Send Money from Hong Kong to the Philippines: Options for Domestic Workers

Hong Kong is home to one of the biggest Filipino communities in Asia, and most are foreign domestic helpers who send part of every month's salary home. Kapag sweldo, padala agad: the money pays for tuition, rent, groceries and sometimes a house being built in the province. When you send HKD 2,000 to 5,000 at a time, small differences in fees and exchange rates add up over a two-year contract. This page shows today's Hong Kong dollar to peso reference rate, which licensed services serve the route, and how to pick one for your family's payout method.

HKD to PHP today

This is the mid-market reference rate, the midpoint between buying and selling prices. Remittance services pay you a little less than this and some also charge a fee. The closer a service gets to this number after its fee, the more pesos arrive at home.

Provider estimates

Who sends from Hong Kong to the Philippines

Hong Kong has two kinds of options: apps you use from your phone, and remittance shops you visit in person. Both are legal as long as the business holds a Money Service Operator (MSO) licence from the Customs and Excise Department. Every business named below appeared on C&ED's public list of licensed MSOs dated 21 Oct 2026, except AlipayHK, which is licensed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority as a stored value facility (licence SVF0004).

Apps

• Wise. Run in Hong Kong by Wise Payments Hong Kong Limited, MSO licence 25-03-03263. Wise converts at the mid-market rate and charges a separate fee that it shows before you pay. It pays to Philippine bank accounts and to GCash, Maya and other wallets (up to 50,000 PHP per wallet transfer). Your first HKD transfer must be paid by bank transfer from a Hong Kong bank, and you can pay by FPS. After that, debit and credit cards are also accepted. Wise does not take cash. See our Wise review.
• Panda Remit. Licensed in Hong Kong as Wo Transfer (HK) Limited, trading as PandaRemit. You pay by FPS or e-banking transfer. Your family can receive to a bank account (BDO, Metrobank, Security Bank and other major banks), to GCash, Maya or Coins, or as cash pickup at Palawan Pawnshop, Cebuana Lhuillier or M Lhuillier. Its Hong Kong page says the handling fee starts from HKD 7 per transaction and varies by amount and destination. You can open an account with your HKID or passport, and it also accepts verification through iAM Smart.
• AlipayHK. If you already use AlipayHK for shopping, its remittance service sends to the Philippines. The recipient can get the money in GCash (AlipayHK says instantly), as cash at Cebuana or Palawan (as fast as 15 minutes) or in a bank account (as fast as 1 working day). You need Intermediate or Advanced ID verification in the app, and your sending limit depends on that level.
• Western Union. Western Union Online Limited holds a Hong Kong MSO licence. You can send online, through the app (paying by bank transfer, debit card or credit card), from a Tap & Go wallet, or in person at Western Union locations. Payout options are bank deposit, mobile wallet and cash pickup. When we checked on 22 Oct 2026, its Hong Kong page advertised a zero fee on the first online transfer for new customers. Your recipient tracks a cash transfer with the MTCN.
• MoneyGram. MoneyGram Payment Systems Hong Kong Limited holds an MSO licence and MoneyGram is on GCash's Hong Kong partner list.

WorldRemit and Ria appear on GCash's Hong Kong partner list, but we could not find either brand on C&ED's licensee list when we checked, so we leave them out of the table for Hong Kong until we can confirm how they serve senders there.

Remittance shops, including Philippine bank remittance arms

Many Filipinos in Hong Kong still prefer to send over the counter, often on their Sunday rest day. Worldwide House in Central has long been the main hub, and the C&ED list shows licensed remittance premises there for BDO Remit, MetroRemit (Metrobank's remittance arm) and Pacific Ace, among others. Other licensed operators with Philippine links include BPI Remittance Centre (HK), PNB Global Remittance and Financial Company (HK), RCBC International Finance and Czarina Remittance. Pacific Ace is also on GCash's Hong Kong partner list.

Why people use them:

• Cash is fine. You can pay with the cash in your wallet, no Hong Kong bank account needed.
• Staff speak Filipino. Helpful when a transfer gets stuck or a name is spelled wrong.
• Bank remittance arms deposit straight into their own bank. Sending to a BDO account through BDO Remit, for example, is a common habit.

The trade-off: you have to travel and queue, usually on a Sunday when everyone else is doing the same. Shops set their own fees and rates, so ask for the total pesos received before you pay, and compare it with an app quote for the same amount.

How to check that a remittance service is licensed

Hong Kong law requires anyone running a remittance or money changing business to hold an MSO licence from C&ED. Before you hand over cash or link your bank account:

1. Open the C&ED Money Service Operators Licensing System and go to the online register of licensed MSOs.
2. Search by the company name or licence number. Shops often trade under a short brand name, so the licensee name may look different. For example, Panda Remit is licensed as Wo Transfer (HK) Limited.
3. For walk-in shops, check that the address you are visiting is listed as licensed premises.

C&ED notes that the register does not guarantee an operator's performance or creditworthiness. It does tell you the business is allowed to operate and is supervised for anti-money laundering rules. Be careful with a friend of a friend who offers to "padala" your money for a better rate through a personal bank account or a courier. If something goes wrong, you have no one to complain to.

ID rules: what Hong Kong requires

Hong Kong's anti-money laundering rules are clear about larger transfers:

• HK$8,000 or more. When you send HK$8,000 or more (or the same amount in another currency) through a remittance agent, you must show your Hong Kong Identity Card, or a passport or other travel document, and give your address and phone number. The provider records these details and keeps them. Without them, the law does not allow the provider to process the transfer.
• Splitting does not avoid it. Providers watch for several smaller transfers that look linked, for example many payments to the same person in a short time, and they can ask for ID anyway.
• Your details travel with the money. For outgoing remittances, the provider may pass your name, ID number or address to its partner in the Philippines.
• Apps verify you once. Wise, Panda Remit, Western Union and AlipayHK check your identity when you open the account, then apply limits based on that level.

