Philippines-based Billease announced it is expanding its services to include digital banking functions through a partnership with the Rural Bank of Sta. Maria.
The buy now, pay later company will introduce features including digital savings accounts, fund transfers, cash in, and cash out directly into the Billease app. Full implementation of these services is slated for the third quarter of 2026.
(From left) Billease co-founder Ritche Weekun, CEO and co-founder Georg Steiger, CMO Jose Fernandez, and ambassador Kim Chiu / Photo credit: Billease
Dennis Valdes, president and CEO of Billease’s banking arm, tells Tech in Asia that the initiative comes amid existing customers’ demand for a banking service that can supplement the company’s current offerings.
Billease users’ income levels have also improved, “so it would be wise for us to … provide a banking service to maximize our value to our customers,” he adds.
Founded in 2017, Billease offers personal loans, e-wallet top-ups, and other consumer credit products on top of its BNPL services. It is backed by investors such as TPG’s The Rise Fund, Burda Principal Investments, and Credit Saison.
Apart from savings accounts, Billease is looking to offer virtual credit and debit cards. However, these plans are not yet concrete, says Valdes.
In a previous interview with Tech in Asia, Billease CEO and co-founder Georg Steiger said the company has boosted its offline presence. Integrating with the QR Ph payment system, the Philippines’ QR payment standard, helped with this expansion.
In May 2025, the company announced a roughly US$90 million funding deal with Security Bank. Steiger said the funds were raised to give Billease “working capital to grow the business.”
A busy industry
The move is Billease’s entry into the Philippines’ competitive digital banking market, which is already crowded with players including GoTyme, Maya Bank, and UnionDigital Bank.
GoTyme and Maya Bank are backed by major local conglomerates – Gokongwei Group and MVP Group, respectively. Meanwhile, UnionDigital Bank is a subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines, one of the largest banks in the country by assets.
A Billease QR code at a store / Photo credit: Billease
At a media event, Valdes said Billease is confident that it can scale quickly even in the crowded digital banking scene, given its BNPL roots and the ecosystem it has built.
Stricter regulations
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