How to transfer money from PayPal to GCash- 2025
**If you use PayPal to get paid from abroad, or to receive money from family and friends, but prefer to spend with GCash, you may be wondering how to transfer money from PayPal to GCash. Moving your money from PayPal to a GCash account lets you spend with your GCash card, make cash withdrawals in pesos and send money to others locally.
This guide on how to transfer money from PayPal to GCash covers the process, the fees, and how long a PayPal to GCash transfer will take. Plus, we’ll look at alternative ways to get paid from overseas which might be cheaper and easier.
Read on to learn more about alternatives like Wise, which lets you get paid from abroad in 20+ currencies including USD, PHP and GBP with no fees for local transfers*, and the mid-market rate.
How to transfer money from PayPal to GCash
You can transfer money from PayPal to GCash pretty easily if you link your PayPal and GCash accounts together, and are eligible to make and receive payments. To meet eligibility requirements, you’ll need to verify both your GCash and your PayPal accounts, but this is quite simple to do with your normal ID documents and a bank card or bank account.
It’s worth noting upfront that you can only transfer money from your own account with PayPal to your own GCash account. You can not have someone else send you money from their PayPal account to GCash. If you need to receive payments from others, we’ve got some suggestions which might be easier coming up later, like Wise and Remitly.
This guide walks through the steps to transfer money from PayPal to GCash, from linking your accounts, to receiving the money in your wallet.
Eligibility to transfer money from PayPal to GCash
There are a few important rules about making a PayPal to GCash transfer. Before you get started make sure you meet these eligibility requirements:
Your GCash account must be Fully Verified - if you have not already completed this step you’ll need to upload an ID document to prove your identity and get verified
Your PayPal account should be registered in the Philippines and will also need to be verified before cashing in via PayPal. You can get your PayPal verified by linking a card or bank account
The names on both your GCash and PayPal accounts must match
For account changes like name updates, verification, or currency conversion, you will need to use the PayPal website rather than the app
If you are an Android phone user, you’ll need to download and install Google Chrome and set it as your default browser to make a cash in from PayPal
Getting verified by GCash is one of the most important steps. While the documents you need to upload depend on your personal situation, adult residents of the Philippines must upload an image of one of the following:
National ID (Card Type)
National ID (Paper Type) / Digital National ID
Passport
HDMF (Pag-Ibig Loyalty Plus)
Driver's License
Philippine Postal ID
PRC ID
UMID
SSS ID
Finally, there are some limits to the amount of money you can hold in your GCash app - if you’re having problems with getting a PayPal to GCash payment, check that your balance isn’t too high to receive more.
Why Linking PayPal and GCash is Necessary
If you want to know how to transfer money from PayPal to GCash without linking, unfortunately you’re out of luck. To make a PayPal to GCash transfer you are required to link your accounts. This is a security measure, and only takes a few taps in the GCash app. You might be prompted from time to time to relink your accounts, to prove you have control of both, and to reduce the risks of fraud.
How to link PayPal to GCash: Step by Step
Once you’ve checked your GCash account is fully verified and ready to receive a payment from PayPal, you need to link PayPal to GCash. You will do this initially, and may need to relink your account from time to time as a security measure.
Here’s how to link PayPal to GCash:
On the GCash homepage, tap on Cash In
Tap Global Banks and Partners > PayPal
Enter your PayPal login credentials and tap Next
Tap Okay on the confirmation page.
How to transfer money from PayPal to GCash: Step by Step
Once you have a fully verified account with GCash, and have linked it to GCash, the process to make a PayPal to GCash transfer is really easy. Here’s how to transfer money from PayPal to GCash:
On the GCash homepage, tap Cash In
Select Global Banks and Partners > PayPal
Enter the amount and tap Next
Confirm the cash-in amount
Transfer fees for sending from PayPal to GCash
There may be transfer fees from PayPal to GCash which can be paid by the sender, the recipient, or both. The exact amount that a transfer costs depends on the value of the payment, and whether the person sending the money has a PayPal balance in pesos or a foreign currency. Here’s a summary:
Fee type | Paid by | Fee amount |
|---|---|---|
Sending fee - send from a PHP balance | Sender | No fee |
Sending fee - send from a foreign currency balance | Sender | 3% or 4% currency conversion fee paid to PayPal |
Receiving fee | Recipient | 1% of the Cash In amount |
Using PayPal isn’t the only option. You can also receive payments in foreign currencies with Wise. Receive your money directly to Wise in major currencies like USD, EUR and GBP, and handle the exchange yourself rather than being forced to pay the fee to convert to PHP at the point of payment. There’s no Wise fee to receive payments with local details, although small fees apply if you receive money by SWIFT transfer instead. More on that later.
