Direct Agent 5
Direct Agent 5 is a Philippine fintech company and Western Union sub-agent offering international remittances, bill payments, foreign exchange, merchant acquiring, and cryptocurrency exchange to Filipino consumers, OFW families, and unbanked users via 2,500+ locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersMakati, Philippines
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Direct Agent 5 does
Direct Agent 5, Inc. (DA5) is a Philippine fintech company founded in 2006 in Makati City, operating as an authorized Western Union sub-agent and a multi-licensed money services provider. The company delivers international remittances, domestic and cross-border bill payments, foreign exchange, merchant acquiring, and cryptocurrency exchange (USDT/BTC) to Filipino consumers, OFW families, and unbanked/underbanked segments across a nationwide network of 2,500+ company-owned and partner locations. DA5 also serves corporate clients through dedicated USDT exchange services and operates a partner-channel model with pawnshops, cooperatives, retail chains (including Robinsons Business Centers and RD Pawnshop's 1,500 branches), and utility payment aggregators.
The company's technology stack is anchored on DAPS (DA5 Payment System), an in-house web platform launched in 2015–2016 that consolidates remittances, FX, bill payments, bank transfers, and lending into a single interface for partner agents. The consumer-facing face is SurgePay, a hybrid blockchain-based mobile wallet co-developed with Surge Mobile Access (2020) that supports international money transfer, crypto cash-out, bill payment, microloans, investment features, and loyalty programs. DX5 (2023) is the company's dedicated USDT cryptocurrency exchange with a 5-step KYC and rate-approval flow for individual and corporate clients. Additional wallet sub-brands include Pitaka (mobile wallet) and SK LinkUp (community app for Sultan Kudarat). The architecture is "platform-plus-modules": DAPS serves as the consolidated backend, with multiple front-end products (SurgePay, DX5, Pitaka) and specialized service modules (merchant acquiring, digital assets, on-ramp/off-ramp, TradFi/DeFi) layered on top. Development is described as PHP/CodeIgniter with VueJS front-ends and REST/SOAP integrations to third-party partners.
DA5's business model is transaction-fee-driven: revenue is generated through commissions and spreads on remittances (Western Union and other MTO partners including RIA Money and IRX), foreign exchange margins, bill payment processing fees from utilities and government agencies (Meralco, Manila Water, Maynilad, AUTOSWEEP/Easytrip, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, telcos), merchant acquiring fees, and transaction-based commissions on USDT/BTC exchange volume. The company reports approximately $500 million in annual transaction throughput. Go-to-market is hybrid: a direct-to-consumer channel via SurgePay and DX5, complemented by an extensive channel-partner network that monetizes remittances, FX, and bill payments at the point of need for OFW families. DA5 holds five BSP licenses — RAL (Remittance Agent License), FX, EMI (Electronic Money Issuer), VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider), and EPFS (Electronic Payment and Financial Services) — granting it unusually comprehensive regulatory cover for a Philippine non-bank money services provider. The company is privately held, founder/management-owned, with no disclosed institutional or VC investment.
Direct Agent 5 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Direct Agent 5
- Legal name
- Direct Agent 5, Inc.
- Website
- https://da5.com.ph
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Direct Agent 5 is a Philippine fintech company and Western Union sub-agent offering international remittances, bill payments, foreign exchange, merchant acquiring, and cryptocurrency exchange to Filipino consumers, OFW families, and unbanked users via 2,500+ locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Direct Agent 5 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Remittance and Digital Payments
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alternative Payment Methods (APM) Enablement (Wallets, A2A, Local Rails) (FSAGABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management) (FSAMABAF), Cash-in/Cash-out Agent Network Wallets (FSAMAEAJ), Crypto Remittance & Cross-Border Money Transfer Providers (FSADAIAD), Prepaid Card Program Managers & Issuers (BIN Sponsors) (FSAMANAK)
Keywords
Where Direct Agent 5 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Makati
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Direct Agent 5 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Remittance Services: DA5 earns fees and margins from Western Union money transfer transactions as an authorized agent, processing international remittances for OFW families.
- Merchant Acquiring: DA5 provides POS services and merchant acquiring solutions to business partners, earning transaction fees on bill payments and other services.
- Foreign Exchange: Earns margins on foreign currency exchange transactions conducted at branches and partner locations.
- Digital Asset Exchange: Revenue from USDT/BTC cryptocurrency exchange services through DX5 platform for individual and corporate clients.
