Month: September 2022

BillEase, the top buy now, pay later (BNPL) and consumer finance app in the Philippines, and PayMongo, the leading payment processor backed by Y Combinator and Stripe, today announced the launch of their strategic partnership to help retailers drive growth through a transparent card-free BNPL service. Retailers using PayMongo can now offer BillEase as an installment option at checkout, providing consumers a seamless shopping experience.

Through BillEase, online and offline retailers can offer shoppers three installment options at checkout: Pay Later in 10 or 20 days and Pay in 4 installments for small-to-medium ticket purchases, and Pay Monthly over three, six, nine, or 12 months for big purchases with interest rates between 0% or 3.49 percent – the cheapest rate in the country. Retailers can also choose to offer 0 percent annual percentage rate (APR) via PayMongo. For example, a PHP 15,000 purchase would only cost PHP 3,350 over 3 months at 0% APR with only 1/3 upfront payment.

Isabel Ridad, PayMongo’s Acting Chief Executive Officer: “We’re thrilled to partner with BillEase so thousands of businesses using PayMongo can offer consumer credit at checkout and flexible installment plans. Our payment infrastructure, combined with BillEase’s customizable payment plans and transparent consumer credit offering, is a powerful tool for retailers to reach new customers, and increase average order values.”

Georg Steiger, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of BillEase: “Over the past 3 years, BillEase and PayMongo redefined the ecommerce landscape for millions of Filipinos. This strategic partnership underscores our shared values of providing flexible and transparent point-of-sale (POS) financing for retailers and their customers. With PayMongo, BillEase can provide inclusive options for retailers across all sizes and categories, helping them attract new customers and build strong loyalty.” 

Unlike other BNPL providers, BillEase is an “on-demand consumer credit app” that shoppers can use online and offline for different types of transactions, from paying for day-to-day needs like food and grocery to discretionary purchases like electronics and furniture. Customers can split payments in easy installments even without a credit or a debit card and do not require topping up an e-wallet account. Shoppers only need to provide 1 valid ID when signing up and get instant credit to complete their purchase at checkout.

Over 1,000+ online and offline retailers using BillEase experience increased conversions and basket sizes. Businesses already offering the BNPL service see a significant increase in sales conversion between 15-25% with average order values increasing up to five times more than sales that are not paid through POS financing. Its revolving credit line provided to customers who sign up also increases the likelihood of re-transaction using the same payment method. 

PayMongo offers a quick and fully-online onboarding process and seamless integration with retail websites or apps, which allows them to accept digital payments such as credit and debit cards, online banking, e-wallets, and BNPL with BillEase as the newest addition to the channel. PayMongo is used by over 10,000+ retailers in the Philippines. 

September 26, 2022 – BillEase, one of the fastest-growing consumer finance apps in the Philippines, today announced a successful gathering of its top merchants through a masterclass in partnership with MoEngage, a global insights-led customer engagement platform.

As a rapidly growing shop now, pay later platform in the Philippines, BillEase continuously strengthens its relationship with merchants and end consumers. While searching for the ideal customer engagement platform, BillEase also needed a platform that could improve the deliverability of push notifications.

By using MoEngage’s industry-first capabilities like Push Amplification™ Plus, BillEase has improved the deliverability of its messages, increasing engagement amongst merchants and end consumers. 

“By associating with MoEngage, we look forward to enhancing our customer engagement strategy and boosting conversions on BillEase. We aim for BillEase merchants to increase their conversions and their customer lifetime value,” said Georg Steiger the CEO and Co-Founder of BillEase.

Saurabh Madan, the Vice President and General Manager of MoEngage Japan, ANZ, and SEA, said the partnership aims to scale greater heights in the Filipino fintech ecosystem: “It is our ultimate goal to assist BillEase in its mission of increasing financial access to Filipinos. With our best-in-class customer engagement platform, we aim to support them in all aspects of customer engagement.”

As part of its fifth-anniversary celebrations, BillEase has collaborated with MoEngage for an exclusive masterclass “How to Engage with Customers to Increase their Lifetime Value” on September 23rd, 2022 at Marquis Events Place, Taguig. 

#GROWTH Masterclass by MoEngage was an invite-only event offered by BillEase to its topmost merchants. The attendees received fresh insights on how to leverage customer engagement to create personalized and seamless brand experiences to increase their customer lifetime value. 

