In a move that blends celebrity clout with fintech ambition, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is stepping into the payments space with his own platform, “Manny Pay”, now approved by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The launch comes at a time when digital payments in the Philippines are experiencing significant momentum, with the BSP reporting that digital payments now make up more than half of all transactions.
With Manny Pay now in the mix, the question is how a celebrity-driven fintech offering will ride the wave of increasing digital adoption — and whether it can contribute meaningfully to financial inclusion.
The Manny Pay pitch
Manny Pay positions itself as more than just a celebrity-branded wallet. With BSP approval, it enters a regulated landscape of e-money issuers and digital wallets in the Philippines. Having a prominent figure like Pacquiao on board lends visibility and potentially trust, especially among under-banked segments.
The platform aims to provide peer-to-peer transfers, QR payments, and merchant check-outs — aligning it with the core use-cases driving digital payments growth.
By leveraging Pacquiao’s broad appeal across urban and rural communities, Manny Pay could tap into trust-networks where traditional banks and fintechs struggle. The key will be execution: onboarding merchants, offering competitive fees, and simplifying access for users who are still wary of digital payments.
Digital payments landscape in the Philippines
The backdrop to Manny Pay’s launch is a vibrant, evolving payments ecosystem. The Philippines recently exceeded its digital payments target, with over half of all retail transactions now done digitally. Merchant payments alone comprise the largest share of digital transactions by volume, showing that everyday consumer payments are increasingly being processed through e-wallets and online systems.
Regulatory efforts such as the National QR Code standard (QR Ph) have also helped make digital payments easier and more accessible to small businesses. Yet challenges remain — areas like business-to-business payments still lag in volume, and digital literacy and trust are persistent barriers, especially in remote or less connected areas.
Manny Pay enters this dynamic environment with both opportunity and risk: the opportunity to ride the growth wave, the risk of being yet another wallet option without clear differentiation.
Implications for inclusion and competition
One of the most compelling aspects of a platform like Manny Pay is its potential to drive financial inclusion. With Pacquiao’s strong brand among lower-income and regional communities, Manny Pay could serve as an entry point for users who have yet to adopt digital wallets or banking services. That aligns with the BSP’s push to increase formal account coverage and digital penetration nationwide.
Competition dynamics also shift. The digital wallet space in the Philippines is already populated with established players offering QR payments, P2P transfers and merchant services. Manny Pay must differentiate — whether through pricing, features like rewards or offline accessibility, or a unique proposition tailored to niche segments.
Success will depend on whether Pacquiao’s brand translates into sustained usage, not just initial downloads.
The bigger picture
Manny Pay’s launch marks a fascinating intersection between celebrity branding and fintech innovation in the Philippines. If executed well, it could invigorate competition and push digital payment adoption deeper into underserved segments.
But visibility alone won’t guarantee success — merchant acquisition, trust-building, user experience and value-added services will be key.
