RCBC Waives InstaPay Transfer Fees on Pulz and DiskarTech Starting July 4

RCBC is the latest Philippine bank to make interbank transfers free. Starting July 4, 2026, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation is waiving InstaPay transfer fees for person-to-person transactions made through its digital platforms — RCBC Pulz and RCBC DiskarTech — joining a fast-growing list of banks dropping the charges after regulators cleared the way.

Key Takeaways

• The waiver takes effect July 4, 2026, across RCBC's digital banking apps.
• On RCBC Pulz, the first 30 InstaPay person-to-person transfers each month are free for transactions worth at least ₱100; a ₱10 fee applies beyond that or for smaller amounts.
• On RCBC DiskarTech, person-to-person InstaPay transfers are free with no minimum amount and no monthly cap.
• The move follows BSP Memorandum 2026-025, dated June 17, 2026, which lifted the moratorium on changes to InstaPay and PESONet fees.
• RCBC follows BPI in scrapping transfer fees, intensifying competition with digital banks and e-wallets.

What RCBC is waiving

InstaPay is the real-time rail that moves money between local banks and e-wallets, and it has long carried a small per-transfer fee — typically around ₱10 to ₱15. RCBC is now removing that charge for eligible person-to-person transfers, though the terms differ between its two apps.

On RCBC Pulz, the bank's main mobile app, customers get up to 30 free InstaPay P2P transfers per month, provided each transfer is at least ₱100. Once you exceed 30 transactions in a month — or send less than the ₱100 minimum — the standard ₱10 fee kicks in. TechnoBaboy focused on the Pulz terms in its report; broader coverage from GMA News and Inquirer adds that on RCBC DiskarTech, the bank's financial-inclusion app, all person-to-person InstaPay transfers stay free with no minimum amount and no monthly transaction cap.

The BSP rule change behind the wave

RCBC's decision did not happen in a vacuum. As Rappler and GMA reported, the waivers sweeping the industry trace back to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Under Memorandum 2026-025, dated June 17, 2026, the Monetary Board lifted a long-standing moratorium that had frozen changes to InstaPay and PESONet transaction fees. With that restriction gone, banks are now free to adjust — and, increasingly, eliminate — the charges.

How it compares to BPI

RCBC is not the first mover here. Days earlier, BPI went further, permanently waiving InstaPay and PESONet transfer fees with no monthly transaction limits. Against that benchmark, RCBC's Pulz offering is more measured — the 30-transfer monthly ceiling and ₱100 minimum mean heavy users can still hit fees — while its DiskarTech terms are effectively unlimited, matching BPI's no-cap approach on that app.

Why banks are racing to zero

The timing reflects intensifying competition for everyday transactions. Digital banks and e-wallets have won users partly by making transfers cheap or free, and traditional banks are now responding in kind. As Rappler noted, RCBC's move is part of a broader trend among Philippine banks to support financial inclusion and cashless adoption — and each bank that drops fees puts pressure on the rest to follow. For consumers, the practical upshot is simple: moving money between banks and wallets is getting cheaper, and in many cases now costs nothing at all.

What to do if you bank with RCBC

If you use Pulz, the free transfers apply automatically to qualifying InstaPay P2P transactions from July 4 — just keep the ₱100 minimum and the 30-per-month count in mind if you transfer often. DiskarTech users get the simpler deal, with no minimum and no cap to track.

Sources:

• TechnoBaboy
• GMA News Online
• Inquirer Business
• Rappler
• The Manila Times