The table only labels banks as “Confirmed 1%” when the bank’s official published fees specifically mention a 1% charge for PHP transactions processed by a foreign merchant or acquirer. UnionBank, BPI, BDO, and Metrobank currently publish this type of 1% fee.
Banks without sufficiently clear official wording are marked “Confirm with bank” rather than claiming they definitely have no charge.
Cross-Border Fees by Card Issuer
Some Philippine credit card issuers may charge an additional fee when a transaction is processed by a merchant or payment acquirer outside the Philippines—even when the checkout amount is displayed and charged in Philippine pesos.
Any additional charge is imposed by the issuing bank or card network and is not collected by our webshop. The actual fee may depend on the card brand, card type and how the transaction is classified.
| Bank | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UnionBank | Confirmed |
UnionBank officially confirms a 1% foreign transaction service fee for transactions billed in PHP when the merchant is based outside the Philippines. The fee became effective on September 15, 2025. UnionBank |
| BPI | Confirmed |
BPI officially applies a 1% Visa or Mastercard assessment fee to transactions charged in PHP by a foreign acquirer. This applies whether the transaction is completed in the Philippines, overseas or online. BPI |
| Metrobank | Confirmed |
Metrobank officially publishes a 1% Cross Border Service Fee. A separate foreign-exchange processing fee may also apply when the transaction is billed in a foreign currency. Metrobank |
| EastWest | Confirmed—varies by card |
EastWest officially applies a foreign transaction service fee, but the total percentage depends on the card product. Published rates include approximately 2.5% for selected Gold cards and 3% for some Classic cards. The terms can include transactions billed in PHP by a foreign acquirer. EastWest |
| BDO | Check your card type |
BDO fees vary by card brand and product. Many BDO Visa, Mastercard, JCB and other cards include a card-network or cross-border component, while American Express and UnionPay cards may follow different fee structures. Customers should check the terms for their exact BDO card. BDO |
| RCBC | Check transaction type |
RCBC officially lists a 2.25% Foreign Currency Conversion Service Fee for qualifying foreign-currency transactions converted to PHP at the point of sale, generally for transactions of ₱1,000 or more. Its published wording does not clearly confirm that every PHP transaction processed by a foreign acquirer receives the same charge. RCBC |
| Security Bank | Check your card terms |
Cardholder references report that Security Bank may impose a service fee on transactions charged in PHP by foreign merchants. However, a sufficiently clear current public bank page specifically confirming the fee for all Security Bank cards could not be verified. Customers should confirm with Security Bank. Reddit |
| PNB | No separate PHP fee confirmed |
Community reports generally indicate that PNB does not impose a separate cross-border fee when a foreign merchant charges the card directly in PHP. However, no explicit official PNB statement guaranteeing that no fee will apply was found. Foreign-currency conversion fees remain separate. Reddit |
| Maybank | No separate PHP fee confirmed |
Maybank officially publishes foreign-currency transaction fees that vary by card, including an issuer service fee and the Visa or Mastercard assessment fee. Its public fee page does not clearly state that a separate fee applies when the original transaction is already charged in PHP by a foreign acquirer. |
| AUB | No separate PHP fee confirmed |
Cardholder reports generally indicate that AUB does not impose a separate PHP cross-border fee. However, no current official AUB statement explicitly guaranteeing that no fee applies to all AUB cards and foreign-acquirer transactions was found. Reddit |
What customers should expect
UnionBank, BPI and Metrobank
EastWest, BDO, RCBC and Security Bank
PNB, Maybank and AUB
Example of a 1% bank fee
Important: This information is provided as a general reference based on publicly available bank fee schedules and cardholder reports. Fees may vary by card product, card network, transaction currency, merchant location and payment-acquirer classification. Policies may change without notice. Customers should contact their issuing bank to confirm the final fee applicable to their card.
A status of “No separate PHP fee confirmed” does not guarantee that a transaction will be free of additional charges. It means that a separate fee for PHP transactions processed by a foreign acquirer could not be confirmed from the bank's current public fee information.