In a panel discussion hosted by Sirish Krishna Pallevada the Country Manager of MoEngage to the Philippines, Lazada Philippines shared that investing in consumer research plays a vital role in providing a seamless experience to users: “Whatever we learn from our customers, we formulate that into strategy, and whatever message we come up with, we push forward with strategies that are aligned with different teams of the platform,” said Krisel Macatangay, Lazada’s Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) Manager.

PriceLOCQ Philippines meanwhile, shared the importance of making sure that customers have a seamless experience for both online and offline transactions: “It requires close alignment between the teams. More than it just being a marketing aspect, being familiar with your users’ journey is something that affects all the things that contribute to developing and promoting your product,” said Dyane Chua, PriceLOCQ’s Consumer Marketing and Analytics Supervisor. 

The event brought together over 30 growth & marketing leadership attendees with a range of topics on engaging customers and driving growth. 

For panelist Janme Dhakal Jr., Managing Partner of Sta. Lucia Grocers, one of the key factors in emerging from the unexpected silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic was knowing their customers and hearing what they have to say: “We had customers who were senior citizens who live alone. It was more of listening to them and identifying what their pain points are and solving them as much as we can.”

BillEase’s Head for Offline Merchants Khristine Subijano shared that tailor-fit solutions for customers are as important as it is for partner merchants: “We look into their typical services that customers are utilizing. Depending on the usage of our customers, we figure out which programs we should highlight. For the merchants’ segment, when we see that there’s low performance in a segment, we try to push more marketing initiatives or collaborations. We do the same thing for segments with potential.”

Seventy percent (70%) of Southeast Asia’s population are unbanked or underbanked. A recent report by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) revealed that 41 million Filipinos, which equates to a little over half of the country’s adult population, face challenges such as an inability to get credit cards, loans, or adequate insurance.

This was the very reason BillEase was born exactly 5 years ago today. 

As we take time to express our gratitude for the years that have gone by, we also fix our eyes on the years ahead.

Paving the Road to Financial Inclusion

Launched in 2017, BillEase had the vision to help every Filipino take control of their financial future. The brand is from a product-focused fintech company leveraging machine learning technology in building financial products and global best practices in credit underwriting to meet the needs of unbanked customers.

BillEase provides different types of financial services such as personal loans, e-wallet top-ups, prepaid load, gaming credits, bills payment, as well as a customizable shop now, pay later option which allows customers to pay for their purchases online and offline in interest-free or interest-bearing installment plans. Currently, BillEase offers merchants and their customers light and easy options to pay for small-to-medium ticket purchases to big purchases which can be interest-free or interest-bearing.

Engaging Young Adults

In other more developed countries, there is a general trend for Millennials and Gen Z to move away from credit cards. BillEase makes sure to provide room for them in the growing space of financial technology.

Through BillEase, even the young professionals can split payments in easy installments without a credit card or the need to top up an e-wallet account. After downloading the app, they can register anytime, even outside of banking hours and weekends. As fast as 1 day after completing the easy sign-up process and requirements, they can be approved and get instant credit of up to P50,000 for online shopping or get a personal loan with easy payback options. 

Championing Growth

The Philippine digital economy’s revenue is projected to grow to the equivalent of 12% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. According to data from the Competitiveness and Innovation Group of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the use of technology in many Filipino startups allowed digital transformation and paved the way for the growth of the digital economy.

To date, BillEase has over 1 million monthly active users and is now a top-rated consumer finance app in the Philippines, trusted by big brands and reputable payment gateways. 

“A young organization in a fast-changing world, BillEase has adapted and reformed many times in the past 5 years. One thing that has not changed is our mission to transform the lives of Filipino consumers by innovating towards greater financial inclusion,” said Georg Steiger, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of BillEase. 

Promoting Work-life Blend

Originally a temporary response to the pandemic, hybrid and remote working arrangements have become more permanent. Operated by fintech company First Digital Finance Corporation (FDFC), BillEase recognizes that employees are the most valuable assets of an organization.

Here is what some of our staff have to say:

Adapting to Change

An unexpected silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic is the adoption of digital platforms among Filipinos, such as fintech, e-commerce, and digital providers and services.

With lockdowns and restrictions easing up, BillEase started to be more proactive in the offline segment of the industry. Hundred of stores have partnered with us to bring easy installment options for in-store shoppers through the QR scan now, pay later option. 

Truly, it’s still a long journey not just for BillEase as an organization, but also for the entire country to achieve greater financial inclusion.  

We accept the challenge and move forward to pursue further until we achieve the noble goals we set for ourselves 5 years ago.

