My weekday mornings follow a strict, invigorating routine. By 5:00 AM, I’m out the door, pounding the pavement for my daily 5-kilometer power walk around the village. It’s a ritual I’ve started fiercely after I got hospitalized in the last week of October. No notifications, no meetings, no traffic—just the steady rhythm of my footsteps, the cool morning air, and the quiet satisfaction of doing something good for my body before the workday begins.
This daily walk is more than just exercise for me.
It’s mental reset time.
With every lap around the neighborhood, stress melts away.
Ideas start flowing.
Problems that felt heavy the night before suddenly seem manageable.
By the time I hit the final kilometer, I’m no longer sleepy. I’m alert, energetic, and already feeling productive.
The last stretch of my route always takes me past the busy intersection leading to SOMO Vista Mall along Paliparan Road in Molino 4, Cavite.
The mall is still sleeping at that hour.
Delivery trucks are arriving, staff are opening shutters, and the smell of brewing coffee begins to drift into the air.
By the time I finish my full 5K loop, I’m sweaty, energized, and craving one very specific reward: a cup of iced coffee.
My destination is always the same—PickUp Coffee situated at the outdoor parking lot in the mall complex. It has quietly become my post-walk tradition. No matter how early or how tired I feel, that first sip of coffee after exertion always feels earned.
Traveling Light: The Old Friction Point
If you walk or run regularly, you know this simple truth: the lighter you travel, the better. On most mornings, I carry only the essentials—my phone, house keys, and a small earbud case. No backpack. No sling bag. No bulky pockets. Just enough to move freely.
But there was always one small annoyance that disrupted this minimalist setup: paying for my coffee.
Even though I wanted to travel light, I still had to bring my wallet for one reason—my Maya Credit Card. And while I love the rewards and benefits that come with it, carrying a full wallet for a single transaction felt inconvenient.
After finishing my 5K walk, I would be standing at the PickUp Coffee counter juggling my phone, towel, and water bottle. Then I’d have to reach into my bag, pull out my wallet, open the card slot, find the right card—usually my Maya Black Credit Card because I don’t want to miss out on Instant Maya Miles—and hand it to the cashier. The process wasn’t difficult, but it always felt like unnecessary friction.
It was that one extra step that slowed down what should have been a smooth, rewarding moment at the end of my workout. It broke the flow. And once you notice friction in a routine, you can’t un-notice it.
That small inconvenience is what made last week’s change feel surprisingly significant.
My Phone Is Now My Wallet: The Seamless Setup
Last week, Maya officially enabled credit cards on Google Pay for Android users.
The moment I read about it, I knew exactly why it mattered to me.
This meant my phone—the one device I already carry on every walk—could finally replace my wallet for day-to-day payments.
Tito Raffy gets his cold black coffee: No wallet. No cash. Just Maya.
No extra bulk. No extra effort.
Setting it up was refreshingly easy.
I opened the Google Wallet app on my phone, selected “Add a Card,” entered my Maya Credit Card details, and completed the verification process.
The entire setup took less than two minutes. A digital version of my card appeared on my screen almost instantly.
Just like that, my phone became my primary payment tool.
The best part was the simplicity of how it works in real life. You unlock your phone, make sure Google Wallet is active, and tap it on any NFC-enabled terminal.
That’s it.
No physical card.
No handing over anything.
No searching through your bag.
For someone like me who values frictionless routines, it was an immediate upgrade.
The First Real Test at PickUp Coffee
A few mornings later, I put it to the test.
I finished my usual 5-kilometer loop under the familiar Cavite sunrise. As expected, the final stretch pulled me toward SOMO Vista Mall like a magnet.
I walked straight into PickUp Coffee, ordered my usual Iced Spanish Latte, and waited at the counter.
When the cashier gave me the total, something felt different.
For the first time, I didn’t instinctively reach for my bag.
My phone was already in my hand.
I unlocked the screen and gently tapped it on the NFC terminal.
Tap. Pay. Done.
The transaction was completed in seconds.
No fumbling.
No pause.
No awkward “Wait lang po.”
It was so quick that the barista was already preparing my drink by the time I looked up from the screen.
