Mastering GCash Cards

This post explores how to use your GCash Card to its fullest potential, and how to manage the card from within GCash.

The GCash Card is pretty versatile. It’s one of the analog parts of GCash since we can use it to make all of our digital money into something tangible, like real cash.

Table of Contents

How does the GCash Card work?

GCash Card is a debit card. Debit cards are different from credit cards in that when you use them you do not borrow money to pay. You draw the cash from the account the debit card is tied to — in this case, GCash.

The Mastercard scheme comes with a lot of rules (around 400 pages) but also offers a lot of advantages — interoperability with international ATMs and online shops as well. The Visa card scheme is even longer (around 900 pages) but more or less has overlapping rules with Mastercard.

Here is some trivia about the 16-digit numbers in credit/debit cards — the last digit is always meant to make the sum of the digits that, when divided by 10, gives no remainder. It makes the card number harder to fake since there is an algorithm built into it. Pretty cool.

How do I avail myself of a GCash Card?

You need to buy it, but there are two official ways to get it — via Delivery or Pickup.

Getting a GCash Card via the GCash app

  1. From the main page of the app, click on Profile, then click on My Linked Accounts. From the accounts page, click on GCash Card.
  2. Click on the “this page” link (right above the Add a Card button) to go to the order page.
  3. You can either order a card and have it delivered, or buy it in-store.

Buying via Delivery

This method has been improved, because you can order directly using the form, without needing to go through Pay Bills to pay for it. Delivery is expected to arrive within 10 business days.

Ordering GCash Card via Delivery

  1. From the GCash Cards page, click on “Order a card”.
  2. You will need to input your details, specifically your full name as well as your address.
  3. Confirm the payment amounting to Php 250 and once payment is done, you only need to wait a few days for the delivery.

I ordered mine recently through the app, and I got my card after 3 days. My experience was hassle-free. I was able to use it once enabled in the app.

Visa Card

Mastercard

Buying in-Store

You can buy cards from partner stores. Some convenience stores like 7-11, Ministop, All-Day, and Lawson also sell them. However, take note that most of the time these are sold out. I haven’t found a single card being sold anywhere. Currently, even the option is disabled in the app.

Buying via Online Sellers

I do not recommend buying from online sellers, for example on Facebook or on Lazada. They most likely have hoarded a lot of cards and hiked the price. Normally, a card costs Php 150. They may sell it higher to recoup their costs.

Also, some sellers may have tampered with the card or have taken note of the CVV as well. It is best to go with official sources.

Does the GCash Card still have a tie-up with BEEP?

No, the BEEP/Mastercard NFC cards are limited edition only and are not being sold anymore.

Why does my GCash Card have no name?

Previously, when ordering a Mastercard, it wasn’t personalized. However, now for Visa Cards, your name is printed on the card.

For online payments, what name should I put in since my GCash Card has no name?

You can use your GCash account name instead because once your card is linked, your account name is tied to the card.


How do I link my GCash Card to the GCash app?

Linking is different from setting the PIN. Basically, you are linking the card to your GCash account.

Linking your GCash Card via the GCash app

You need to link it within “My Linked Accounts” by clicking on “Add Card”. Next, on the GCash Card page click on “Link my card” and input the OTP sent to you.

Once on the Link GCash Card page, input the last 4 digits of the card and the Virtual Account Number from the back of the card. Click Next and confirm.

On the next page, you will need to input your 6-digit PIN and click Next to see the success page.

Linking GCash Card via *143# (using Globe/TM SIM only)

Linking GCash Cards via USSD is not supported anymore.

What do I do if I encounter “Authentication Failed” while linking my GCash Card?

If the GCash account is using a non-Globe mobile number, then there is no other way but to report it to customer support.

How many cards can I link to my account?

Currently, you can only link 3 cards.

However, I would not suggest linking more than one or having more than one active because you potentially put your account at much more risk of exposure to, the more cards you link. Any of the linked cards can be taken advantage of.

Can I link my already-linked card to another account?

No. Once you’ve linked it, you cannot link it to another account.


How do I set my GCash Card PIN?

You can now set a different 6-digit PIN from the actual GCash MPIN. This PIN will exclusively be used for ATM withdrawals and debit card transactions. Transactions now become more secure because it’s now a different PIN from your GCash one.

All GCash Cards now require a 6-digit PIN to use.

