MANILA, Philippines — The use of digital national identification cards as a valid ID for mobile banking and other e-wallet transactions is now accepted, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

According to PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa, as the Digital National ID continues to roll out, more financial institutions are recognizing it as a valid form of identification for transactions.

“As many of our transactions are now online, the Digital National ID allows registered persons to have valid proof of identity readily available on their mobile phones for use in transactions. We are hopeful that more registered persons will download and use their Digital National ID to enable their access to financial services,” said Mapa.

Asia United Bank (AUB) and its e-wallet service, HelloMoney, accept the Digital National ID for transactions, including bank account openings and loan applications.  

AUB has integrated the National ID eVerify system into its processes, using its authentication service to facilitate identity verification, the national statistician said.

“We made it easier, more efficient, and faster for those with the National ID to [transact with us],” said AUB Product Managers Matthew Reyes and Brian Yu. 

“[We] highly encourage [other financial institutions] to apply it also to their system, for whatever they need it for because it just makes life so much easier. [It makes financial services] more accessible and less hassle for everyone else,” they added.

Similarly, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and its one-stop app, VYBE, recognize the Digital National ID for digital account opening and verification.

“National ID [ang] pinaka nae-encounter namin na [primary] ID na ginagamit para makapag-open ng account sa amin, especially ‘yung mga bata na wala pang mga trabaho. Napakalaking impact doon sa pag-open ng account namin, especially students,” said BPI Sales Associate Aira J. Loberez.

PSA likewise noted that mobile wallet service GCash accepts the Digital National ID for account opening and verification.  

In 2023, the National ID card and ePhilID were the most frequently used valid IDs for GCash account verification, comprising 41 percent of the submitted IDs.

As of November 29, 2024, a total of 83,870,860 Digital National IDs are available for download and use through the official website.