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Your Guide to Maya Interest Rates 2026: How to Secure 8% Per Annum Today
philnews.xyz
Friday, February 13, 2026
You can get 8% p.a. interest in Maya through two main ways: by creating a Personal Goal account with a balance between ₱80,001 and ₱100,000, or by completing monthly spending missions (bill payment and QR scans) to boost your 3.5% base Savings rate. Interest is credited daily for Savings and mont...
You can get 8% p.a. interest in Maya through two main ways: by creating a Personal Goal account with a balance between ₱80,001 and ₱100,000, or by completing monthly spending missions (bill payment and QR scans) to boost your 3.5% base Savings rate. Interest is credited daily for Savings and monthly for Goals.
The High Cost of Staying Traditional
Most Filipinos leave their savings in accounts that pay almost nothing. When you account for the 20% final withholding tax and rising inflation, your money is actually losing value every day it stays in a traditional bank. A balance of ₱50,000 in a legacy bank often earns less than ₱30 in a whole year.
This lack of growth makes it harder to build an emergency fund or save for a home. If your money is not earning at least 4% to 5%, you are falling behind the cost of living. Relying on "safe" traditional accounts is a hidden risk because your purchasing power is being eroded by the month.
The solution is to use Maya’s tiered interest system to outpace inflation.
By moving your funds to a Maya Personal Goal or finishing simple spending missions, you can earn up to 8% p.a. on your savings. This money is PDIC-insured up to ₱500,000, giving you the same security as a traditional bank but with returns that actually help you grow your wealth.
Maya Savings vs. Personal Goals: Where Should You Park Your P100K?
Choosing between Maya Savings and Personal Goals depends on how much effort you want to put into your banking. Both accounts are safe and BSP-regulated, but they reward you in very different ways. If you have ₱100,000 to save, you need to understand how the interest hits your account.
Maya Savings: The Active Choice
Maya Savings is built for those who use the app daily. It starts with a base rate of 3.5% p.a., but the main draw is the "daily crediting." Every single day, Maya calculates your interest and deposits it into your account. This means your interest starts earning interest immediately, which is the power of daily compounding.
To get the high 8% to 15% rates here, you must finish monthly spending missions like paying bills or buying a load. Without those missions, your ₱100,000 stays at the 3.5% base.
Personal Goals: The Passive Powerhouse
Personal goals are better for the "set and forget" saver. It offers a higher "passive" ceiling without requiring you to spend a single centavo on bills or QR scans. The interest is tiered based on your balance:
- ₱0 to ₱20,000: 4% p.a.
- ₱20,001 to ₱100,000: Increases in stages up to 8% p.a. (for the ₱80k to ₱100k bracket).
Unlike Savings, Personal Goals interest is credited monthly (on the first day of the next month). You won't see the daily "piso" drops, but you also don't have to worry about missing a mission.
Note that the 8% rate only applies to balances up to ₱100,000 per goal. Any amount over that cap earns 0% interest within that specific Goal account.
If you already spend at least ₱35,000 a month on bills and groceries through Maya, keep your ₱100,000 in Savings to take advantage of daily compounding and higher boosted rates.
However, if you just want to park your cash and walk away, Personal Goals is the superior choice for a ₱100k balance because of its higher automatic base rates.
Step-by-Step: How to Hit 8% Per Annum Through Personal Goals
You might find the "missions" for regular Savings too time-consuming. If you do not want to track your monthly spending just to get a better rate, Personal Goals is your best alternative.
However, the interest structure here is not a flat rate. It uses a tiered system where your money is divided into specific "chunks," and each chunk earns a different amount.
The 2026 tiered system rewards those who keep their balances within specific ranges. To get the maximum 8% p.a. benefit, you must hit the final tier. If you only keep a small amount in a goal, you will stay at the base 4% rate.
The logic is simple: the more you park in a single goal (up to the limit), the higher the interest applied to that specific portion of your money.
Data Vault: 2026 Maya Personal Goal Tiers
Source: Maya Personal Goal Tiers 2026
How to Set It up Today:
- Open your Maya app and go to the Savings tab.
- Select Personal Goals and tap "Create a personal goal now."
- Choose a category (like "Travel" or "Emergency Fund") and set a target date.
- Move your funds from your Maya Wallet or Savings into the Goal.
- Wait for the first day of the next month to see your interest credited.
The "Spending Boost" Method: Getting 8% on Your Main Savings
If you prefer daily interest hits over the monthly payouts of Personal Goals, you must master the Maya "Missions" system. The problem many users face is the confusion surrounding the headline rates.
While Maya often advertises up to 15% p.a., that top tier is usually out of reach for the average saver because it requires spending ₱30,000 or more in a single month. For most middle-class Filipinos, spending that much just to get a higher interest is counterproductive.
To manage the challenges of the mission list without draining your wallet, you should focus on the "8% Sweet Spot." This strategy allows you to more than double your base interest rate by simply rerouting the bills and grocery payments you are already making.
Instead of chasing the 15% rate, which might force you into unnecessary debt, you can hit a sustainable 8% p.a. with minimal effort.
The 8% Sweet Spot Strategy
You can reach the 8% target by stacking two simple missions on top of your 3.5% base rate:
- The Base Rate (3.5% p.a.): This is what you get just for keeping money in Savings.
