Short answer To receive money in the Philippines from abroad, the sender needs one destination: a Philippine bank account, a GCash or Maya wallet, a cash pick-up point, or a PayPal or Payoneer account that you then cash in to GCash. Each route has its own details, limits and timing, listed below with links to the full guides.
Routes at a glance
| Destination | Route | Published limit or timing | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCash | Wise to a mobile wallet | ₱50,000 per transfer; instant after Wise converts the money (conversion up to 2 working days) | Wise to GCash |
| GCash | PayPal linked to GCash, balance converted to PHP | Processed in real time, but may take 24–48 hours | PayPal to GCash |
| GCash | Payoneer linked to GCash | May take about 5 minutes | Payoneer to GCash |
| Maya | Wise, Remitly or Western Union to a mobile wallet | Wise: ₱50,000 per transfer; upgraded Maya account needed | Send money to Maya |
| Bank account | Wise to a Philippine bank account | ₱70 million per transfer | Philippine bank codes |
| Chinabank account or cash pick-up | Chinabank’s international remittance partners | Within 24 hours depending on the mode; seconds through directly integrated partners | Chinabank remittance fees |
To a bank account
Each bank page below gives the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code, taken from the bank’s own page or from PayPal’s or Upwork’s published bank lists, with the account-number format and what to give the sender:
- BDO SWIFT code
- BPI SWIFT code
- Metrobank SWIFT code
- Security Bank SWIFT code
- UnionBank SWIFT code
- LANDBANK SWIFT code
- GoTyme SWIFT code
- AUB SWIFT code
The full cross-bank table is on Philippine bank SWIFT and BRSTN codes. The receiving bank may charge its own inward fee: Chinabank, for example, lists ₱150 to ₱300 for a foreign telegraphic transfer credited in pesos and US$3 for one credited to a dollar account.
To GCash
GCash SWIFT code explains the routes GCash documents for money from abroad. Before a large transfer, check the receiving limits on GCash limits.
- Wise: the sender picks GCash as a mobile wallet; up to ₱50,000 per transfer.
- PayPal: you link PayPal to GCash, convert the PayPal balance to PHP, then cash in under Cash In › Global Banks and Partners › PayPal.
- Payoneer: you link Payoneer to GCash, then cash in under Cash In › Global Banks and Partners › Payoneer and confirm with the OTP sent to your GCash number.
To Maya
Wise, Remitly and Western Union list Maya as a mobile-wallet payout. The receiving Maya account must be upgraded. Senders follow Send money to Maya from abroad; receivers claiming a Western Union transfer or picking up cash follow Receive money from abroad in Maya.
Comparing what arrives
Before paying, compare the fee, the exchange rate and the final PHP amount each provider quotes for the same sending amount, and keep the reference number (or the Western Union MTCN) until the money arrives.
Warning A sender never needs your PIN, password or OTP to send you money. Anyone who asks for one to “release” a remittance is running a scam.