Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

The Tala Wallet is a new mobile wallet that offers you a convenient and secure way to add and transfer cash, pay bills, build your savings goals, and unlock exclusive loan benefits.The Tala Wallet is an e-money instrument issued by the UnionBank of the Philippines. UnionBank and EON are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) with email address consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph. For more information on Unionbank, click here.

We’re not just another loan provider in the market. As your trusted financial partner, it is our mission to support and guide you through the ups and downs of managing your finances.

There are several things you can do with your Tala Wallet:
  • Disburse your loan in real-time and for free
  • Transfer cash quickly and for free, 24/7, via InstaPay
  • Pay bills with no fees for water, electricity, internet, and hundreds of other billers
  • Keep and save your cash in a safe and secure system
  • Repay your Tala loan instantly and for free

If you’ve been approved for a Tala loan:

We want to provide a way for you to use your loan immediately and for free. When you disburse your loan to your Tala Wallet, you can pay bills directly with zero transaction fees. You can also send cash to family and friends or to your bank accounts and e-wallets via InstaPay – also for free! You can do all these within the Tala app – it’s fast, seamless, and convenient!

If you don’t have access to a Tala loan yet:

You can initially use the Tala account to save money. When you regularly maintain funds in your Tala Wallet, you’ll have higher chances of getting pre-approved for your first Tala loan. 

And even if you don’t have an active Tala loan or offer, you can still use your Tala Wallet to pay bills, send money for free via InstaPay, and to start on your savings goals..

All new customers will apply for both a loan and a Tala Wallet. For current customers, look out for your exclusive invite from us in your email inbox. You may also see an invitation to apply for your wallet from your Tala app home screen.

There are no fees required to open a Tala Wallet. There is also no maintaining balance needed.

As an e-money instrument, the funds in your Tala Wallet can only be redeemed at face value. It does not earn interest nor rewards and other similar incentives that are convertible to cash, nor be purchased at a discount. As it does not earn interest, the Tala Wallet is not considered a deposit, hence it is not insured with the PDIC.

No, there is no maintaining balance required for your Tala Wallet.

You can save a maximum of  ₱100,000 in your Tala Wallet.

Maximizing your Tala loan with a Tala Wallet

Yes, you can! In fact, we encourage you to do this. Here’s why: 

  • You can disburse your loan in real-time and for free
  • Once disbursed, you can do fast, easy, and free 24/7 cash transfers via InstaPay
  • You can pay bills with no fees for water, electricity, and hundreds of other billers
  • You can use your Tala Wallet as a safe and secure system to keep and save your cash
  • When it’s time to repay your loan, you can do so easily and for free through your Tala Wallet

Yes, you can! Saving money in your Tala Wallet increases your chances of getting a loan offer. If you maintain ₱25 for 1 day, this shows us that you’re serious about saving and growing your money so we’ll reward you with a pre-approved Tala loan.

Adding Funds

You can easily add funds to your Tala Wallet through the following: 

  • Digital channels
    • E-wallets: GCash, Maya, Coins.ph, GrabPay
    • Bank apps via InstaPay: BDO app, BPI QuickPay, etc.
  • Physical cash in centers: 
    • 7-Eleven or UnionBank branches

To cash in, simply follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Tala app and go to your Tala Wallet.
  2. Select “cash in” and choose your preferred cash in channel.
  3. Follow the additional instructions that are shown in-app.

The minimum & maximum amounts will depend on your chosen cash in channel:

  • Digital channels: Please refer to the cash in guidelines on your e-wallet or bank apps. 
  • Physical cash in centers: For 7-Eleven, the minimum amount is ₱200 and maximum is ₱500 per transaction.

Cash in fees will depend on your chosen channel:

  • Digital channels: Please refer to the cash in guidelines on your e-wallet or bank apps. 
  • Physical cash in centers: When cashing in via 7-Eleven, there’s a convenience fee of ₱10 for every ₱500.

While Tala doesn’t charge fees for you to add funds to your wallet, convenience fees are charged by our cash in partners like 7-Eleven and UnionBank to make fund transfers to your Tala Wallet easy and accessible.

Withdrawing Funds

You can cash out conveniently and securely via InstaPay through the digital channels listed below. Fund transfers are available 24/7 and will be credited to your receiving account in real-time.

  • E-wallets: GCash, Maya, Coins.ph, GrabPay, and many more.
  • Bank apps: BPI, BDO, Metrobank, UnionBank, etc.

The minimum transfer amount is ₱100 and the maximum transfer amount is ₱50,000 per day.

There are none. Transfers from your Tala Wallet to your chosen e-wallet or bank app are completely free of charge.

Bills Payment

Yes, you can. Once your Tala Wallet is funded, simply follow these steps to pay bills:

  1. Log in to your Tala app and go to your Tala Wallet.
  2. Select “pay bills” and choose a biller category e.g. water, electricity, etc.
  3. Search for the biller you want to pay and enter the requested information.
  4. Once your payment is successful, you’ll receive confirmation via text and email

Great news! There are no transaction fees when you pay bills using your Tala Wallet.

Tala supports hundreds of billers nationwide. Some of the most common billers are as follows:

  • Water: Manila Water, Maynilad, Prime Water
  • Electricity: Visayan Electric, Davao Light & Power Company
  • Communications: Smart, Globe, PLDT, Bayantel
  • Cable & Internet: Sky Cable, Cignal, Converge
  • Government: NBI, DFA, LTFRB, NSO
  • and many more!

You can view the full list by going to your Tala Wallet and browsing through the different biller categories.

Yes, you can use the funds in your Tala Wallet to repay your Tala loan instantly and with no additional service fees.

Savings Goals

Savings goals is a feature of the Tala Wallet that lets you do the following:

  • Set your personal savings goal and target amount.
  • Personalize your goal name – for example: emergency fund or travel fund.
  • Receive reminders to ensure you add funds regularly and stay on track.
  • Monitor your progress and the growth of your savings.

Yes, you can edit your goal any time. 

Deleting your goal will remove the tracker that shows how much progress you have made. But don’t worry, it will not affect your wallet balance. You can always create a new goal any time with your Tala Wallet.

General Usage

Yes, you can. Even if you don’t have an active Tala loan, you can still use your Tala Wallet to pay bills, send and transfer cash via InstaPay, or to simply keep and save money. 

You can always fund your Tala Wallet through any of our cash in channels listed here.

Your Tala Wallet will remain active. You can continue to cash in and use your Tala Wallet to pay bills, do cash transfers, or save, even if you are currently not able to access a loan from Tala.

Customer Support

We’re always happy to help. Just send us an email at accountsupport@tala.ph and our friendly customer experience advocates will assist you.

Disclosures

Tala shares limited personal data with UnionBank for the purpose of opening and maintaining your wallet. Conversely, UnionBank shares transaction data with Tala for reconciliation of funds. Rest assured that Tala employs the appropriate security measures when it shares your data with UnionBank. For more information on how Tala processes your personal data, you may access the Tala App Privacy Policy.