To our partners, patrons, the team behind the brand, and the Filipino consumers: 
Maraming salamat po!

Exciting treats await you as the leading buy now, pay later (BNPL) and consumer finance app in the country celebrates its 5th anniversary this September. Here’s everything you can look forward to in the week-long BillEase Birthday Blowout.

Pay lighter, pay later
From September 23-27, BillEase app users (or Billies) can shop at ease without having to pay any interest. Upon check out, simply settle 1/3 upfront and split the payments up to three (3) months with 0% interest. The promo is offered for both online and in-store shopping with a minimum purchase of P3,000 and up to P80,000. Just use the code: HBDBillie to avail of the promotion.

Easy approval
Through BillEase, customers can split payments in easy installments even without a credit or a debit card; there is also no need to top up an e-wallet account. After downloading the app, one can register anytime, even outside of banking hours and weekends. After signing up, provide 1 valid ID, source of income, proof of billing, and only 2 character references. In as fast as 1 day, be approved and get instant credit of up to P40,000 for online shopping or get a personal loan with easy payback options.

Big brands
BillEase has been trusted for half a decade by over 1,000 partner merchants. These include Lazada Philippines, Philippine Airlines, Power Mac Center, Anson’s, JBL, Samsung, Toshiba, Vivo, Kimstore, World Balance, Cole Haan, and Giordano, among others. It is offered by major payment gateways including 2C2P, Xendit, Paynamics, Bux, Dragonpay, Optty, and PayMongo.

Launched in 2017, BillEase is now a top-rated consumer finance app in the Philippines with a focus on expanding access for mass and emerging middle-income consumers. The brand is from a product-focused fintech company leveraging machine learning technology in building financial products and global best practices in credit underwriting to meet the needs of unbanked customers in Southeast Asia.

“We value all who are sharing this milestone with us. Through our customers’ trust, we’ve developed BillEase to the extent that we are celebrating 5 years since its launch,” said Georg Steiger, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of BillEase. “We believe in giving back to the Filipino community by empowering them to effectively transform and manage their finances.”

Everything for everyone
From early yuletide shopping, checking out items from your cart, e-wallet top-ups, purchasing mobile loads to bill payment, BillEase got everything for you and your loved ones.

BillEase is the go-to place with a wide range of choices from electronics, home, food, beverages, health & fitness, mom & kids’ needs, beauty, fashion, hobbies, pets, automotive, travel, and education all in easy installments. 

Prizes and surprises
Aside from easy in-store and in-app shopping, you can also win big online. BillEase online followers can win discount vouchers by taking part in the #BillEaseBlowout online challenge.

Follow BillEase on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok.

Download the Billease app on iOS or Android and be part of this year’s biggest shopping blowout: https://bit.ly/billease_birthday

BillEase, one of the fastest-growing consumer finance apps in the Philippines, today announced a partnership with MoEngage, a global insights-led customer engagement platform to solve customer engagement and deliverability.

A flagship product of First Digital Financial Corporation (FDFC), BillEase has been trusted for half a decade by over 1,000 partner merchants. These include Lazada Philippines, Philippine Airlines, Power Mac Center, Anson’s, JBL, Samsung, Toshiba, Vivo, Kimstore, World Balance, Cole Haan, and Giordano, among others. It is offered by major payment gateways including 2C2P, Xendit, Paynamics, Bux, Dragonpay, Optty, and PayMongo.

BillEase differentiates itself from other players in the Filipino BNPL space by allowing customers to build former credit. Additionally, it has built and owned its credit, fraud, and payment software stack. These enabled consumers and merchants the advantage of shorter checkout times, lower interest rates, and customizable installment plans. On September 2022, BillEase raised US $20 million from Singapore’s Helicap Securities, raising its total valuation to US $55million.

As a rapidly growing consumer finance platform in the Philippines, BillEase continuously strengthens its relationship with merchants and end consumers. While searching for the ideal customer engagement platform, BillEase also needed a platform that could improve the deliverability of push notifications.

By using MoEngage’s industry-first capabilities like Push Amplification™ Plus, BillEase has improved the deliverability of its messages. This means increased connection with a greater percentage of its audience and in turn, increased engagement amongst merchants and the end consumers. 

As a part of its fifth anniversary celebrations, BillEase has collaborated with MoEngage for an exclusive masterclass How to Engage with Customers to Increase their Lifetime Value on September 23rd, 2022.

