Starpay is a fairly new player in the Philippine fintech industry brought to you by the same company behind the local cellphone brand Starmobile. It’s nice to know that there’s another homegrown digital payment provider or e-wallet, aside from GCash and PayMaya, that Filipinos can use for cashless transactions and online payments.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently tapped Starpay as one of the government’s partners in distributing Social Amelioration Program (SAP) funds to its beneficiaries. So if you’re one of the SAP beneficiaries who will receive cash aid through Starpay, you can easily register for a free account to withdraw your money at over 10,000 partner banks, pawnshops and remittance centers nationwide.
But even if you’re not a SAP beneficiary, you can still open a Starpay account and use it as a mobile wallet for online payments and cashless transactions like paying your bills and buying prepaid load. Starpay is a licensed electronic money issuer and remittance agent and is also regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) so you can be sure that your money is safe.
If you want to know how to open a Starpay account, we have come up with this article to guide you through the entire process. We’ll also teach you how to upgrade your account so that you can use all its features such as cash withdrawals and fund transfers.
How to Register For a Starpay Account
First, you have to download the Starpay mobile app on Google Play and the App Store.
Launch the Starpay app and tap “Register” at the bottom of the screen.
Enter your personal information such as name, mobile number, birthday and email address. Create a password and a security code.
Make sure that everything is correct and press “Continue.”
You will be prompted to read and agree to the End User License Agreement. Tap “Accept and Continue” to proceed.
Enter the one-time PIN (OTP) that was sent your mobile number. Press “Continue.”
Finally, create a 6-digit PIN which will be used to login to your Starpay account. After entering your PIN, tap the check symbol on the lower-right corner.
Congratulations! You have successfully opened a Starpay account. The next step is to upgrade your account so that you can send or withdraw money. Tap “LEVEL UP NOW” to start the process of upgrading your account.
How to Upgrade Your Starpay Account
You can start using Starpay after successful registration, but to enjoy all the features you will have to upgrade your account to Level 2. After your account is upgraded, you can send money to other Starpay users, cash out or withdraw your money, and earn additional income from referrals.
You will need the following to upgrade your account:
- A clear selfie
- Your address details (must be the same as your ID address)
- A valid government-issued ID
Here’s a list of valid IDs accepted by Starpay:
- Driver’s license
- OFW ID
- Passport
- Postal ID
- PRC ID
- Senior citizen ID
- SSS/UMID ID
- TIN card
- Voter’s ID
First, tap “Add Selfie.” Take a clear selfie of yourself and upload it.
Next, click “Add ID.” Tap the “plus” symbol and take a picture of your ID and upload it. Select your ID (e.g. SSS/UMID) from the dropdown box and enter your ID number and expiration date. If your ID doesn’t have an expiration date, check “No expiration date.” Press “Continue.”
Tap “Confirm Address.” Enter your permanent address and present address. If both addresses are the same, check “Same as permanent address.” Either address must match the one on your ID.
Finally, select “Confirm Additional Information.” Provide the required information such as nationality, birthplace, gender, marital status, employment status and source of income. Press “Continue.”
When all the required information have been provided (as indicated by a green check sign), tap “Continue.”
Confirm that you are about to submit your selfie, ID, address and additional information and press “Continue.”
Your upgrade application has been submitted so just wait for Starpay to review and approve your request. For the meantime, you can add money to your Starpay wallet through cash-in partners like 7-Eleven, Bayad Center, Palawan Pawnshop, BDO and many more. You can also pay your bills or buy prepaid load while waiting for your account to be upgraded.
Conclusion
Starpay is definitely a great alternative to the more popular e-wallets like GCash and PayMaya. The app lacks features that other mobile wallets have, such as withdrawals to banks and access to virtual cards, but for basic cashless transactions and money transfers, it still does the job. We hope that Starpay continues to gain widespread usage to give more options and alternatives to Filipinos when it comes to digital payments.
To learn more about Starpay or ask for assistance regarding your account, visit their website or call (02) 8333-7827.
