With the current safety
precautions many Filipinos take in their everyday lives, it’s no surprise that
many look for less direct ways to interact with sellers especially in a
pharmacy space. Drugstores may be the best source to purchase all your health
needs, but safety is also an aspect many consider before they step out of the
comforts of their homes.
Because of this growing habit,
GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet, has now made over-the-counter Cash
In and “Scan to Pay” options available at Southstar Drug, one of the largest
drugstore chains in the Philippines with over 559 stores — offering customers
convenient and safe payment options when they buy medicine, personal care, and
other essential items amid the pandemic.
“With this strategic partnership
with Southstar, which has so many branches across the Philippines, now in
place, Filipinos have a more convenient and safer way to infuse funds to their
GCash accounts,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash. “Making
over-the-counter Cash In options available in all Southstar branches is proof
that GCash is aggressively pursuing our commitment to make innovative financial
services accessible to Filipinos from all walks of life, especially amid the
pandemic.”
“Our customers rely on us now more
than ever for their health and wellness needs; hence we continue to further
innovate and offer services that will support access to these needs. This
partnership with Gcash will surely help us serve our customers with more ease
and confidence. At a time when we need assurance, Southstar Drug will remain to
be a partner for a healthy and safe lifestyle that Filipinos can trust,” said
Christine Tueres, General Manager of Southstar Drug.
Southstar Drug carries a wide
range of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and a
variety of food, personal care, and health and wellness items. The health
retailer operates stand-alone dedicated pharmacies to stores inside
supermarkets and pharmacies with self-service convenience sections.
Customers just need to go to any
Southstar Drug outlet and simply inform the cashier that they would like to
Cash In to their GCash wallet. Then, they just need to launch the GCash app,
then tap “Cash In” and choose “Southstar Drug.” Next, just tap on the “Generate
barcode” button and show the generated barcode to the cashier. The cashier will
then process and confirm the transaction, collect payment, and print the
receipt. A text confirmation will be then sent to the customer’s mobile number
upon successful Cash In.
GCash has also made payments via
QR Codes available at Southstar. For customers who also wish to buy items using
GCash QR Codes, they simply need to log in to their GCash account, choose “Scan
to Pay” as the mode of payment and click on “Pay QR,” then tap “Scan QR Code.”
Alternatively, they can also simply tap on the QR button on the navigation bar
found at the bottom of the homepage, align their phone's camera over the
cashier's GCash QR code to scan it, input the amount in the payment screen, tap
“Next” and choose whether to pay with GCash or GCredit. After selecting the
payment option, an SMS confirmation message will be sent to the customer’s
mobile number as the receipt and proof of purchase.
With the availability of the GCash
Cash In and QR Code feature at participating Southstar Drug branches, customers
can easily load funds in their GCash accounts or pay without the need to carry
cash or a credit/ATM card to avail of cashless payment.
"This is the next level of
safety, convenience and security in cashless payments because with the GCash
Cash In and QR Code, they don’t need to type in the numbers, or share their
mobile numbers with others. And it’s available to anyone with the GCash app –
that’s real financial inclusion for all Filipinos across the country,"
said GCash GM for Business Center and Financial Products Gina Salgado.
For more information,
visit www.gcash.com.