Setting your GCash Card PIN

  1. From the GCash Card page, click on your card whose PIN needs updating.
  2. From the card page, click on the “Reset Card PIN” button.
  3. You will need to input OTP, and then input the 6-digit PIN.
  4. You will be receiving an SMS once the setting is done.

How do I lock or unlock my GCash Card?

Another new feature is to lock/unlock your card, to prevent unauthorized usage. You can lock your card when you plan not to use it for a time.

Locking/Unlocking your GCash Card

  1. Go to the GCash Card Account page, go to your specific card, and click on the “Lock Card” button. After confirming, the card locks immediately.
  2. If you are unlocking the card, you will need to confirm by entering the OTP.

How do I deactivate my GCash Card?

The difference between unlinking/suspending and deactivating a card is you cannot use your GCash Card anymore as it’s not linked to your account. You can now do this from within the app.

From the GCash Card page, click on the “Deactivate” link on top of the specific card. Confirm and enter your Card PIN to finalize.

I received this message in the app that my card will be deactivated. What do I need to do?

This means your current card may be compromised. Don’t worry, you will get your Php 150 back and you can reorder another card for linking.


How do I use the GCash Card?

ATM Withdrawal

The main use of the GCash Card is for cashing out in any ATM locally, usually with a fee that depends on the bank. There is also a Php 20,000 ATM withdrawal limit for fully verified users.

You will need to use your nominated 6-digit PIN to withdraw, if you haven’t nominated a PIN yet, please do so to prevent locking out your card.

Since it is also under the Mastercard scheme, you can also use the card at any international ATM with a Php 150 fee. You will also get your cash automatically converted to the local currency, often with better forex rates than your typical money changer. This is especially useful for travelers abroad.

Over-the-Counter Payments

You can also use the GCash Card as a debit card, which means you can have it swiped when you pay at the cashier. You would also need to use your nominated 6-digit PIN to pay.

You do not need to open the GCash app for this, as long as you know that there is enough balance in your GCash wallet to pay.

For international purchases, the amount is converted to the local currency with competitive forex rates. This is one way of utilizing GCash abroad — remit to GCash, then buy using GCash Card.

Online Payments

The GCash Card can also be used in paying for anything online that supports debit/credit card payments. I’ve personally used it to pay for my Netflix subscription and other subscriptions as well. To be able to pay using the card, you will need to fund your GCash wallet before using it. You can also use your Virtual Account Number to pay for online purchases.

This is also a good alternative for the GCash AMEX Virtual Pay Card when merchants decline it.

For some merchants that support 3D Secure, there will be a corresponding OTP to be sent to you to confirm the payment. For others that don’t support it, take note that this may be a way for fraudsters to get your money, so it is best to check your merchant before transacting.

Also, it is good practice to cover or obscure the CVV with tape when you use your card outside to prevent skimmers from getting a complete copy of your card.


Other Questions

How do I put money into my GCash Card?

Your GCash Card works like a debit card, so its balance is also your GCash balance. To put money into your card, you would need to cash into GCash. For international users, you can also remit to your GCash number.

What will happen if the ATM denies my card due to the wrong PIN?

You will still be able to get your ATM card, however, you can now reset your PIN easily from within the GCash app. Check the how-to earlier in this post.

What if I did not receive the cash from the ATM?

Unfortunately, this happens from time to time. In these cases, you usually don’t need to call customer support as the funds will automatically be credited back to your account as soon as possible.

However, if you’ve not received back your funds after a day, it would be better to follow it up via GCash Support.

What’s the use of the Virtual Account Number?

This is used to link your card to your GCash account. You can use this number as an alias instead of providing your card number as printed.

My card has no Virtual Account Number. How can I link it?

You would need to get the Virtual Account Number from GCash Support before you can link it to your account.

Can I transfer my GCash Card to another account?

Yes, but you would first need to deactivate it from your account, before reactivating it from the other account.

Can I still use my expired GCash Card?

No, you would need to replace it with a new one.

Can I cash out without using my GCash Card?

Yes, there are many cash-out channels you can utilize to cash out.

How do I link my GCash Card to PayPal?

You can link your GCash Card into Paypal as a debit card. You need to have at least USD 1 (~PHP 50 ) in your GCash account because PayPal will be doing a test transaction. Don’t worry about it as they will credit it back immediately after linking.