That one moment made everything click. This wasn’t just a new way to pay—it was a completely smoother way to move through my day.
Still Earning the Rewards I Care About
Speed and convenience are important, but rewards still matter.
One of my biggest questions before switching to Tap to Pay was simple: will my rewards still apply?
The answer is yes.
When I paid using my Maya Black Credit Card through Google Pay, I still earned my Instant Maya Miles exactly as if I had used the physical card.
And for bigger errands, like groceries or larger purchases, using my Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card through tap still earns cashback the same way.
There’s no penalty for choosing convenience.
Maya made sure the rewards system works seamlessly whether you tap with plastic or with your phone.
For someone who actively tracks miles and cashback, this was a crucial reassurance.
I wasn’t sacrificing long-term benefits in exchange for short-term ease. I was getting both.
The Extra Surprise: A Coffee for Less Than P50
What made my first tap experience even better was the limited-time promotion that Maya and Visa are running with PickUp Coffee.
As part of the Tap Era Unlocked campaign, paying via Tap to Pay using Google Pay with a Maya Credit Card qualifies you for special tap-exclusive discounts.
That morning, when I tapped my phone for payment, my Iced Coffee came out to less than P50.
That may sound like a small amount, but in the context of a daily routine, it felt like a genuine win. I had just finished a disciplined 5-kilometer walk, and my reward was not only fast and convenient—but also cheaper.
It perfectly reinforced a simple idea: when technology actually works in your favor, it improves even the smallest parts of your day.
Why Tap to Pay Has Changed My Daily Rhythm
Since that first experience, using Tap to Pay has quietly reshaped how I move through everyday transactions.
Whether I’m paying for quick groceries, grabbing snacks, or settling a bill at a café, I no longer think about bringing a wallet unless I absolutely have to. My phone is enough. The act of paying has faded into the background, exactly where it should be.
This might sound like a small change, but it has a noticeable impact on how fluid my day feels. There’s no mental checklist anymore—no “Did I bring my wallet?” before stepping out. There’s just my phone, which I never forget anyway.
And because Google Pay works everywhere Visa or Mastercard contactless is accepted, that same convenience extends far beyond my neighborhood. Whether I’m somewhere else in Cavite, Metro Manila, or even traveling abroad, tapping works the same way.
Consistency is underrated. And this kind of consistency removes stress without you even realizing it.
Security, Peace of Mind, and Control
One thing people often worry about with digital payments is security. That was on my mind too before making the switch.
What made me comfortable is that Google Pay doesn’t share your actual card number with merchants. Instead, it uses tokenization, which means every transaction is protected by a unique digital code. On top of that, every payment requires my phone to be unlocked, whether through fingerprint, face unlock, or PIN.
If my phone ever gets lost, I can remotely lock or erase it. Try doing that with a physical wallet.
In many ways, tapping with my phone actually feels more secure than handing over a card. I have more control, better visibility of transactions through my app, and faster alerts if anything looks unusual.
A Small Habit, a Big Upgrade
The best technologies are the ones that quietly integrate into your life without demanding attention. Tap to Pay with Maya on Google Pay does exactly that.
It didn’t force me to change my routine. I didn’t have to learn anything complicated. It simply removed a layer of friction that I had grown used to tolerating. Suddenly, my post-walk coffee run feels smoother, faster, and even a little more rewarding.
From the end of my 5-kilometer walk to the cashier counter at PickUp Coffee, every step now feels connected. Move. Tap. Reward. That’s the kind of progress that feels personal—an upgrade you notice not because it’s loud, but because it quietly makes your mornings better.
Conclusion
In the end, what Maya and Google Pay introduced is more than just another payment method. It is a practical improvement to everyday life—one that respects your time, simplifies your habits, and enhances the small rituals that anchor your day. For me, that ritual is a 5K morning walk capped off with a well-earned cup of coffee. Now, with Tap to Pay, the entire experience flows more naturally. No wallet. No delays. No extra steps.
Just a faster, lighter, more rewarding routine powered by the device already in my hand.
If you value convenience, speed, and smart rewards, this shift is not just worth trying—it’s worth adopting. The Tap Era is here, and it genuinely makes even the smallest routines feel upgraded.