“By associating with MoEngage, we look forward to enhancing our customer engagement strategy and boosting conversions on BillEase. In time for our fifth anniversary, we are elated to partner with MoEngage on this masterclass. This exclusive masterclass will deliver insights from MoEngage, the global authority on customer engagement, and empower BillEase merchants to increase their conversions and their customer lifetime value.”

• Georg Steiger, CEO, and Co-Founder of BillEase

This invite-only event is offered by BillEase to its topmost merchants. Attendees in this event will learn how to leverage customer engagement to create personalized and seamless brand experiences to increase customer lifetime value.

“We are delighted to partner with BillEase and scale greater heights in the Filipino fintech ecosystem. It is our ultimate goal to assist BillEase in its mission of increasing financial access to Filipinos. With our best-in-class customer engagement platform, we aim to support them in all aspects of customer engagement.”

• Saurabh Madan, Vice President and General Manager, SEA, and ANZ, MoEngage

 Some scammers are pretending to be BillEase agents or staff and are calling/messaging customers who posted their loan concerns in our FB group or other social media. Be careful and vigilant! Wag magpa-scam!

1. Be careful when posting your contact details online. Scammers have ways in getting your mobile number and email address such as by visiting your Facebook profile page. When you need to provide your account details, make sure to do it privately. And if you have account-related concerns or questions, best is to email us at info@billease.ph

2. We will NEVER ask you to change your BillEase app PIN as well as your PIN for other apps such as GCash, Coins.ph, etc. The same way that we will never ask you to provide your log in details, password, authentication code, or OTP.

3. When someone ask you to change your contact details for any reason such as so your credit limit will increase or cash loan will be activated in your account, DON’T. They will steal your account and your money. Our staff will NEVER ask you to add their mobile or email your contact details.

4. Our staff can’t help you increase credit limit, activate cash loans, multi-loans. These are system-generated and our staff does not have access to it. Anyone who promises to unlock these features is trying to scam you.

5. Only make payments via the Pay Now function in BillEase App. All our official payment methods and accounts are listed there.

Stay safe!

The notion that technology education is unaffordable is now a thing of the past.

This is after BillEase, the top buy now, pay later (BNPL) app in the country, and BrightCHAMPS, the global leader in transformative digital education, announced the launch of a partnership to bridge the learning gap through a study now, pay later option. 

Through BillEase, you can choose from the world’s first Comprehensive Curriculum for Kids being offered at BrightCHAMPS and pay only 1/3 upfront, then split the payments in 3 months at 0% interest. For instance, parents or guardians with Grades 1-3 enrollees in Group Learning Accelerator (30 classes) – priced at 12,589 – will only have to pay P4,197 upfront and split the rest in easy installments. 

BrightCHAMPS was launched in 2020 and has left its mark in over 30 countries, including the USA, Canada, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and many others. The company bridges the educational gap left by K12 schools through its STEM-accredited courses in coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and financial literacy.

BrightCHAMPS also takes pride in having unmatched faculty to help unleash the genius in every learners. To date, over 100,000 parents have vouched for confidence for BrightCHAMPS in giving their kids the competitive edge to succeed in this fast-changing world.

“We’re delighted to partner with a trusted and highly regarded consumer finance such as BillEase. The split-payment convenience offered by BillEase will go a long way in helping parents in the Philippines securing world-class learning services for their kids. Partners like BillEase are invaluable in helping us realize our vision of leveling the playing field for kids around the world by making next-gen skills accessible to them. We’re confident this partnership will be welcomed with open arms by parents with great aspirations for their kids,” says Ravi Bhushan, BrightCHAMPS Founder & CEO

BillEase is an on-demand consumer credit app that consumers can use online and offline from paying for day-to-day needs like food and grocery to discretionary purchases like electronics, furniture, and now, education. 

Georg Steiger, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of BillEase said: “BillEase is privileged to partner with BrightCHAMPS in equipping learners with next-gen skills. We aspire to help learners take on the future and see them take part in technological advancement.”

“Learning technology, coding, financial literacy, robotics, and AI usually require a significant amount of resources and some may find that a hindrance; we want to bridge that gap.“

– G. Steiger, BillEase CEO

Choose a program for your kids today at: https://brightchamps.com/

To pay in light and easy installments, download the Billease app on iOS or Android.

Split payments in easy installments even without a credit card or topping up an e-wallet account. Just provide 1 valid ID when signing up and get instant credit to complete the enrollment process.