Coins.ph Connects Crypto to 700,000 QRPh Merchants
Coins.ph has integrated Tether payments with QRPh, the Philippines' national QR code standard overseen by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Users select Tether from their digital balance, scan merchant codes, and complete transactions without converting to pesos first.
Key Takeaway
Crypto jumped from trading app to everyday checkout counter through official government payment rails.
Filipino shoppers can scan merchant QR codes and pay with Tether through the Coins.ph app at hundreds of thousands of stores nationwide.
The platform integrated crypto payments with QRPh, the Philippines' national QR code standard overseen by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Users select Tether from their digital balance, scan the merchant code, and complete the transaction without converting to pesos first. The integration covers 700,000 QRPh-enabled merchants across the country.
Coins.ph Company Representative Wei Zhou said the initiative aims to make digital tokens more relevant in daily life. The platform wants to simplify transactions for users who need payment flexibility, Zhou added.
Tether is the only supported asset for now. Coins.ph chose the dollar-pegged stablecoin for transaction speed and to minimize price volatility at checkout. Failed payments trigger automatic reversal of the asset conversion, while successful refunds return Philippine pesos instead of digital tokens.
The feature operates under BSP's Virtual Asset Service Provider registration framework, extending the regulator's digital payments infrastructure into the virtual asset space. Coins.ph has long positioned itself as a consumer payments app spanning bills, remittances, and merchant payments alongside crypto features.
QRPh was designed to enable interoperable payments across participating banks and e-wallets using one national standard. Coins.ph's integration marks the first time crypto rails connect directly to this system, giving Tether holders access to retail stores, restaurants, and service providers that accept the QR code standard across 700,000 merchant locations.
🇵🇭 Filipino Impact
Filipino crypto holders can now spend Tether directly at sari-sari stores, restaurants, and shops without cashing out through remittance centers or banks. The feature works anywhere QRPh is accepted — from 7-Eleven to local retailers — giving USDT the same checkout access as GCash or Maya. For OFWs who already receive remittances in Tether, this eliminates one conversion step when spending in the Philippines.
This article was written based on reporting from Fintechnews.
