29 Jul 2025
Digital wallets have revolutionized how you send money across borders, introducing a modern twist to the traditional bank transfer system. If you're an immigrant, expat, or international student in Malta looking to support loved ones in the Philippines, you may wonder which method will get your money to a BDO account faster, cheaper, and with less hassle. Let us focus on key factors like speed, cost, convenience, and security to help you decide the best way to send money to Philippines from Malta or, more specifically, to the Philippines.
BDO (Banco de Oro) accounts are offered by BDO Unibank, one of the largest and most trusted banks in the Philippines. These accounts include savings, checking, time deposits, and the popular BDO Kabayan Savings Account designed specifically for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families.
BDO accounts are widely used due to their accessibility, reliability, and support for international remittances. With thousands of branches and ATMs nationwide, they make receiving money from abroad fast and secure. Remittance services like ACE Money Transfer partner with BDO to enable real-time deposits, ensuring that funds reach loved ones instantly, even during weekends or holidays.
Services like ACE Money Transfer excel in terms of speed and efficiency. With digital wallets, your funds can be deposited into a BDO account or a mobile wallet, such as GCash, in minutes, especially for amounts under PHP 50,000 via InstaPay.
The real-time processing means your money moves instantly, unaffected by banking hours, weekends, or public holidays. For instance, ACE Money Transfer partners with trusted payout options, such as GCash and BDO branches, ensuring that your recipient receives funds almost immediately after you hit send.
ACE’s reputation as a trusted global leader has recently been recognized by the State Bank of Pakistan for its outstanding remittance volume, ensuring your funds are in safe hands.
Traditional bank transfers, on the other hand, rely on the SWIFT network, which can take 3–5 working days to deliver funds to a BDO account. Delays often creep in due to intermediary banks, time zone differences, or holidays in either Malta or the Philippines.
Even BDO-to-BDO transfers, which might process same-day domestically, lose their edge in cross-border scenarios, where processing times are less predictable. If your recipient needs funds urgently, this lag can be a major drawback compared to the near-instant delivery of digital wallets.
Beyond speed, you want your hard-earned money to stretch as far as possible while keeping the process simple. Let’s explore how digital wallets and bank transfers compare in terms of cost and user experience.
Digital wallets like ACE Money Transfer and Wise often emerge as the top choice for cost-conscious senders. These platforms offer low, transparent fees, with ACE even providing a FEE-FREE first transfer.
Unlike banks, which may charge high intermediary fees (sometimes €20–€50 per transaction) and apply marked-up exchange rates, digital wallets give you competitive, real-time rates. This means more pesos land in your recipient's BDO account or GCash wallet.
Sending money through digital wallets is as easy as a few taps on your smartphone. With the ACE Money Transfer app, you can sign up with ACE, enter recipient details, and send funds using debit/credit cards, bank accounts, or even mobile payment options like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
The app's intuitive design lets you manage transactions anytime, anywhere—whether you're at home in Malta or on the go. In contrast, bank transfers often require complex details, such as SWIFT codes or IBANs, and some banks may even require you to visit a branch for international transfers.
Digital wallets also offer flexible payout options, from direct BDO bank deposits to cash pickups at SM malls or mobile wallet transfers to GCash or PayMaya. Banks, meanwhile, typically limit you to account deposits, lacking the versatility of digital platforms.
Choosing between digital wallets and bank transfers depends on your specific situation. Here’s how to decide based on your priorities and transfer needs.
Digital wallets are your go-to for urgent, small-to-medium transfers (up to PHP 50,000 via InstaPay). They’re ideal for:
Bank transfers still have their place for specific scenarios, such as:
However, keep in mind that banks’ slower processing and higher fees can offset these benefits for regular use.
Why choose one when you can use both strategically? For instance, you could use ACE Money Transfer for quick, low-cost remittances to cover daily expenses or mobile top-ups for Globe or Smart accounts.
Meanwhile, use bank transfers for significant transactions, such as property payments, where formal documentation or higher transaction limits are required. This hybrid approach enables you to balance speed, cost, and the specific needs of your recipients, ensuring you're always well-covered.
When you send money online to Philippines from Malta to a BDO account in the Philippines, digital wallets like ACE Money Transfer outshine traditional bank transfers in speed, cost, and convenience. While bank transfers have their place for large or formal transactions, the seamless experience of digital platforms is hard to beat for most expats, immigrants, or students. Ready to make your next transfer? Try a digital wallet like ACE Money Transfer for a fast, affordable transfer!
Digital wallets and banks may reject the transfer, but you could lose funds if unrecoverable. Always double-check recipient details.
Digital wallets provide real-time tracking via apps or websites, while banks may require checking transfer status online or via support.
Digital wallets like ACE allow cancellation before processing, while bank transfers may be cancellable within a short window.
Digital wallets often have daily limits, while banks may allow higher daily limits, like PHP 1,000,000 for BDO-to-BDO transfers.
Most, like ACE Money Transfer, don’t refund fees for failed transactions due to incorrect details, so ensure accuracy.