Note: To prevent linking errors, your saved address should be complete — meaning you should set the region as well. Most of the time the region in the address isn’t specified and this causes linking errors.

You will need to log into your account, go to Balance > Add a card, and then input your card details.

How do I link my GCash Card to Netflix?

You just need to go to your account and add a card under “Update payment info”. Please remember that you need to have funds in your GCash account to proceed.

You just need to put in the complete details that are in your GCash account, for example, first names and last names should be the same.

As an alternative, you can now pay directly using GCash on Netflix.

Can I also link my GCash Card to other streaming sites like IFlix, HBO Go, Disney+, and others?

Absolutely. Here is an in-depth guide. Here is a guide specific to Disney Plus.

I noticed some unrecognized transactions in my transaction history. What do I do?

Your card may have been compromised. You need to change your PIN immediately and unlink your card. You may also need to file a ticket with GCash Support (Customer Protect) due to fraud.

Please do not share your PIN and OTP with anyone. Scams are aplenty nowadays.

Why am I getting auto-debited without my permission?

You need to first check whether you’ve been subscribed to any recurring service. You can use the Transaction History to trace the origin of the transaction. You can also check what service it is, especially if it’s tied to Google Payments.


Summary

The GCash Card is a debit card mainly used for ATM withdrawal but can also be used for online e-commerce. GCash Cards can be bought online or over the counter. We also talked about how to buy, link/unlink, lock/unlock, and use cards.



I have a new e-commerce site where you can buy some e-books here: GCR Prime

After reading about what GCash is, here are the main GCash features:

123 thoughts on “Mastering GCash Cards”

  1. Hi! Question, what if i cannot recognize my previous sim that link to my gcash card? I have my new personal gcash account and trying to link my gcash card but saying it was alreasy link to other number. What will i do?

    Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • You should let GCash support know so that they can change the number linked to your account. You can file a ticket in help.gcash.com.

      Reply
  2. Hindi po ako marunong mg English gusto kulang po malaman kung kylan darating ung Gcash card ko bayad napo ako 3weeks na po hndi pa dumarating sna masagot nyupo tanong ko salamat

    Reply
    • Sa palagay ko dahil ecq kaya di rin nakapagpadala ng mga cards. Puwede niyo po ifollow up sa help.gcash.com tapos magfile kayo ng ticket. Kahit tagalog ok lang.

      Reply
    • Wait niyo lang po sir. Ako po April pa umorder and ngayon ko lang siya actually nareceive. Delayed po kasi delivery dahil sa quarantine

      Reply
  3. Hi. I used the *143# in activating ng gcash card. Tapos may txt message naman na nagsabing activated na. Pero pag check ko sa gcash app, hindi pa linked yung mastercard. What to do?

    Reply
    • Sinubukan mo rin ba sa app na i-activate? Baka nagkaaberya. Kung ayaw pa rin, file nalang tayo ng ticket sa help.gcash.com.

      Reply
  4. Hi, nagcrecreate ako ng account sa netflix/spotify kaso eto yung lumilitaw kung bakit ayaw magproceed, (The payment failed. Please try again, or use a different payment method. ) nakalink na po gcash master card ko and meron na din po akong express pay, natry ko na sila parehas pero ganyan pa din po. thanks!

    Reply
    • May laman ba ang wallet mo? Dapat may laman bago mo ilink kasi magttest transaction siya. Ibabalik naman niya yung pera pagkatapos.

      Reply
  5. Already link my gcash MasterCard through *143# and also received message stating that I already linked my card but when I checked my account through gcash app its still not link
    ..what to do ?
    Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Di na po ginagawa yun ngayon. Kaya isa ring problema yan pag kinain ng ATM, di na mababalik sayo ng bangko ang MC mo kasi walang pangalan mo.

      Reply
  6. Pls answer me.. I already have Gcash account w/ Globe Sim and Linked Mastercard which my company provided for payroll. Now, i have requested another Gcash registered again to my Name and they sent me together with another Mastercard, is it legal if i link this new Mastercard to my New Gcash Sim/Account?
    By then, i will have 2 Gcash Account with 2 Mastercard under my name. One different Mastercard in every different Gcash Account/Sim under my name

    Reply
  7. Hello Tnt/smart sim ko..so via app lang po ako pwede mag linked ng mastercard? Nag order po kasi ako.. sana dumating siya on time 😊

    Reply
  8. Hi po goodnoon
    Natanggap ko na po ang gcash mastercard ko pero ng worried po ako kasi wala po yung name ko. Hindi po ba to scam if i knew all cards has a name.pls asap

    Reply
  9. Based on our records, we did not receive your card application. For us to proceed with your request, please make sure to fill up our online form here: https://www.gcash.com/mc-store/orders. No need to pay another P150.
    “Bakit ganito ang sent sa akin akala ko ok na hintay ako sa pag deliver sa akin,sino naka ranas nito?

