Filipinos outside capital favour loan apps and microloans over credit cards

The majority expressed willingness to access educational materials to improve their finances.

Nearly 2 in 5 Filipinos are willing to use credit to make purchases, but where they get their loans varies per region, according to a study by TransUnion.

Respondents from the capital region of the Philippines are more likely to be interested in using credit cards compared to those from outside the capital, with 44% of respondents in the capital region compared with 36% from those outside it, according to TransUnion’s 2025 Credit Perception Index (CPI) findings, newly released on 19 February 2026.

People in the capital are also more likely to borrow money, at 40% of respondents indicating such compared to just 37% of respondents living beyond the capital.

Filipinos residing outside the capital region show greater openness to non-conventional financial solutions than capital residents: mobile loan apps (33% vs 27%), money lending services (29% vs 21%), and microloan providers (22% vs 17%), TransUnion said.

Over two-thirds (70%) of respondents from outside the capital expressed willingness to access educational materials to improve their finances, it added.

A majority (65%) also reported strong openness to explore new digital financial products and services, TransUnion said.

The CPI study surveyed 1,165 consumers from March 27 to April 7, 2025. TransUnion did not specify how many respondents were from the capital region, and how many were outside the region.