G-Xchange, a subsidiary of Filipino operator Globe, reported a 25 per cent increase to two million active mobile money subscribers in 2014, citing how a growing number of new services is widening its customer base.

Globe was an early innovator among operators when it launched a mobile remittance service back in 2004. More recently, it has added additional services to target new segments of the market.

Last year, it debuted Globe Charge, a mobile point-of-sale service that is used by 1,500 entrepreneurs and SMEs, including shopkeepers, to accept credit card payments via a card reader attached to a smartphone or tablet.

Another new service from the operator is GCash American Express Virtual Pay, whereby users can purchase digital goods and shop for physical goods on international sites. The account has a personalised US address which can be used as a shipping address for customers in the Philippines.

The operator also offers its own virtual prepaid card called the GCash MasterCard in partnership  with the credit card giant, targeting users without credit or debit cards.