    Reply
    • Yan din po maranassan ko. Wala po kasi sinabi na kailangan pa po pala mag fill-up. haha. hintay pala ako sa wala. Anyways, follow nyo nalang po yan like what I did, and I already received my mastercard 🙂 after nyo po magfill up, mapprocess na po yun. Dumating po yung sakin after 7 days.

      Reply
  10. May master card na po ako dati I think 2018 pa sya then dko na nagamit, need pa ba sya iactivate ulit ? Nittry ko kase mag link sa account ko sa gcash ayaw namn . .
    Is it okay na other network na number Ang ginamit ko sa app? Thanks much po.

    Reply
    • Pag nakalink na ang card mo kahit kailan nakalink na yan. Pag gumamit ka ng ibang network, ibang account na rin yun. Kailangan mong gumawa.

      Reply
  11. Hindi po ma i-link yung gcash master card ng bf ko don sa gcash niya.ano pong dapat na gawin? Maraming salamat po sa sagot..

    Reply
    • Subukan mo po gawin yung USSD na procedure na naexplain ko sa blog. Pero kung di pa rin, mas maganda sigurong ifile nalang ng ticket sa support.

      Reply
  12. Hello po. Balak ko sana mag-order ng Gcash MC. Account ko yung Gcash pero pwede bang iba ang gagamit? Ibigay ko kasi sana sa mother ko yung Gcash MC para magamit kapag namimili sa Puregold.

    May mga need ba sya dalhin or ipakita para i-accept yung card as payment? Thanks po. 🙂

    Reply
    • Puwede naman, basta pagkatanggap ilink lang dun sa gagamit na account. Di naman ibig sabihin pag binili mo nakalink agad sa account mo.

      Pag ginamit siya, wala namang hinihinging proof of identity kasi sa card walang nakalagay na name.

      Reply
  13. Hi, meron po kasi akong GCash Mastercard, then gagamitin ko po sana para sa online course na gusto kong itake, ang kaso, dahil wala pong name sa GCash Mastercard ko, di ko po alam kung anong name ang gagamitin ko. so narereject siya sa end ko. Ano po kayang magandang gawin?

    Reply
  14. Ask ko lang po. If lalagyan ko ng php100 ang gcash wallet ko, magkakaroon dn ba ng same amount ang mastercard ko? Thankyou

    Reply
  15. hnd ko po malink yong bagong MasterCard ko . itry to offline *143# already link na daw. pag link ko nmn sa apps nag error sya. cannot process ang sabi. pki sagot po ako . tska paturo nlng din po. thank you

    Reply
    • Pag nililink mo ba may laman GCash mo? Minsan kasi pagkalink nagttest transaction, pero binabalik naman agad. Kung ayaw pa rin kahit ganun, ifile mo nalang ng ticket sa help.gcash.com.

      Reply
    • Hi, do you have idea pano malalaman yung billing address for the GCash Mastercard? Is it the same with Delivery address? I was trying to purchase online and need ng billing address.

      Reply
  16. Hello
    My husband cannot linked his gcash MasterCard on his gcash app or in his gcash wallet, is always prompted its been linked already but how come its impossible because i was the the one purchase it on his gcash wallet app fill up the application submit it payment done received reference number then a day before we received the mail then about to link to the wallet it says its been linked already. What to do about this matter? I already submit ticket also to gcash help. But takes awhile though. Help

    Reply
    • Kung nakalink na ang card, kaya ba niya magwithdraw sa ATM bilang patunay? Para matest rin kung sa account talaga ng asawa mo nakalink ang card na yun.

      Reply
        • I think di talaga siya na-uunlink pag ginawa sa USSD (“suspend” ang nakalagay na option). Mas magandang magfile ng ticket sa support.

  17. Hi, whenever I tried to link my newly delivered card to my gcash account it always says “cant process linking at the moment” been trying for days but still. I’m non globe user, tried calling gcash but nah. What should I do? Thank youu.

