TITA OF MANILA LEARNS MILLENNIAL HACKS FOR SHOPPING AND BANKING

It’s the season of shopping, as the holidays are approaching.

And I’m proud to say that I, a Tita, recently learned how to shop like a millennial! It’s funny the range of lessons I learn from the younger generation. Now they’re not just helping me update my wardrobe, but my fintech knowledge as well.

See, I was prodded by young staffers in the office to update my wardrobe by buying OOTD pieces from unique, mostly artisanal shops that do business online (primarily Instagram). This meant learning two key lessons: first, which online shops are high-quality and trustworthy, and second, how to pay for my shopping using bank transfer, as most of these shops prefer.

I placed my order for a few blouses from one shop and a pair of shoes from another.

Now on to payment: They taught me how to use GCash.

I’ve heard a lot about the mobile wallet, mostly for paying bills, which back then was irrelevant to me as my most of my bills were charged to my credit card. But I found out there’s more to it: You can transfer funds to bank accounts. Now this, I really, really need. 

All I had to do was to link my bank account to cash in. This makes things convenient as I can easily transfer money from my bank account to my GCash account. I then tapped the Send Money feature then chose the Send Money to Bank Account option.

I selected the seller’s bank, which was no trouble as GCash has a network of over 40 banks and financial institutions. And then I typed in the account name and number. I keyed in the amount I needed to pay and clicked Send. The cash was transferred instantly—and at no extra cost to me.

I’ve tried bank-to-bank transfers once but I thought it was ridiculous that the banks would charge up to P50 for one transaction. With GCash, bank transfers are free and as efficient as online banking.

Anyway, I immediately reached out to the sellers to send proof of payment. Within minutes, they confirmed receipt. I just couldn’t believe how convenient it was.

Imagine putting together a new wardrobe in the comfort of my office, with just a few taps and swipes on my phone, from ordering to payment! In a few days, I got my clothes and new shoes delivered. My millennial staffers couldn’t be prouder at my new look and newfound fintech savvy.

Since then, I’ve been using GCash for most of my transactions, from scan-to-pay to money transfers. It just saves me a lot of time, spares me from the stress of having to go to banks and payment centers, and helps me manage my cash more efficiently.