- Bill Payment Services: Facilitates bill payments for utilities, insurance, and government services, earning processing fees from service providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Western Union Outbound to China Promo |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Crypto Exchange (Individual) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Crypto Exchange (Corporate) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Direct Agent 5 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Direct Agent 5 (DA5) is a licensed Philippine fintech providing international remittance (as an authorized Western Union agent), bill payment aggregation (utilities, telco, government), foreign exchange, merchant acquiring/POS services, and cryptocurrency exchange (via DX5). It distributes these services through 2,500+ physical locations, partner networks (pawnshops, grocery chains, cooperatives, Robinsons Business Centers), and proprietary digital platforms (SurgePay mobile wallet, DAPS web payment system, Pitaka wallet).
Product overview
Direct Agent 5 (DA5) is a Philippine fintech company offering a multi-product ecosystem centered around its core DAPS (DA5 Payment System) web platform and SurgePay hybrid mobile wallet. The company operates as both a Western Union remittance agent and a cryptocurrency exchange provider. The product portfolio includes the DAPS payment system (remittances, foreign exchange, bill payments, bank transfers, lending), SurgePay mobile wallet (blockchain-based digital wallet), DX5 cryptocurrency exchange (USDT trading), Pitaka mobile wallet, and SK LinkUp community app. Additional services encompass merchant acquiring, digital assets, on-ramp/off-ramp solutions, and TradFi/DeFi services. The architecture is a platform-plus-modules design where DAPS serves as the core consolidated backend system, with multiple front-end products (SurgePay, DX5, Pitaka) and specialized service modules.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SurgePay: A fully licensed hybrid mobile wallet designed to ride the wave of adoption in blockchain. The purpose is to help the unbanked Filipinos and give them the most convenient way of managing their financial transactions. Enables users to send and receive money internationally, cash out cryptocurrencies, pay bills, and access additional services like bill payments, budgeting tools, microloans, investment options, and loyalty programs.
- DAPS
- DX5
- Pitaka
- SK LinkUp
Products and services
- SurgePay Mobile Wallet Fully licensed hybrid mobile wallet that enables users to send and receive money internationally, pay bills, cash out cryptocurrencies, and access microloans, investment options, and loyalty programs. Built on tamper-proof and immutable blockchain ledger technology.
- DAPS (DA5 Payment System) Web-based consolidated payment system developed by DA5's in-house programmers that bundles remittances, foreign exchange, bills payments, bank transfers, and lending into one platform for partner locations.
- DX5 Exchange Platform Cryptocurrency exchange platform that provides an intuitive trading experience for buying and selling USDT (and BTC) for both individual and corporate clients, with a 5-step KYC onboarding process.
- Pitaka Mobile Wallet Mobile wallet application that enables users to safely and easily manage and transact with their funds, providing peace of mind and financial freedom.
- Remittance Services Money transfer services enabling users to send and receive funds domestically and internationally, operated as an authorized Western Union (and other partners) agent in the Philippines.
- Merchant Acquiring Payment processing and POS services that enable merchants to accept various forms of payments and bill payments through DA5's nationwide network.
- Bill Payment Services Aggregation and processing of bill payments for utilities, telecommunications, government contributions, insurance, and other service providers, including partners such as Meralco, Manila Water, Maynilad, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, AUTOSWEEP/Easytrip, and telco carriers.
- Foreign Exchange (FX) Services Foreign currency buy/sell and exchange services conducted at company branches and partner locations under DA5's BSP FX license.
- DA5 Crypto Exchange – USDT Fast and secure cryptocurrency exchange enabling USDT trading through a 5-step KYC-enabled flow for individual and corporate clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $500 Million in annual transactions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Direct Agent 5
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Direct Agent 5 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Direct Agent 5 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- RD Pawnshop Inc.majorPartnership to expand Western Union services across 1,500 RD Pawnshop branches nationwide, providing fast, reliable money transfer services to Filipino OFW families.
- Robinsons Department Store (RDS)majorDA5 services available at Robinsons Business Centers nationwide offering bills payment, foreign exchange, show/concert tickets, airline bookings, and telco prepaid products.
- Surge Mobile AccesscorePartnership for creation of SurgePay App - a hybrid digital wallet designed with blockchain technology at its core, enabling financial inclusion for unbanked Filipinos.
- Western UnioncoreDA5 is an authorized direct agent of Western Union in the Philippines since 2006, starting as the 5th agent and growing to become one of the largest agents with over 2,500 locations offering international money transfer services.
- RIA MoneyminorMoney transfer partner providing international remittance services through DA5 network.
- BayadminorBill payment services partner enabling utility and service bill payments at DA5 locations.
- MeralcominorElectricity bill payment partner for Manila Electric Company bills.
- Manila WaterminorWater utility bill payment partner.
- MayniladminorWater utility bill payment partner for Maynilad Water Services.
