PayMongo lets you accept GCash at 2.23% per transaction — no setup fee, no separate GCash merchant account, no bank partnership required. This guide covers every step from account creation to go-live on Shopify and WooCommerce.
What You’ll Need
Before starting, confirm you have the following:
- A PayMongo account — free to create at paymongo.com
- A Philippine bank account for settlement deposits
- A valid Philippine government-issued ID (for individual sellers) or your DTI/SEC registration certificate (for registered businesses)
- Shopify on any paid plan, or WordPress with WooCommerce installed
- Admin access to your Shopify or WordPress dashboard
Verification takes 1–3 business days after you submit documents, per PayMongo’s published timelines. PayMongo’s test mode is available immediately — you can complete the integration steps below and simulate GCash transactions before your account goes live.
Step 1: Create Your PayMongo Account
Go to paymongo.com and click “Get Started.” Enter your business email, set a password, and confirm your email address. Your PayMongo dashboard is accessible immediately.
The onboarding flow asks for your business name, website URL, and product category. Complete this accurately — it feeds into your KYC review. PayMongo is supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified, per their official website.
Step 2: Complete KYC Verification
Activate live payment processing by submitting identity and business documents. In your PayMongo dashboard, go to Settings > Account > Verification.
Required documents by account type:
| Account Type | Required Documents |
|---|---|
| Individual seller | Valid government-issued ID (passport, driver’s license, SSS, or UMID) |
| Sole proprietorship | DTI Certificate of Business Registration + valid government ID |
| Corporation or partnership | SEC Certificate of Incorporation + valid government ID of primary account holder |
Upload clear photos or scans. You will receive an email once your account is approved for live payments.
Step 3: Activate GCash as a Payment Method
Once verified (or in test mode), go to Payment Methods in your PayMongo dashboard. You will see all available channels — GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, cards, direct online banking, and BNPL.
Click “Activate” next to GCash. PayMongo’s published rate as of mid-2026 is 2.23% per successful GCash transaction, per paymongo.com/pricing. Confirm the current rate shown in your dashboard before activating.
| Payment Method | PayMongo MDR (mid-2026) |
|---|---|
| GCash | 2.23% |
| Maya | 1.79% |
| GrabPay | 1.96% |
| ShopeePay | 1.70% |
| QR Ph (online) | 1.34% |
Source: PayMongo pricing page, verified mid-2026.
GCash activation applies to your entire PayMongo account — any store you connect (Shopify or WooCommerce) will show GCash at checkout automatically. While you have Payment Methods open, activate any other e-wallets your customers use. Each activation is free.
PayMongo also supports BillEase BNPL at 1.34% per transaction, per PayMongo’s pricing page as of mid-2026. If you want to offer installment payments to your customers alongside GCash, see our BillEase merchant guide for terms and setup details.
Step 4: Connect PayMongo to Your Shopify Store
Using WooCommerce? Skip to Step 6.
In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments. Under “Additional payment methods,” search for “PayMongo.” Click “Add” then “Install.”
Shopify redirects you to PayMongo’s authorization screen. Log in with your PayMongo credentials and click “Authorize.” Once authorized, Shopify returns you to Payments settings and PayMongo appears under your active payment providers.
Shopify does not charge an additional transaction fee for PayMongo on Basic plans and above, per Shopify’s current terms. If you are on a Starter plan, check the applicable third-party gateway fee before integrating.
Step 5: Enable GCash at Your Shopify Checkout
After connecting PayMongo, stay on Shopify’s Settings > Payments page. Under the PayMongo section, check the box next to GCash (and any other e-wallets you activated in Step 3). Click “Save.”
Open your store in a browser, add a product to the cart, and proceed to checkout. GCash should appear on the payment selection screen. If it does not, confirm GCash is activated on your PayMongo account (Step 3) and that Shopify is using your live — not test — PayMongo API keys.