    Reply
    • If you don’t like calling, why not try live chat (via help.gcash.com during business hours) or submitting a ticket (via the same site)? It would free up your time on the phone which I agree is quite boring.

      Reply
  18. Once na linked na po ba yung GCash Acct sa Gcash MC understood po ba na kung ano ang laman ng GCash Acct yun na din po laman ng MC mo?

    Reply
  19. hi, ask ko lang po, pwede ko ba gamitin tong gcash mc ko sa new account ko, yung previous po kase na ccount ay nawala na, nawala po kase sim card, so pwede po yon? or need na bumili ng bagong mc?

    Reply
  20. Hi, pwede po ba maglink ng 2 gcash mastercard sa isang gcash account ? Balak po sana namin ng partner ko na tig isa kami ng card pero isang account lang gamit namin.

    Reply
  21. Indi b pde mgcash in ng pera s gcash mastercard using atm or kelangan ko p rin mgpunta s mga accredited store pra mlagyan ng laman un gcash mastercard ko? Cash out lng b tlga mggwa sa gcash mastercard or pde dn cash in using atm?

    Reply
  22. Nareceive ko po yung gcash mastercard ko last year. Dahil sa sobrang busy ko, this month ko lang sya nai-link sa mobile number ko. Kaya lang nag-e-error sya kahit tinry ko din thru *143#. Nag-expired po bq ito. Salamat po.

    Reply
  23. Just an update, this has not been stated anywhere but you CANNOT use GCASH MasterCard for online transactions. They should call it GCash ATM, not MasterCard.

    Reply
    • Some of my online purchases have been through GCash Mastercard. I don’t know why it doesn’t work with yours. Maybe file a ticket?

      Reply
  24. Hi, pwede po ba magkaroon ng dalawang gcash mastercard gamit iisang gcash number/wallet? If yes, paano po mag lalagyan yung dalawang cards? Pano mag split yung money doon? Gagamitin ko po kasi yung isa for money collections sa work tapos yung isa for personal use. Thanks.

    Reply
  25. Hello paano po mag unlinked ng gcash mastercard sa old number ko po which is Smart po ang gamit ko sa old Gcash ko, then i have new Number Globe then i create Gcash account and want ko na dun na i link ang gcash mastercard ko .

    Reply
  26. kapag po ba nalink na yung card sa isang account, hindi na siya pwedi i link sa ibang account kahit same name , different number? Thanks po .

    Reply
  27. When I link my gcash mastercard to my gcash app? Does it mean that my existing balance in the app is already in my gcash mastercard? Is that how it works?

    Reply
  28. Hello, when activated and linked to the gcash acct, are the funds automatically reflected to the gcash mastercard ? Or do you need to transfer funds from gcash acct to the linked gcashed mastercard? thank you.

    Reply
  29. Hi! I had an international transaction for a subscription in an online course. However the card (GCash Mastercard) is declining, and they say the card may not be enabled yet for international transaction.
    Can it really happen?
    Because I am paying 0$ there (free trial), so my balance should not be an issue.

    Reply
    • Nagffail rin sa akin ang subscription/autodebit sa GCash MC. Pero dapat gagana siya for one-time international transactions. Not sure, but I think it would be better to go through Paypal (with GCash linked) for subscriptions instead.

      Reply
  30. Hello po. Dumating po yung gcash card ko kahapon (May 11, 2021) pero hindi ko po nareceive kasi tulog ako galing akong panggabi sa trabaho. Nung tinext ko po yung nagdeliver wala na po syang response. Paano po? Ilang araw po hihintayin ko para malaman na darating ang gcash ko o hindi na po ba?

    Reply
  31. Hello po! I’m trying to have a spotify premium using my gcash mastercard, however, hindi po siya gumagana try other card daw po. Bakit po ganoon lumalabas? Salamat po!

    Reply
    • Minsan ganyan talaga, file a ticket nalang siguro. O subukan mo munang ilink sa Paypal yung GCash MC mo tapos yun ang gamitin mo.

      Reply
  32. wala po bang problema kung i-unlinked ang gcash mastercard sa old number tapos i-linked sa new number?

    may tanong po kasi sa taas na “Can I link my already linked card into another account?” ang sagot po kasi ay “No. Once you’ve linked it, you cannot transfer it to another account.”

    Reply

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