Sending money to the Philippines from the USA.
Most padala from the US now goes digitally — to a bank account or an e-wallet — rather than as cash at a counter.
That shift saves money in two ways at once, and one of them is new this year.
True Mid-Market Rate
We show you the real rate, always.
6-Hour Rate Lock
The number you see is the number you get.
Regulated Partners
Your money moves on trusted rails.
What it really costs
Two costs, one of them hidden. The fee is on your receipt.
1. The Fee
This is the number printed on your receipt. It's often heavily promoted, sometimes waived entirely, and is almost never the largest cost of your transfer.
2. The Exchange Rate Margin
This is the gap between the true USD–PHP mid-market rate and the rate you're offered. It usually isn't shown anywhere, and on $500 it can quietly cost more than the fee does.
The test that cuts through it: how many pesos actually arrive. Same amount, same day, two or three services, compare the final PHP figure. Nothing else is reliable.
How your family can receive it
Bank deposit
BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Landbank and others. Straightforward if your recipient has an account, and usually the cheapest route.
E-wallet
GCash and similar. For a great many Filipino households this is now the default: money arrives on the phone and it spends directly.
Cash pickup
Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Pawnshop, M Lhuillier and others. Still incredibly important where recipients are unbanked or rural.
Worth knowing: how your family collects the money has no bearing on the 1% US remittance tax. Only how you pay does.
The 1% remittance tax and Filipino families
Since January 2026, a 1% US federal excise tax applies to remittance transfers funded with cash, money orders, cashier's checks or similar physical instruments.
If you've been walking into a store to send your padala in cash, that's an extra 1% — $96 a year on $800 a month.
Fund from a bank account or debit card instead and it doesn't apply, and your family can still collect in cash exactly as before. Transfers of $15 or less are excluded entirely.
The 2026 US remittance tax, explained →Sending a monthly padala
Most people sending to the Philippines aren't sending once. They're sending on a schedule — often around payday, often the same amount, often to the same person.
Two things matter more when it's monthly than when it's one-off. Reliability: arriving when you said it would matters more than arriving fastest. And the margin compounds: a 3% margin on $500 a month is $180 a year. Every year.
That's why the six-hour rate lock exists. Get your quote, confirm with your family, send when you're ready — the rate doesn't move underneath you.
How Bordera does it
Full Transparency
You'll see the mid-market USD–PHP rate next to the rate we're offering, before you confirm. Fee, margin, and what arrives in pesos.
6-Hour Rate Lock
Your rate is locked for six hours. Get your quote, confirm with your family, send when you're ready.
Regulated Partners
Transfers are executed through licensed financial institutions and regulated payment partners, trackable end to end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the cheapest way to send money to the Philippines from the USA?
Generally a digital transfer funded from a bank account or debit card, delivered to a bank account or e-wallet. Compare on what arrives in pesos rather than on the advertised fee.
Can I send money directly to GCash from the US?
Yes. You can send directly to GCash wallets in the Philippines. It is one of the fastest and most popular payout methods available.
How long does a transfer to the Philippines take?
Depends on payout method and whether the transfer needs additional verification.
Do I pay the 1% remittance tax on money sent to the Philippines?
Only if you fund the transfer with cash or a similar physical instrument. Bank- and card-funded transfers are outside it.
Can my family collect the money in cash?
Yes, and it doesn't affect the tax. What matters is how the sender pays.