- The Bills Payment Boost (+1.5%): Pay at least ₱1,500 worth of bills (like Meralco, Maynilad, or credit card bills) via the Maya app. This brings you to 5% p.a.
- The Smart Spending Boost (+3.0%): Spend a total of ₱3,000 using Maya QR, Card, or Mobile Number. This can be for your weekly groceries or gas. This final step locks you in at 8% p.a.
By following this path, you earn high interest on your first ₱100,000 balance without having to spend tens of thousands of pesos on things you don't need.
The interest earned is credited to your account daily, allowing your money to compound faster than almost any traditional bank in the Philippines.
Maya Interest Calculator: How Much Do You Actually Earn Daily?
Many users feel frustrated when their actual interest rate does not seem to match the "8% p.a." headline. This gap exists because interest is never paid out as a raw gross amount. Before any money hits your account, the government takes its share through a final withholding tax. If you do not account for this, your financial planning will be inaccurate.
To avoid surprises, you must look at your "Net Interest." In the Philippines, bank interest is subject to a 20% final withholding tax under the law (CMEPA). This means you only keep 80% of what the bank calculates. Understanding the math behind your daily earnings helps you track exactly how much your emergency fund is growing.
The Formula
The Formula
To calculate your daily net earnings, use this standard banking formula:
DailyNetInterest =
Principal × Rate
365
× 0.80
*The 0.80 multiplier accounts for the 20% Final Withholding Tax.
Real World Example: The ₱100,000 Balance
If you have successfully reached the 8% p.a. tier with a balance of ₱100,000, here is the breakdown of your daily earnings:
- Gross Daily Interest: (100,000×0.08)/365=₱21.91
- Tax Deduction (20%): 21.91×0.20=₱4.38
- Net Daily Credit: 21.91−4.38=∗∗₱17.53∗∗
By the end of the month, this "8% Sweet Spot" earns you roughly ₱525.90 in cold, hard cash. This is a massive jump from the ₱5 or ₱6 you would receive from a traditional bank for the same ₱100,000 deposit.
Note that Maya Savings compounds this daily, meaning tomorrow’s interest is calculated based on today’s new, slightly higher balance.
What's the Catch? Limits and Reset Dates to Watch For
While Maya offers some of the most competitive rates in the country, you must remember that these are not permanent settings.
As a pragmatic saver, you need to understand the boundaries of these offers to avoid a sudden drop in your earnings. Missing a deadline or hitting a cap without realizing it can mean the difference between earning 8% and earning 3.5%.
The most common mistake is assuming that once you "unlock" a higher rate, it stays active forever. This is not the case. If you do not track your mission progress or your balance limits, you might find your interest credits shrinking. To keep your money working at full speed, you must treat your digital banking like a monthly routine.
The Monthly Reset
All boosted interest rates in Maya Savings reset on the first day of every month. Even if you spent ₱100,000 in January to get a 15% rate, you will drop back to the base 3.5% rate on February 1. You must finish your chosen missions (like the ₱3,000 spend) again each month to get your boost back.
The ₱100,000 Interest Cap
Note that the boosted interest rates (anything above the 3.5% base) only apply to the first ₱100,000 in your Savings account. If you keep ₱500,000 in your account:
- The first ₱100,000 earns your boosted rate (e.g., 8%).
- The remaining ₱400,000 earns the base rate of 3.5%.
A Critical Security Reminder
As you use these digital tools more often, you become a bigger target for scammers. No matter how official a message looks, never share your One-Time Password (OTP) or your account PIN with anyone. Scammers often pose as "Maya Support" or "Security Officers" claiming your account is blocked.
Real Maya representatives will never ask for these codes over the phone, via text, or through social media. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and report it through the official Maya Help Center inside the app.
Is Maya still the King of Digital Banks in 2026?
Maya remains a dominant force for Filipinos who are willing to "work" for their interest. If you are already active in the digital economy, like you're paying bills via app, using QR codes at the grocery, and buying mobile load, then Maya’s 8% to 15% p.a. potential is hard to beat. It transforms your daily spending into a tool for wealth generation. However, it is no longer the only high-yield option in town.
As a pragmatic saver, you must look at the broader market to see if your effort matches the reward. While Maya rewards activity, other banks focus on simplicity. Depending on your lifestyle, a "passive" account might actually be more profitable than a "boosted" account that you forget to update.
How Maya Stacks Up Against the Competition
To give you real-world context, here is how Maya compares to other major players as of February 2026:
- OwnBank: Currently a strong challenger, offering a 3.8% p.a. base rate on its "Own It" account. Its main advantage is the lack of complex missions and higher rates on time deposits (up to 5.2% for 360 days) for those who want a simple experience.
- SeaBank: Continues to lead in user experience with a 3.5% p.a. base rate. While lower than Maya’s boosted tiers, SeaBank offers daily interest crediting and 15 free weekly transfers, making it an excellent "hub" bank for moving money between accounts.
Maya is still the "King" for the high-volume user who can easily hit the ₱3,000 monthly spend. If you can reach that 8% sweet spot, your money grows significantly faster than anywhere else. However, if you find missions stressful or often forget to pay your bills through the app, moving your funds to a passive 3.8% or 4% account like OwnBank or GoTyme is the smarter, safer move.
Ultimately, the best bank is the one that fits your habits without forcing you to spend money you don't have. Stay alert, track your monthly resets, and never let your savings sit idle in a zero-interest account.
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