BPI, Robinsons Retail expand cash deposit service

MANILA, Philippines — Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is expanding its store-based banking services through Gokongwei-owned Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI), allowing customers to deposit cash using a barcode generated through the lender’s app.

The Ayala-led bank said the barcode-based cash deposit service, which was officially launched during the Sun and Fun Fair in Boracay last month, would be rolled out across more than 1,000 RRHI stores nationwide by the end of the year.

“This milestone reinforces our commitment to making banking more accessible and relevant to every Filipino,” BPI agency banking head Rally Jereza said.

“By enabling partners to facilitate barcode-enabled based deposits and withdrawals, as well as account openings and product applications just by scanning a QR code, we are bringing full-service banking to any community in the Philippines – even the most remote islands,” he said.

Through the feature, customers may generate a deposit barcode on the BPI app and present it at participating partner stores to complete the cash deposit transaction.

Deposits may be made without a debit card. Customers may deposit up to P15,000 per transaction and up to five times a day, depending on the partner brand.

BPI said all partner-store transactions are free of charge.

“At RRHI, we are continuously evolving our stores to better serve the everyday needs of our customers,” RRHI managing director Christine Tueres said.

“Our partnership with BPI allows us to go beyond retail by offering convenient, accessible financial services within our stores, making essential transactions like deposits and withdrawals part of our customers’ regular shopping routines,” she said.

To use the service, customers must log in to the BPI app, select “partner store transactions,” choose “deposit” and indicate whether the money will be deposited to their own account or another BPI account.

After entering the deposit amount, a barcode will be generated. The customer must then visit a participating BPI partner store within one hour, inform the cashier of the cash deposit transaction and present the barcode. A transaction receipt will be issued once the deposit is processed.

BPI said the barcode-enabled deposit service completes a key part of its agency banking model by enabling both cash-in and cash-out transactions in retail environments.

With the rollout, RRHI stores will be able to offer customers access to basic banking services alongside their regular shopping transactions.

BPI said the barcode deposit feature would be introduced across more partner brands nationwide in the coming months as consumer behavior continues to shift toward digital-first financial services.