Digital bank Maya recently launched Paleng-Kita, a new credit program designed for market vendors and public transport drivers.

Maya said Paleng-Kita enables micro-entrepreneurs to access collateral-free credit by regularly using QR Ph and the Maya app for their daily transactions.

The program links digital payments to credit access, giving small businesses the financial tools to grow.

“Many small vendors and transport drivers have never had access to formal credit,” Maya Group president and co-founder Shailesh Baidwan said.

“By using their cashless payment history, we can offer them fair, transparent credit and help them build a stronger financial future.”

Under Paleng-QR Ph, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local governments, and financial service providers work to onboard market vendors and drivers onto QR Ph, the national interoperable QR standard for person-to-merchant payments.

Registering to Maya QR allows merchants to build the transaction history required to qualify for Paleng-Kita through Maya Advance.

Credit decisions are powered by Maya’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI)-driven scoring system, which evaluates payment transactions and other alternative data points —without relying on collateral, paperwork, or traditional credit histories.

Maya said approved borrowers can access credit lines starting at PHP3,000 through the Maya Advance product.

"Market vendors and transport cooperatives are vital to our local economies. They deserve financial solutions that are simple, fair, and designed around how they live and work. Digital transactions, including QR Ph, provide a credible, scalable way to extend credit responsibly," Baidwan said.

MAYA PHOTO