How long does it take to transfer money from PayPal to GCash
Transferring money from PayPal to GCash cash-ins can take 24 to 48 hours. While the debit from PayPal is usually processed immediately, expect it to take a day or two to reflect in your GCash wallet. You'll receive a notification in your GCash App Inbox once the funds are available.
Pros and Cons of transferring Funds from PayPal to GCash
While you can transfer money from PayPal to GCash very conveniently, there are some drawbacks. Fees can apply to both the sender and the recipient of the payment, pushing up the costs. Plus there are limits on the amount you can send and receive, and a limit to how much you can hold in your GCash account at any given time. Here are a few things to weigh up before you decide whether or not to transfer money from PayPal to GCash.
PayPal to GCash transfer pros | PayPal to GCash transfer cons |
|---|---|
✅ Easy way to move money once your accounts are linked | ❌ Currency conversion fees of 3% or 4% can apply |
Alternatives to receiving funds and transferring them to GCash
Making a payment from PayPal to GCash isn’t your only option. If you’re receiving incoming payments regularly to the Philippines there are other providers which may help keep your costs down, or offer a more convenient service. Here are a couple to consider, depending on the specific types of payment you want to receive.
Wise multi-currency account
Wise has international accounts to hold 40+ currencies, and a linked debit card for spending and withdrawals in 150+ countries.
If you need to receive money from abroad you can use Wise to get paid from abroad in 20+ currencies including USD, PHP and GBP with low fees and the mid-market rate. You might save money when receiving funds with Wise as there are no intermediary fees and no receiving fees when you use your local account details.
When you receive a payment it will be deposited in the currency the sender chooses, so there are no currency conversion fees if you leave the funds in the original currency. Then if you want to convert the funds you received to PHP the cost will be from 0.57% with no exchange rate markup used.
You can also send the funds you receive to GCash to spend later - read “How to transfer money from Wise to GCash”
Remitly
Remitly is an international money transfer service which is available for people in many countries around the world. You can send money to the Philippines to be received in a number of different ways including to wallets like GCash and Maya, but also to banks like BPI, for cash collection or delivery or to a debit card. The fees and exchange rate available depend on the way the sender wants to pay, the way the money is received and the currency being sent.
Remitly exchange rates may include a markup - a fee - in addition to any transfer fee. Transfer fees may be a fixed charge or a percentage, depending on the country the sender is in.
Western Union
Western Union is one of the biggest money transfer services in the world, and has a digital and physical presence in more or less all countries globally. This means it can be a convenient option for the person sending you money, who can either structure their transfer online or visit an agent locally if they’d prefer.
You can receive money with Western Union to your bank or you can pick it up in cash at an agent near to you. There’s no fee to receive a payment - but the sender will cover several costs which can include markups on the exchange rates used.
Limitations on sending money from PayPal to GCash
There are various limitations which you’ll need to be aware of when you send money from PayPal to GCash.
Firstly, the only currency you can receive in GCash is PHP. If you have a balance in a foreign currency in PayPal, you’ll need to convert it to pesos before you transfer. There’s a fee of 3% or 4% to manage this conversion, which means there will be less in pesos to send to GCash in the end.
Secondly, there are limits to the amount you can receive to GCash. Linking your account to PayPal means your transfer and holding limit is set at 500,000 PHP - which is higher than basic accounts, but may not be enough depending on your specific requirements.
Finally, you can only receive a payment from PayPal to GCash if you link your accounts. This means that this is not a suitable method to receive a payment from someone else - it’s just an option if you have a balance in your own name in PayPal which you want to use with GCash.
You might be able to avoid all of these limitations by receiving payments from abroad to a provider like Wise instead. Wise offers local and SWIFT account details in a selection of major currencies, so the person sending you money can send in their home currency, and you can receive it without converting to PHP. This avoids the high currency conversion fee - and lets you receive payments from others easily. Wise also has very high payment limits which can allow you to transact freely. Limits vary by currency.
Summary
If you hold a balance in PayPal and want to move it to your GCash account you can do so. However, there are a few different costs to be aware of - particularly if your PayPal balance is held in any currency other than PHP. When you send a PHP balance from PayPal, there’s no PayPal fee. However, if you need to convert a foreign currency balance to pesos in your account, there’s a cost of 3% - 4% for this. That’s on top of the 1% fee you pay to GCash every time you receive a payment from PayPal.
Making your payment from PayPal to GCash might not be the easiest or cheapest way to get money to GCash in the Philippines. Consider an alternative like Wise instead. You can receive foreign currencies to Wise, and handle the conversions yourself with low fees and the mid-market rate. Then if you prefer to use GCash you can simply move your money from Wise to GCash whenever you’re ready, with fast payments you can manage with just your phone.