- Smart CommunicationsminorTelecommunications partner for prepaid products and services.
- PLDTminorTelecommunications partner for prepaid products and services.
- Globe TelecomminorTelecommunications partner for prepaid products and services.
- Social Security System (SSS)minorGovernment social security contribution payment partner.
- PhilHealthminorGovernment health insurance payment partner.
- Pag-IBIG FundminorGovernment housing fund payment partner.
- AUTOSWEEP / EasytripminorToll RFID reload partner for Easytrip and AUTOSWEEP.
- IRXminorRemittance services partner.
- Optimum RemitminorMoney transfer/remittance partner.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Direct Agent 5 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GCash (Mynt): GCash is the Philippines' leading mobile wallet, offering bill payments, remittance, and merchant acquiring through a massive user base. It directly competes with DA5's SurgePay wallet for consumer financial-services share in the Philippines.
- Maya (PayMaya / Maya Bank): Maya is a Philippines digital wallet and digital bank providing payments, savings, and crypto on-ramp. It competes head-to-head with SurgePay and Pitaka across consumer wallet and bill-payment use cases.
- Coins.ph: Coins.ph is a Philippines-licensed crypto exchange and wallet offering BTC/ETH/USDT trading and peso on/off-ramp. It competes directly with DA5's DX5 exchange and SurgePay for crypto-enabled wallet users.
- Cebuana Lhuillier: Cebuana Lhuillier operates one of the largest pawnshop and remittance agent networks in the Philippines. It is a comparable agent-based remittance and bill-payment competitor leveraging a similar pawnshop distribution model to DA5.
- Palawan Pawnshop: Palawan Pawnshop is a major Philippine pawnshop offering Western Union remittance, bill payment, and e-wallet services (PalawanPay). Comparable to DA5's pawnshop-partnered distribution and Western Union agency model.
Broad incumbents
- Western Union: Western Union is the global remittance principal and brand DA5 operates under. While not a direct competitor at the consumer level, it shapes DA5's economics through agency economics and direct-to-consumer digital remittance pushes.
- MoneyGram: MoneyGram is a global cross-border remittance network with Philippines agent presence. It is a comparable remittance-rail operator that competes for the same OFW remittance corridor and shapes agent-network economics in the Philippines.
- Binance Philippines: Binance is the largest global crypto exchange with significant Philippines user base. As a broad crypto incumbent, it competes with DX5 on liquidity, brand, and product breadth, though it does not have the same BSP VASP licensing focus.
Emerging players
- Remitly: Remitly is a digital-first cross-border remittance provider with strong OFW corridors to the Philippines. It competes with DA5's Western Union-backed remittance on speed, pricing, and digital experience for tech-savvy senders.
- PDEx / PDAX: PDAX is a BSP-licensed Philippine Digital Asset Exchange offering PHP-crypto trading. As one of the regulated crypto exchanges operating in the Philippines, it competes directly with DA5's DX5 platform for licensed crypto trading volume.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Direct Agent 5 social profiles
Digital presenceDirect Agent 5 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Direct Agent 5 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Direct Agent 5 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Direct Agent 5 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Direct Agent 5 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Direct Agent 5
What does Direct Agent 5 do?
Direct Agent 5 (DA5) is a licensed Philippine fintech providing international remittance (as an authorized Western Union agent), bill payment aggregation (utilities, telco, government), foreign exchange, merchant acquiring/POS services, and cryptocurrency exchange (via DX5). It distributes these services through 2,500+ physical locations, partner networks (pawnshops, grocery chains, cooperatives, Robinsons Business Centers), and proprietary digital platforms (SurgePay mobile wallet, DAPS web payment system, Pitaka wallet).
Is Direct Agent 5 a public or private company?
Direct Agent 5 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Direct Agent 5 founded?
Direct Agent 5 was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Direct Agent 5 based?
Direct Agent 5 is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does Direct Agent 5 make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Remittance Services are the primary driver. The others are merchant Acquiring, foreign Exchange, digital Asset Exchange and bill Payment Services.
Who are Direct Agent 5's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GCash (Mynt), Maya (PayMaya / Maya Bank), Coins.ph, Cebuana Lhuillier and Palawan Pawnshop. Broad incumbents are Western Union, MoneyGram and Binance Philippines. Emerging players are Remitly and PDEx / PDAX.
Does Direct Agent 5 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Direct Agent 5.
What industry is Direct Agent 5 in?
Direct Agent 5's product category is Remittance and Digital Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGABAJ, Alternative Payment Methods (APM) Enablement (Wallets, A2A, Local Rails), with a secondary code of FSAMABAF, Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management). Its NAICS code is 5231 and its SIC code is 6200.