Pinoy freelancers armed to survive digital revolution

Digital money solutions have been a boon to Filipino freelancers and small retailers, according to PLDT Inc.’s financial technology arm Voyager Innovations.

Solutions such as e-wallets, e-mail invoicing and QR acceptance have helped smaller entrepreneurs grow their business, it said.

“The so-called digital economy never sleeps, and freelancers and small merchants selling on various social media platforms alike must be ready for business opportunities that come 24/7 as well. There are tools available for them today to help with that,” Marvin Santos, PayMaya business head for the government sector, said in a statement. PayMaya is the mobile wallet of Voyager.

The company underscored the growth in the freelancer industry, now the third largest in the world after the United States and India, according to the 2018 Global Freelance Market Overview.

“With the growing freelancer market in the Philippines, having the right tools at their disposal can spell the difference between failure and success, and PayMaya is committed to support this industry through its various payment products and innovations,” Santos noted.

PayMaya’s e-mail invoice solution allows individuals to send bills and receive payments from clients and customers. The company also cited PayMaya’s partnership with PayPal, the American online payments giant, to provide freelancers easy access to a financial account.

PayMaya also offers a “Send Money” feature through its app as well as QR-based payments for small merchants. Users can thus bypass the need for payment centers or banks to purchase goods and services.