Cabin fever, my friend Red said, is the new normal, and along with it, the need to do as much as you can online (and not face to face): work (meetings, emails, presentations, etc.), buying essentials (ordering groceries, food, personal items), and paying bills. Bills. Bills aren’t going away, even as we stay home (payment deadlines have been extended, but not waived).
The cash, the GCash app, and 7-eleven
While you can transfer funds from your bank to your GCash wallet, sometimes the money at hand is cash, and that cash (remember to wash your hands after handling cash) has to find its way to your GCash wallet and then to the company accepting your bills payment. Fortunately, despite the reduced number of establishments open, and shorter service windows, you can still do both (topping your GCash and paying your bills. Bring your cash, your phone with your registered GCash app, and walk over to the nearest 7-eleven branch (make sure to wear a mask and to bring an alcohol bottle – these the new normal everyday carry items now).
Ideally, it would be great to stay home. But there are times you need to go out. And paying bills, with reduced person to person exposure, is a good excuse to curb Red’s cabin fever. Here’s how he did it.
Cash in (or to top up your GCash wallet):
1. Launch the GCash app and log in. (Make sure you have internet connection via data or by connecting to a local WiFi network.)
2. Tap on “Cash In”. Under the “Over the Counter” category, tap “View All” swipe up to reveal “Convenience Store”, and tap on the 7-eleven logo.
3. Enter amount you want to cash into your GCash wallet.
4. Tap Generate Barcode.
5. Present that Barcode to the 7-eleven counter.
The Cash In advantage:
As the physical cash comes in, you can always make quick trips to the nearest 7-eleven, within curfew requirements of course, to both top up your GCash wallet and to generate a 7-eleven barcode (see below) for bills payment.
Paying Bills via the 7-eleven barcode on the GCash app:
1. Log in to your GCash app (make sure your data is on or you’re connected to WiFI) and tap on “Pay Bills”.
2. Choose from the Biller Categories available (for example, if you’re paying your Meralco bill, choose “Electric Utilities”).
3. Choose a specific biller under your chosen category (for example, you can keep scrolling up until you find “Meralco”).
4. Enter the correct details in the required fields and tap on “Next”.
Below is a screenshot of one of our bills via GCash:
The 7-eleven barcode advantage:
There’s no need to hunt for an open establishment that takes in bills payment (you skip the long lines). Instead, you rely on your GCash app. If you already have funds in your GCash wallet (either through receiving money from another GCash user, via bank transfer, or through a top up via GCash partner establishments), you can pay bills at the comfort of your own home.
So that’s how Red did it. That’s how we do it. You can do it that way, too.
You don’t have to commute or walk to the nearest “bayad center” that accept bills payment. There’s always a 7-eleven branch nearby. That’s how convenient it is to rely on GCash for your shopping and bills payment needs. This, Red said, is how we help flatten the curb – by relying on services that reduce the need to keep going out of our homes often.
