After announcing it back in August, GCash has started charging cash-in fees for linked BPI accounts.
The new rule takes effect today, October 2, 2023, for BPI holders and on November 1 for UnionBank customers who had their accounts linked to their GCash e-wallet. What was once free will now cost Php5.00.
According to GCash, imposing a convenience fee for such transactions was done “due to increasing costs.”
Alternatively, you can transfer funds using the dedicated BPI or UnionBank app or website or by using InstaPay. You can also fund your GCash via the 40+ banks the e-wallet service is partnered with. Although, such alternatives also have their own respective fees, some are even higher than GCash. You can also try PayPal if you have an account there.
Still, the Php5.00 charge is cheaper than what other banks charge. You can also try switching to Maya, where transfers from BPI are free, albeit there’s a minimum transfer requirement of Php500. GCash doesn’t have such limit.