When you renew your HKID or get a new passport, update it in your remittance app. An expired document on file is one of the most common reasons a transfer gets held.

Best option by payout method

Bank deposit

For BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Landbank and other banks, compare Wise and Panda Remit in the app with the remittance arm of your family's own bank. Bank deposits are usually cheaper than cash pickup. Double-check the account name and number, because a typo can hold a transfer for days.

GCash and Maya

GCash's official Hong Kong partner list (GCash Help Center, checked 22 Oct 2026) includes Alipay Hong Kong, Pacific Ace, Panda Remit, Wirebarley, MoneyGram and Western Union, plus payment networks that work behind the scenes. Wise is not on that list but pays to GCash through the Philippines' local transfer system. The receiver's name and mobile number must match their GCash account. See send money to GCash from abroad.

Cash pickup

Panda Remit pays out at Palawan Pawnshop, Cebuana Lhuillier and M Lhuillier. AlipayHK pays out at Cebuana and Palawan. Western Union pays at its agent locations across the Philippines. Your family brings a valid government ID and the reference number, and the name on the ID must match the name you entered. Cash pickup often costs a bit more than a bank or wallet payout.

Fees and rates: how to compare

Remittance costs come in two parts: the fee you see, and the exchange rate margin you don't. A service can say "no fee" and still give you fewer pesos because its rate is lower. Compare like this:

1. Enter the same HKD amount in each service, for example HKD 3,000.
2. Write down the pesos your family will receive and the total HKD you will pay including the fee.
3. Divide pesos received by total HKD paid. Compare that number with today's reference rate above. The closer it is, the cheaper the service.

Worked example with made-up round numbers, not today's rate: suppose the reference rate were 7.50 PHP per HKD and you send HKD 3,000. Service A charges HKD 30 and pays 7.40, so your family gets 22,200 PHP for HKD 3,030 paid. Service B charges no fee but pays 7.30, so your family gets 21,900 PHP for HKD 3,000 paid. Service A delivers 300 PHP more even with the fee. Over 24 monthly transfers, that gap is 7,200 PHP.

Tips for domestic workers sending from Hong Kong

• Payday timing. Under the Employment Ordinance your wages must be paid no later than 7 days after the end of each wage period. If you send the same day every month, your family can plan around it.
• Know your budget. The Minimum Allowable Wage for foreign domestic helpers is HK$5,220 a month for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026 (HK$5,100 for contracts signed between 30 September 2025 and 2 October 2026), per the Labour Department. Decide how much you send and how much you keep for yourself and savings before payday, not after.
• Fixed fees favour fewer transfers. If your service charges a flat fee per transfer, one transfer a month costs less than four small ones.
• Save two services. Set up your recipient in two apps or one app and one shop. Checking both quotes takes a minute and the cheaper one changes more often than you'd think.
• Use FPS if you have a bank account. Paying an app by FPS from your Hong Kong bank account lets you send from home on any day, without the Sunday queue.
• Keep your receipts. Screenshots of the transfer confirmation and the reference number make it much easier to trace a delayed transfer.
• Never share your OTP or password. No legitimate remittance company asks for them by phone or chat.
• Holidays. GCash credits usually arrive any day, but bank deposits can wait for the next Philippine business day, so plan ahead for Holy Week and Christmas.

Hong Kong bank wire vs remittance service

Your Hong Kong bank can send a telegraphic transfer to a Philippine bank account, but for typical monthly amounts this is usually the expensive route: banks tend to charge a sending fee, set their own exchange rate, and intermediary banks may take a cut. Remittance apps and shops are built for this corridor and usually deliver more pesos for HKD 2,000 to 10,000. For a large one-off amount, such as a down payment on a house, ask your bank for a quote anyway and compare the pesos received.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to send money from Hong Kong to the Philippines?

It depends on your amount and how your family receives it. Compare an app such as Wise or Panda Remit with the remittance shop you normally use, for the same HKD amount, and choose the one with the most pesos received after fees.

Can I send money from Hong Kong to GCash?

Yes. GCash's official Hong Kong partners include Alipay Hong Kong, Pacific Ace, Panda Remit, Western Union and MoneyGram, and Wise also pays to GCash. The receiver's name and number must match their GCash account.

Do I need a Hong Kong bank account to send money home?

No. Remittance shops accept cash over the counter, and Western Union also has walk-in locations. Apps like Wise and Panda Remit need you to pay from a Hong Kong bank account by FPS or e-banking, and Wise requires a bank transfer for your first transfer.

Why is the remittance shop asking for my HKID?

Hong Kong law requires remittance agents to verify your identity and record your address and phone number when you send HK$8,000 or more. Apps verify you when you open the account. A licensed shop asking for ID is following the rules.

How do I know if a remittance shop is legit?

Search for it on the C&ED online register of licensed Money Service Operators. Check both the company name and the address of the branch you visit. Avoid informal "padala" arrangements through personal bank accounts.

What does my family need to receive the money?

For bank deposits and GCash, nothing extra; the money lands in their account. For cash pickup, a valid Philippine government ID and the reference number, with a name that matches the one you entered.

How long does it take?

GCash transfers can arrive within minutes. AlipayHK says GCash credits are instant and bank deposits take as fast as 1 working day. Wise says HKD payments usually reach it within 0 to 2 working days depending on how you pay, before it converts and sends. Philippine holidays can add a day for bank deposits.