Looking to compare PayMongo GCash fees against Xendit before you commit? See the full e-wallet rate breakdown in our Xendit Philippines guide — including GCash, Maya, and settlement times for both gateways.
Step 6: Install the PayMongo Plugin on WooCommerce
Using Shopify? Skip to Step 8.
In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New. Search for “PayMongo.” Install and activate the official plugin — publisher is PayMongo, available at wordpress.org/plugins/wc-paymongo-payment-gateway. Free to install.
After activation, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments. PayMongo payment methods appear in the list, each with an individual toggle.
Step 7: Enable GCash in WooCommerce Settings
In WooCommerce > Settings > Payments, toggle on “GCash via PayMongo.” Click “Set up” to enter your API keys.
Your PayMongo API keys are in your dashboard under Developers > API Keys. Copy your live public key and live secret key. Enter both into the corresponding fields in WooCommerce. Save.
If GCash does not appear in the payment list after installing the plugin, return to your PayMongo dashboard and confirm GCash is activated under Payment Methods (Step 3). The plugin only surfaces payment methods active on your account.
Step 8: Test the GCash Payment Flow
Before processing real customer payments, run a full test transaction:
- In your PayMongo dashboard, go to Developer Tools > Enable test mode. Your dashboard header shows “Test Mode” in orange.
- In your integration settings (Shopify or WooCommerce), switch to test API keys — available under Developers > API Keys > Test in PayMongo.
- Add a product to cart and proceed to checkout.
- Select GCash. PayMongo’s test environment simulates the full GCash redirect and approval screen.
- Confirm the transaction appears in your PayMongo test dashboard with status “paid.”
- Switch back to live API keys once testing is confirmed.
Do not process real transactions while test keys are active. Test mode simulates payments — no real money moves, and real GCash accounts cannot authenticate in test mode.
Step 9: Understand Your GCash MDR and Settlement Schedule
PayMongo deducts the GCash MDR of 2.23% before every settlement. On a ₱1,000 GCash transaction, you receive ₱977.70. At 300 GCash transactions per month at ₱800 average order value, your monthly MDR cost is approximately ₱5,352, per a straightforward calculation at the 2.23% rate.
Standard settlement is 2–7 business days to your registered Philippine bank account, per PayMongo’s published settlement schedule. Transactions batch by period — your dashboard shows each settlement batch, the transactions included, and the expected deposit date.
PayMongo also offers Instant Settlement — funds move to your PayMongo Wallet instead of waiting for the standard cycle. The additional fee for QR Ph and bank transfers is up to 2%, per PayMongo’s pricing page. Confirm the applicable rate for GCash transactions under Financial Tools > Instant Settlement in your dashboard before activating.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does PayMongo charge for GCash transactions?
PayMongo charges 2.23% per successful GCash transaction, per their published pricing page as of mid-2026. There are no setup fees, monthly fees, or volume minimums. The MDR is deducted before settlement — on a ₱1,000 GCash payment, you receive ₱977.70.
How long does PayMongo take to settle GCash payments?
Standard settlement for GCash via PayMongo is 2–7 business days to your registered Philippine bank account, per PayMongo’s published settlement schedule. Instant Settlement is also available at an additional fee — confirm the current rate under Financial Tools in your PayMongo dashboard.
Do I need a separate GCash for Business account to use PayMongo?
No. PayMongo includes GCash as a built-in payment channel. Once your PayMongo account is verified, activate GCash under Payment Methods in your dashboard — no separate GCash merchant account or bank partnership is required. The 2.23% MDR covers full access to the channel.
Does the PayMongo WooCommerce plugin support GCash?
Yes. The official PayMongo WooCommerce plugin (wordpress.org/plugins/wc-paymongo-payment-gateway) supports GCash, Maya, GrabPay, ShopeePay, cards, and direct online banking. GCash must be activated in your PayMongo dashboard first — the plugin surfaces all your active payment methods automatically at checkout.