The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has taken another major step in expanding financial access for Filipinos.
Through a partnership with Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. (RRHI), customers can now withdraw cash for free at select grocery and department store cashiers — bringing convenient banking right where people shop.
The initiative, launched in November this year, adds over 300 new withdrawal points nationwide. These include Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, Shopwise, Robinsons Easymart, and No Brand — all under the Robinsons Retail network. The service is also expected to be available at Robinsons Department Store and Toys “R” Us soon.
Expanding financial access beyond ATMs
For millions of Filipinos, ATMs remain the most common way to withdraw cash. But in areas where machines are limited or queues are long, getting cash can be a hassle.
BPI’s new service aims to change that.
“The added advantage to this is that customers today don’t have to make an extra trip to go and do their banking. When they do their shopping, when they do their groceries, when they go to the department store, when they do the necessary and fun things in life, like shop, they can also do their banking.” said BPI President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Teodoro K. Limcaoco during the launch.
By integrating withdrawals into Robinsons store counters, BPI effectively transforms everyday retail locations into mini banking touchpoints, ensuring that access to cash is fast, secure, and convenient.
How BPI’s free withdrawals work
With just the BPI app, customers can generate a withdrawal barcode that serves as their key to cash access. The barcode is scanned at participating Robinsons cashiers, who process the transaction in-store.
Here’s how the service works:
- Minimum withdrawal: ₱100
- Maximum per transaction: Up to ₱10,000 (Note: The maximum limit may be lower, such as ₱5,000, at certain smaller formats like Robinsons Easymart and No Brand, depending on the store’s available cash float.)
- Limit: Up to five barcodes daily
- Fee: None — it’s completely free
Unlike ATMs that dispense only ₱100, ₱500, or ₱1,000 bills, the service allows customers to withdraw exact amounts—for instance, ₱520—offering added flexibility.
Customers can also generate a barcode and send it to a family member or friend, allowing them to withdraw on the customer’s behalf. It’s a small but practical innovation for families managing shared finances.
A step toward inclusive banking
The service helps underbanked and rural areas where Robinsons stores are often key commercial centers. By partnering with a major retail group, BPI ensures that cash access is embedded into everyday life — from grocery shopping to department store errands.
For Robinsons Retail, the move is equally transformative. “We’re also proud to be the first supermarket to offer BPI withdrawal service. Using the BPI app, customers can withdraw cash in-store — fast, secure, and convenient. And soon, we’ll be adding cash deposit services to make the experience even more complete,” said Christine O. Tueres, Managing Director of Robinsons Supermarket Corp.
Bringing digital banking closer to daily life
Mr. Limcaoco noted that the cost of facilitating an in-store withdrawal is lower compared to deploying an automated teller machine (ATM).
“The beauty of this is because it’s purely variable here. The cost to transact at Robinsons for the customer is free. But for us, our cost is actually cheaper when it’s done at Robinsons than if you were to do it at a branch or an ATM, because a branch or an ATM has infrastructure and cash costs because we have to keep cash in that. At Robinsons, we don’t have infrastructure, and we don’t need to keep the cash,” he explained.
Scaling up nationwide
The withdrawal service is currently available at 373 RRHI partner stores. BPI expects this number to increase to 460 by year-end as more Robinsons brands come on board.
Industry observers say this initiative could become a blueprint for future bank–retail collaborations in the Philippines, where supermarket-based financial services could soon include deposits, bill payments, and even microloans.
“We’re bringing banking closer to where life happens,” Robinsons Retail President Bryan Kendrick Uy summarized. For millions of Filipinos, this partnership represents not just another financial feature — but a new, more accessible way to manage money in their daily routines.
