How GCASH Saved Me from my ATM Card Disaster: Gone Cashless

I've been using Gcash on and off around 2016 and not until around August of 2018 have I become reliant on it for most of my expenses. Recently, it saved me from probably the worst time to have issues with my ATM Card.

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST. I am just sharing my story and how Gcash was able to help me get through some hurdles.

You're probably reading this curious about how GCASH saved me, but I wanna give you a bit of context first.

I am a 24/7 on-call Senior Systems Engineer for an IT Systems Integrator here in the Philippines and this December is probably the busiest December I've ever experienced since I started working in 2013. 

Guess what? During this busy month, my ATM card decided it won't function right anymore. Whenever I transact via ATM(regardless if it's from the same bank I got it from or other ATMs), it will immediately bring my card out as soon as I insert it and then display an error that says "Cannot Dispense Amount". It's like it knows that I have lots to withdraw..I'm kidding. :)))

Anyway, I called up my bank and told me to just have it replaced. The next problem is that, my schedule is so full. I had an activity in South Cotabato, client support calls here and there, and implementations too! So I really had no time to go to the bank and get my card replaced right away.

Good thing I got GCash. It had a few features that I really use almost always now. It's listed below.

By the way, if you wanna learn more about GCash and how to get your own GCash Wallet then READ THIS.

Cash IN via Debit/Credit Card/Remittance Centers

Since my ATM card won't let me get my cash, I transferred my money from my bank account(debit) to my GCash Wallet. It's as easy as this:

1. Download GCash App and Signup for a GCash Account. (Use this link to get 50php on your account upon signup from me: https://gcsh.app/r/bfwfpv9)
2. Login from your GCash app and tap on CASH IN
   

      3.Select Online Banking and tap on your choice of bank.
         I have my Debit Card registered in my GCash account so I chose Mastercard/Visa Debit Card.

If you will use a non-registered Debit Card, select any of the bank available in the menu and you will see an instruction that you will need to follow to transfer your money from your bank to your GCash Wallet.

4. Enter the amount you need and select NEXT.

5. Wait for the transaction to be validated and checked.

6. You should be seeing this screen once it finishes.

7. Wait for the TEXT MESSAGE CONFIRMATION of the transaction. (This is just a sample transaction I made for this blog post)

8. Check your GCASH Wallet and see your new balance.

CASH OUT

There are several ways to withdraw your money from your GCash Wallet.

• Over The Counter - Get your money from GCash's different partners like Villarica Pawnshop, Puregold, Bayad Centers, and Department stores like SM and Robinson's
• ATM Withdrawal - If you get the GCash Mastercard Debit Card, you can withdraw your money via any ATM
• Send to your friend/family's bank account and have them withdraw it for you - The method I used that time since there are no nearby over the counter partners nor do I have the GCash Mastercard with me.

The last part was the best option for me at that time since I was in an area without any remittance centers and no nearby partner malls. So I asked my colleague if I can transfer it to his account and withdraw it for me. He did and I got my cash afterwards.

To Transfer from your GCash Wallet to Another Bank Account(also to send money to another GCash Account):

1. Login to your GCash App and tap on Send Money

2.) Select Send To Bank

3. Choose the bank of the account you're gonna send money to

4. Enter necessary details like amount, Account Name and Account Number then click NEXT

5. Wait for the transaction request screen to be shown.

6. Wait for the text message confirmation that the transaction is successful.

7. You now have sent money from your GCash to a bank account!

Okay, I have enough dough to for the next week, I should probably get my ATM card replaced as soon as possible right? I wish I could at that time. 

I got stuck with work that took up my whole week and didn't get the chance to visit my branch. Which means, I don't have cash for the following week.

So I knew I had to be smart. Another feature that I relied on during this trying times is:

Pay QR (Pay Partner Merchants or Generate QR Code so someone else can scan and pay you)

During my break time out on the field, I chose restos/fastfood that accept GCash as payment. I don't need to pull out my wallet and get some cash to pay! 

You can visit this link for the list of their partner merchants: https://www.gcash.com/qr-merchants/

To pay via GCash:

1. Login to your GCash App
2. Select Pay QR

3. Tap on Scan QR Code

4. Align their Merchant QR Code and scan it (Don't have photo of an actual QR Code from a merchant, but you can just ask them for it. They usually have it in the counter or on the table itself)

5. Enter the Amount needed to pay(Make sure you have enough balance to pay fully)
6. Tap NEXT and CONFIRM.
7. Show the text message confirmation of the transaction to the server/cashier
8. You're done! :)

It was really convenient and faster than taking out your card and signing some papers and entering your pin code like usual. You just scan, enter amount and done! 

If I didn't have GCash I would probably be screwed right now. 

When I got free from work, I immediately went to my bank and had my ATM card replaced. It took about 3 hours. LOL. So many forms to fill up and very slow process. But oh well, at least I have a new card now. 

And I think I will never worry about getting into this situation again in the future knowing that I have GCash in my phone. (I also ordered a GCash Mastercard so that I will have a backup ATM card just in case)

Got saved

GCash saved me from an ATM Card disaster and from the stress of not having cash on hand during the holidays. It was quite an experience and having these features ready for anyone with the app is just very convenient.  I was also surprised that time that Bank Transfers are allowed now via the app. While it does enforce the same limitations as the banks out there, it still is amazing to have it available to you at your fingertips.

It just keeps on impressing me time and time again. So I guess I just have 1 thing to say to you guys..

Do yourself a favor, get GCash. hahaha it's really helpful and convenient!

The journey towards going cashless is proving to be fit on my current lifestyle. If you wanna learn more, you can check out my Ultimate GCash Guide blog post. 

Thank you guys for reading this. I hope you also try going cashless using GCash and see if it can help you with anything.