How to receive money from abroad in Maya: the partners, the steps to claim and the limits, from Maya’s own pages.
Short answer To receive money from abroad in Maya, upgrade your account first: Maya lets only upgraded accounts claim remittances. A sender abroad can use Western Union, which gives you a 10-digit MTCN to enter under Cash in, or Remitly, which credits the Maya wallet directly. What you receive counts against your monthly wallet limit, ₱100,000 on an Upgraded account.
At a glance
- Who can receiveupgraded Maya accounts onlyMaya ↗ ·
- Western Unionclaim in the app with the 10-digit MTCN, or pick up cash at a Maya CenterMaya ↗ ·
- Remitlydirect credit to the Maya wallet, from 28 countriesMaya ↗ ·
- MoneyGramsent from MoneyGram.com to your Maya Visa cardMaya ↗ ·
- Monthly wallet limit₱100,000 Upgraded, ₱500,000 Super Users, ₱5,000,000 Ultimate UsersMaya ↗ ·
Ways to receive money from abroad in Maya
Maya names Western Union and Remitly as its featured remittance partners, and says money can go straight to any Maya wallet or be cashed out at over 64,000 Maya Center locations nationwide (Maya ↗).
| Partner | How the money reaches you | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Western Union | You claim it in the Maya app with the sender’s MTCN, or pick it up as cash at a Maya Center | Upgraded Maya account and the 10-digit MTCN |
| Remitly | Credited directly to your Maya wallet | Upgraded Maya account; the sender chooses Mobile Wallet, then Maya |
| MoneyGram | Sent from MoneyGram.com to your Maya Visa virtual or physical card | Maya Visa card |
Western Union is available in over 200 countries through more than 525,000 agent locations, according to Maya’s Western Union page. Maya’s Remitly page says Remitly sends from 28 countries, and that transfers from the US, Australia and the Netherlands to the Philippines carry no fees (Maya ↗). For money paid out through PayPal or Wise instead, see PayPal to GCash and Wise to GCash.
Steps: claim a Western Union remittance
- Open the Maya app, tap Cash in and choose Western Union.
- Enter the 10-digit Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) from your sender’s Western Union transaction and tap Continue.
- Check the transaction details, such as the MTCN, the sender’s name and the amount, then tap Receive.
- Wait for the in-app and SMS confirmation that the money is in.
Source: Maya, Western Union ↗ ·
Maya’s Western Union guide says a remittance may take 24 hours to show in the app because each mobile money transfer is validated (Maya ↗ · ). Before you claim, Maya asks you to make sure the account is upgraded and to check your account limits.
What the sender does: on Western Union’s website or app, log in, choose Send money, enter the Philippines and the amount, pick Mobile wallet as the delivery method, pay by bank transfer or card, enter your name and mobile number, then share the MTCN with you (Maya ↗).
Steps: receive through Remitly
- Create a Maya account and complete the free upgrade.
- The sender opens the Remitly app or website, chooses the Philippines and the amount, and picks Mobile Wallet, then MAYA, as the delivery method.
- The sender enters your details, their own details (full name, contact number, address and date of birth) and the payment details.
- The money is credited directly to your Maya wallet.
Source: Maya, Remitly ↗ ·
Maya says Remitly transfers reach the wallet in real time. If you run into trouble, its Remitly page points to Maya customer support at support@maya.ph.
Limits on money received from abroad
Money you receive counts against one combined monthly wallet limit, together with your other cash ins. Since only upgraded accounts can claim remittances, the Basic limit does not apply here.
| Maya account | Wallet limit per month |
|---|---|
| Upgraded | ₱100,000 |
| Super Users | ₱500,000 |
| Ultimate Users | ₱5,000,000 |
Maya’s own example: if you already moved money in from a bank this month, the amount you can still receive shrinks by that much. In the app, open the profile drawer and tap Account Limits to see what is left. Fees and every limit by account type are on Maya fees and limits.
Upgrade first
Upgrading needs a video selfie, a valid ID, a verified address and verified personal information. Once Maya approves the application, you get an SMS confirmation within 24 hours and an Upgraded Account check mark on your profile (Maya ↗ · ).
Warning Maya says it and its official representatives “will never ask for your Maya password, 16-digit card number, and One-Time Password (OTP), nor charge you to upgrade your account” (Maya ↗). Share the MTCN only to claim your own money in the app, and never with someone who offers to claim it for you.