Send money from Japan to the Philippines: GCash, banks and cash pickup compared

To send money from Japan to the Philippines, use a registered money transfer company (資金移動業者) that pays to the recipient’s bank, GCash or a cash pickup counter. On our sample of ¥100,000 sent on October 20, 2026, Remitly gave PHP 39,418 and SBI Remit gave PHP 39,391, to a bank account or GCash. Wise and Western Union gave less. Japan Post Bank charges ¥3,000 before its rate. You need your residence card (在留カード) and My Number (個人番号), as of October 2026.

How much does ¥100,000 to the Philippines cost?

We priced ¥100,000 paid in total by bank transfer, using quotes captured between 02:31 and 02:38 JST on October 20, 2026. Where a provider adds the fee on top, we took it out of the ¥100,000 first. Wise’s mid-market rate at that moment was 1 JPY = 0.397418 PHP. Rates change every day.

Remitly’s figure is the regular price for a returning customer. New customers get a promotional rate and no fee on their first ¥100,000. SBI Remit’s published rate was slightly above the mid-market rate we recorded at the same minute. Both are what the providers showed.

GCash and cash pickup on the same sample

Fee only, rate not captured

BDO Remit Japan and Metro Remittance Japan are also registered with the FSA. We couldn’t find a current official fee page for either, so they aren’t compared here.

Which provider is best for the Philippines?

We score each provider with a full price on the sample, using our remittance method: total cost (30%), speed (15%), payout options (15%), sign-up for foreigners (15%), support (10%) and regulation (15%). “n/a” means no evidence, and it’s left out of the average.

• Remitly: most pesos on our sample, and the widest payouts: bank, cash pickup, GCash, Maya and home delivery; no published delivery times.
• SBI Remit: GCash at its bank rate, and bank deposits within 15 minutes for Group-1 banks; ¥1,400 fee.
• Wise: mid-market rate and usually fast, but bank accounts only.
• Western Union: bank, wallet and cash pickup, but the fewest pesos of the four.

All four are registered with the FSA: Remitly Japan (Kanto 00077), SBI Remit (Kanto 00008), Wise Payments Japan (Kanto 00040) and Western Union Japan (Kanto 00039).

Best for:

• Most pesos to a bank or GCash: Remitly, with SBI Remit close behind.
• GCash with a published fee table: SBI Remit (¥1,400 at ¥50,001 to ¥200,000).
• Cash at a pawnshop counter: SBI Remit (Palawan) or Brastel (pawnshops and LBC).

How does the money arrive in the Philippines?

• Bank account: SBI Remit pays to about 60 banks. Deposits to Group-1 banks arrive within 15 minutes, 24/7. Above PHP 50,000 at Group-2 banks, it takes one or two business days. Remitly names BDO, BPI, PNB, Security Bank and RCBC among its partners.
• GCash: SBI Remit, Remitly, Brastel, KYODAI and Seven Bank’s BDO service all pay to GCash. Brastel’s wallet payouts arrive within 10 minutes, up to PHP 50,000.
• Cash pickup: SBI Remit through MoneyGram, usually about 10 minutes. Remitly names M Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier, LBC and USSC. Seven Bank’s BDO service has about 14,000 pickup locations.

How do I send money to the Philippines step by step?

Can I pay in cash without a bank transfer?

Yes, with some providers. This helps if you’re new in Japan and your bank account isn’t ready yet.

• SBI Remit at FamilyMart: pay cash at the Multi Copier with a 17-digit order number, up to ¥100,000 per deposit, 07:00 to 21:00. The deposit fee is ¥800 for ¥50,000 to ¥100,000, on top of the remittance fee.
• SBI Remit’s Remit Card: deposit at Japan Post ATMs for ¥330 up to ¥50,000 and ¥500 above, or at Lawson Bank ATMs for ¥300.
• Brastel’s free card: deposit at Japan Post Bank ATMs for ¥440 (¥1,000 to ¥110,000).
• Seven Bank ATMs: since May 2026, KYODAI customers can deposit cash at Seven Bank ATMs with a card or the スマホATM smartphone service.
• Western Union: accepts cash at convenience stores (コンビニ払い).

Remitly doesn’t accept cash at ATMs or credit cards from Japan. Wise is cheapest when you pay by bank transfer; a debit card raised its fee on our sample to about ¥3,700 to ¥4,900.

What do I need to sign up in Japan?

• Residence card (在留カード). Wise, SBI Remit, Western Union, Remitly and Brastel accept it as ID for foreign residents. SBI Remit also takes a My Number card or driver’s license, and may ask for your passport if your card shows your name in kanji.
• My Number. The overseas transfer reporting law requires it for every transfer abroad, including through money transfer companies.
• A way to pay in yen. Most providers want a bank transfer; the cash options are above.

Each transfer through a Type 2 provider is capped at ¥1,000,000 by law. SBI Remit’s bank deposits to the Philippines are capped at PHP 500,000 per transaction, and Seven Bank’s BDO service at ¥500,000. Our send money from Japan guide explains the limits and the tax-office reporting over ¥1,000,000.

More guides: send money from Japan to Vietnam, send money from Japan to India and opening a bank account in Japan.