- PNB cardholders with iPhones may no longer need to pull out their physical cards when paying at contactless terminals, as eligible PNB cards are now appearing to work with Apple Pay.
- KasKasan Buddies spotted an “Add your PNB Card to Apple Pay” prompt on the PNB mobile app, complete with an “Add to Apple Wallet” button. The feature was tested using a PNB Ze-Lo Mastercard, which successfully went through the setup process and displayed a “Card Added Successfully” confirmation.
- The rollout appears to be ongoing, however, and PNB has yet to make an official announcement detailing which cards are supported or whether the feature is already available to all eligible cardholders.
PNB cardholders with iPhones may no longer need to pull out their physical cards when paying at contactless terminals, as eligible PNB cards are now appearing to work with Apple Pay.
KasKasan Buddies spotted an “Add your PNB Card to Apple Pay” prompt on the PNB mobile app, complete with an “Add to Apple Wallet” button. The feature was tested using a PNB Ze-Lo Mastercard, which successfully went through the setup process and displayed a “Card Added Successfully” confirmation.
The rollout appears to be ongoing, however, and PNB has yet to make an official announcement detailing which cards are supported or whether the feature is already available to all eligible cardholders.
Once a card is added to Apple Wallet, users can pay at participating contactless terminals by double-clicking the iPhone’s side button, authenticating with Face ID or Touch ID, and holding the device near the payment terminal.
Apple Pay itself launched in the Philippines on August 4, initially with support from banks including Chinabank, GoTyme Bank, Metrobank, and UnionBank. Apple said thousands of in-store and online merchants were set to accept Apple Pay at launch, with more banks and merchants expected to follow.
The expansion comes as Filipinos increasingly shift toward digital payments. BSP data showed digital payments accounted for 64.7% of total retail payment volume in 2025, up from 57.4% in 2024. Digital payment accounts also grew 69.4%, while merchant locations accepting digital payments increased 36.3%.
That shift is also making phone-based payments more relevant for cardholders. Instead of carrying a physical card, users can keep an eligible card on their phone and use the same card account for contactless purchases.
PNB's apparent Apple Pay rollout would add another option for its cardholders, particularly iPhone users who already encounter contactless payment terminals at malls, restaurants, supermarkets, and other merchants.
For now, however, cardholders may see different results depending on the PNB card they have. KKB's successful test was done using a PNB Ze-Lo Mastercard, while the full list of eligible PNB cards has yet to be officially confirmed.
This is a developing story. KKB will wait for PNB’s official announcement and further details on its Apple Pay integration.