How to Send Money to GCash From Japan to the Philippines

If you're a Filipino living and working in Japan, you'll know that GCash is one of the most popular mobile wallets in the Philippines. When you convert your yens to pesos, you'll be able to make the most of GCash's products and services, such as sending pesos to friends, accessing loans, and shopping at the GCash marketplace.

Fortunately for you, using online services like WorldRemit, Wise, Western Union and others, you can send yens from Japan back home to pesos with ease (and with fair fees and exchange rates). Get started now by finding the cheapest and fastest service using our live comparison tool below! 👇

How to Send GCash From Japan

The best (i.e., the cheapest and fastest) way to send money to the Philippines from Japan is through a digital money transfer service. GCash has unfortunately not partnered with any digital money transfer specialist in Japan, meaning that if you want to take advantage of great exchange rates and high speeds, then you'll first have to send your Japanese yen with companies like WorldRemit or Wise to a bank account in the Philippines and then transfer that money over to your GCash account.

Below is a brief step-by-step for getting the job done as affordably and hassle-free as possible:

According to thousands of comparisons made on Monito throughout 2023, WorldRemit was, on average, the best option for anyone in Japan trying to send money to GCash in the Philippines. Wise, another great option, was the second best, but its transfers generally aren't as fast as WorldRemit's. Western Union, MoneyGram and banks like SBI provide additional alternatives, too. In the sections below, we explore each provider in a bit more detail.

Best Option: WorldRemit

WorldRemit is a UK-based remittance platform that's usually the fastest way to send money to the Philippines. Card payments, cash transfers, and bank account transfers are supported from Japan to the Philippines (and from many other countries worldwide, including the UK, EU, and Australia).

• Avg. cost from Japan to the Philippines: ±1-2%
• GCash limits: Varies by bank; on average ₱300,000 per transfer
• More info: See our full WorldRemit review or visit their website.

2nd-Best Option: Wise

Wise is also a UK-based money transfer service that offers the best exchange rate available from Japan to the Philippines. It is often the cheapest way to send money from Japan, although Wise does not support cash transfers. Bank transfers may take up to 2 to 3 days.

• Avg. cost from Japan to the Philippines: ±1-3%
• GCash limits: ¥1,000,000 per transaction
• More info: See our full Wise review or visit the website.

3rd-Best Option: Western Union

Western Union is the largest and oldest money transfer operator on the globe, offering money transfers from Japan to GCash in the Philippines (and from dozens of other countries across the globe).

To send money to GCash, you can go to Western Union online and follow the steps under "Send money to mobile wallet." Or, visit a Western Union branch and fill out the send money form. Write your beneficiary's name as registered on GCash and their GCash account number (09XXXXXXXXX format).

• Avg. cost from Japan to the Philippines: ±2-4% + ¥390 fixed fee
• GCash limits: ¥1,000,000 per transaction
• More info: See our full Western Union review or visit the website.

4th-Best Option: MoneyGram

After Western Union, MoneyGram is the second-largest money transfer operator in the world and also offers money transfers from Japan to GCash Philippines.

To send money to GCash, you can go to MoneyGram online and follow the steps under "How to send your remittance to a mobile wallet." You can also visit a MoneyGram branch and complete the send money form. Write your beneficiary's name as registered on GCash and their GCash account number (09XXXXXXXXX format).

• Avg. cost from Japan to the Philippines: ±1-2% + ¥700 fee
• GCash limits: ¥500,000 per transaction
• More info: See our full MoneyGram review or visit the website.

Worst Option: SBI Remit (And Banks)

SBI Remit is a Japanese remittance company that offers an online remittance service. They charge high fixed fees as well as poor exchange rates. The difference between the real mid-market rate and SBI's weaker rate is known as an exchange rate margin. They keep that portion of your transfer.

While they have an exchange rate estimator on their website, your exchange rates will not be transparently shown until you prepare to submit your transaction. Other money transfer specialists are more transparent with their exchange rates up front, so we tend to recommend them over SBI Remit.

How to Send Money to GCash With SBI Remit

To get started, you must:

1. Register on the SBI Remit website;
2. Login to SBI Remit website;
3. Select GCash as the receiver;
4. Insert beneficiary's name and phone number;
5. Enter the amount to send from your account;
6. Click 'Remit' to complete the transaction.

Here are the details of sending money to the Philippines with SBI Remit:

• Avg. cost from Japan to the Philippines: ±1% + 5% fixed fee
• GCash Limits: ₱100,000
• More info: Visit the website

It's worth noting that sending money to the Philippines using your Japanese bank will also not be a good deal, potentially costing significantly more still. For this reason, we don't recommend using either SBI Remit or your bank to remit money home to the Philippines but rather to compare providers and find the best deal time real time. 👇

References Used In This Guide

1. Getting started. GCash. Accessed 29 August 2022.

2. How do I send remittance to GCash via SBI Remit? GCash. Accessed 29 August 2022.

3. SBI Remit Calculator. SBI Remit. Accessed 29 August 2022.