Meralco told: Scrap P47 online fee

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Electric Co. (Meralc0) should encourage its customers to transact online, particularly by scrapping altogether the collection of a third-party convenience fee of P47 for every bill payment made through the Meralco Online platform, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

After drawing flak for the fee, Meralco earlier said its payment partners had agreed to refund customers but only for transactions made during the enhanced community quarantine—March 16 to May 15.

Meralco also clarified that collection of this fee did not go to Meralco but to its partners such as third-party service providers such as PayMaya.

“The P47-convenience fee is a disincentive for consumers moving online,” Gatchalian said.

He said the threat of new infections remained and many Meralco customers might still be unable to make over-the-counter bill payments due to limited transportation options.

“We don’t want people to go out of their houses because it’s still dangerous. They could expose themselves to COVID-19 if they have to line up physically in Meralco payment centers,” Gatchalian said.