MANILA, Philippines – Need to settle your Meralco bill but don’t have time to wait in line? Now, you can pay your electricity bill at any 7-Eleven CLiQQ kiosk.
Meralco has partnered with 7-Eleven and bills payment provider Bayad to allow electricity bill payments at the convenience store chain’s more than 4,100 branches nationwide.
Unlike other third-party payment centers that take 24 hours to process transactions, this new system posts payments in real time, so you won’t have to worry about late fees or disconnection notices. And since 7-Eleven stores are open 24/7, you can settle your bill outside regular banking hours too.
To make a payment, just head to a 7-Eleven CLiQQ kiosk, which are these small touchscreen machines located inside the store, select Meralco in bills payment, enter your Meralco customer account number, mobile number, and exact bill amount, then pay at the counter.
As of testing on February 11, there was no convenience fee, and the payment was posted instantly. However, take note that cash payments only are accepted. 7-Eleven does not accept GCash or other e-wallets for Meralco bill payments.
Beyond Meralco bills, CLiQQ kiosks also accept payments for Smart, PLDT, Red Fiber, MMDA violation tickets, and National Housing Authority mortgages.
More billers are expected to be added soon, including Cignal bill payments and Easytrip RFID reloads, which are set to go live within the quarter. Customers can also use the kiosks to buy prepaid load and add funds to mobile wallets like GCash, Maya, and Lazada Wallet.
Will 7-Eleven become a one-stop financial hub?
The convenience store chain hit 4,000 branches in October 2024 and is set to add 500 more in 2025, making it an increasingly practical choice for becoming a payment hub of sorts.
The move is being driven by Bayad, formerly known as Bayad Center, a subsidiary of Meralco that’s been a key player in bills payment services. The partnership also involves Kayana Solutions, the data innovation arm of the MVP Group of Companies, which is jointly owned by PLDT, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, and Meralco.
Meralco chairman and business tycoon Manny Pangilinan hinted that this partnership could be just the beginning. He said that the goal of the partnership was to “create bold e-payment innovations that will empower enterprise players like 7-Eleven to reshape how Filipino consumers efficiently manage their financial transactions.”
The same sentiment was echoed by 7-Eleven president and chief executive officer Jose Victor Paterno, who said that “there was a shared belief during the signing that this is just a first step in our partnership between Bayad and Kayana.”
The head of Philippine Seven Corporation, which operates the 7-Eleven branches in the country, further emphasized that the convenience store chain’s thousands of branches could “drive financial inclusion in partnership with selected digital lenders.”
Though the executives didn’t expand on what exactly was in store, there’s plenty of room for speculation. Could 7-Eleven in the Philippines one day become like its Taiwan counterpart, where stores have evolved into mini-financial hubs, allowing customers to pay taxes, buy train tickets, and even send and receive packages? With President Chain Store Corporation — the operator of 7-Eleven Taiwan — holding a controlling stake in Philippine Seven Corporation, it’s not far-fetched to think the local chain could be moving in a similar direction.
Who knows? Maybe your midnight snack run will soon include a stop to pay off your utilities and credit card bills too. – Rappler.com
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