other authorized partners.
3. Bills Payment Processing: Fees from processing bill payments through the Bayad partnership network for utilities like Meralco, PLDT, Home Credit, and Easytrip RFID.
4. E-Load and Gaming PIN Sales: Commission from selling prepaid load packages for any network and gaming PINs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Starpay is a BSP-licensed Electronic Money Issuer operating a mobile digital wallet that enables consumers to cash in via Instapay bank transfers and partner outlets, send money to other wallets and banks, pay bills through the Bayad network, buy prepaid load, make QR-based merchant payments under the QRPH standard, and purchase gaming PINs. The platform also offers business-facing solutions including Business QR for merchants, Payroll & Disbursement for employers, and E-Government/LGU payment integration for local government fee collections.

Product overview

Starpay is a Philippine digital wallet and electronic money issuer platform licensed and regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The core offering is the Starpay Digital Wallet App, a unified mobile application through which users access a suite of financial services including cash-in/cash-out, peer-to-peer money transfers (via Starpay wallet and Instapay), bill payment (powered by Bayad), prepaid mobile load purchase (Smart, Globe), QR-based merchant payments (QRPH-standard), gaming PIN purchases, and government disbursement. The platform also includes business-facing products: Business QR for merchant QR payments and Payroll & Disbursement for employer payroll processing. E-government integrations extend the platform to LGU fee collections (San Juan, GMA Cavite). Starpay targets the unbanked and underserved communities of the Philippines, aiming to digitize cash transactions for the mass market, with over 6 million customers and 10,000+ touchpoints nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starpay Digital Wallet App

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 6 million users with digital financial services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• PLDT Global CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023PLDT Global rolled out TINBO ePadala service powered by Starpay, enabling overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong to send cash-in vouchers (P1000, P3000, P5000 denominations) to family members' electronic wallets. This partnership serves OFWs during Philippine Independence Day celebrations and supports financial inclusion for Filipinos abroad.
• BayadcoreTechnology or IntegrationBayad powers Starpay's bills payment capability, providing access to Bayad's extensive network of biller partners including Meralco, Meralco Kuryente Load, Home Credit, Easytrip RFID, and PLDT. The partnership enables 6 million Starpay users to pay bills with ease through Bayad's integration.
• UniTellercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with UniTeller, a leading Remittance and International Money Transfer provider based in the United States, allows Uniteller customers to receive remittances directly through the Starpay app, strengthening Starpay's vision as Pitaka ng Bayan.
• Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez (GMA Cavite)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Uplink Integrated Solution Inc. and GMA Cavite for e-gov online system. LGU residents can process business permits and taxes through E-BOSS and pay via Starpay QR code. The QRPH-compliant system allows non-Starpay users to also pay by scanning the QR code.
• City of San JuancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for digitalization of Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO). San Juaneños can apply or renew business permits digitally with payments processed through Starpay QR. This partnership supports Mayor Francis Zamora's Smart City vision and fight against corruption.
• Smart (PLDT)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelecommunications partner listed on Starpay's partners page for e-load services and potential promotional collaborations.
• GlobeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelecommunications partner listed on Starpay's partners page for e-load services and potential promotional collaborations.
• CignalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPay TV provider partner listed on Starpay's partners page, enabling potential bill payment or load services.
• M LhuilliercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPawnshop and financial services partner providing cash-out services to Starpay users. Listed as a cash-out center option in user guides.
• Cebuana LhuilliercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPawnshop and financial services partner providing cash-out services to Starpay users with minimum cash-out amount of PHP 100.00.
• AutosweepminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRFID toll payment partner listed on Starpay's partners page for Easytrip RFID integration through Bayad.
• EasytripminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRFID toll payment partner enabling Starpay users to pay Easytrip RFID bills through Bayad integration.
• InstapaycoreTechnology or IntegrationBSP-regulated interbank fund transfer system enabling Starpay users to send money to and receive money from participating banks and e-wallets.
• TINBO (Tindahan ni Bossing)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne-stop online marketplace for overseas Filipinos powered by PLDT Global and integrated with Starpay for ePadala service. Enables OFWs in Hong Kong to buy load, pay bills, send food vouchers, e-gifts, healthcare vouchers, and gaming PINs for families in the Philippines.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Toss (Viva Republica): Toss is a leading super-app wallet in South Korea offering P2P, QR, bill pay, and financial services. While it does not compete in the Philippines, it serves as a useful regional comparable for the super-app/wallet model Starpay is pursuing in a different geography.

Direct peers

• GCash (Mynt / Globe Fintech Innovations): GCash is the dominant Philippine e-wallet, offering QR payments, P2P transfers, bill pay, and savings via the QRPH standard — the same core product suite Starpay delivers. It is the primary head-to-head competitor in the Philippine mobile wallet market.
• Maya Bank (Mynt / PayMaya): Maya is the second-largest Philippine e-wallet and digital bank, providing P2P transfers, QR payments, bill payment, and savings. It competes directly with Starpay across consumer wallet use cases.
• Coins.ph (Coins Pro): Coins.ph is a Philippine crypto-enabled wallet offering P2P transfers, bill payment, and QR payments. It overlaps with Starpay on core wallet and payment services for mass-market Filipino users.
• GrabPay Philippines: GrabPay is the payment wallet embedded in the Grab super-app, providing QR payments, P2P transfers, and bill pay in the Philippines. It competes for the same consumer wallet and merchant acceptance use cases as Starpay.
• ShopeePay Philippines: ShopeePay is the wallet tied to Shopee's e-commerce platform, supporting QR payments and online checkout in the Philippines. It overlaps with Starpay on QR merchant acceptance and consumer payments.

Emerging players

• PayMongo: PayMongo is a Philippine online payment gateway serving merchants with card, e-wallet, and online banking acceptance. While focused on merchant-side acceptance rather than a consumer wallet, it intersects with Starpay's Business QR and payroll/disbursement offerings.

Broad incumbents

• BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands): BPI is one of the Philippines' largest universal banks, offering deposits, Instapay transfers, and its own mobile wallet (BPI Mobile). As a participant in the same Instapay and QRPH rails, it is a broad incumbent competing for the same payments flows.
• UnionBank of the Philippines: UnionBank is a Philippine universal bank with a digital-first strategy, offering its own mobile app with QR payments, P2P, and bill pay. It overlaps with Starpay as a digital payments provider targeting Philippine consumers and merchants.

Others

• Dragonpay: Dragonpay is a Philippine online payment gateway that aggregates bank, e-wallet, and OTC payment channels. It is both a Starpay partner and an adjacent payment infrastructure provider serving similar merchant and biller use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starpayph
• Facebookfacebook.com/starpayph
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starpayph

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Starpay