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There has been a recent rise in microloans, installment plans, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) platforms in the Philippines. From e-wallet providers like GCash and Maya to installment providers like Home Credit, and even BNPL platforms that now offer physical cards and traditional credit card-like services such as UnionBank’s U Credit Card with zero annual fees, it seems like everyone is racing to get users onto their lending platforms.

Two of the leading BNPL platforms with physical cards are Salmon and Atome. Salmon Credit is a BNPL platform partnered with Asia United Bank (AUB). AUB also partnered with Atome much earlier than Salmon, and both platforms provide access to credit card-like payments, QR Ph payments, and physical cards.

The big question, is Salmon Credit better than Atome? Which one is the better pick for you, and what are the differences between what they offer?

How Salmon Started

Early Launch

I first heard about Salmon Bank sometime in 2025 when it claimed to be a rebrand of the traditional Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna). I saw YouTube ads saying they offered one of the highest interest rates among digital banks like Maya, SeaBank (now MariBank), and CIMB Bank Philippines, offering a whopping 8% p.a. interest rate compared to the industry standard of around 3.5%.

I clicked the ad and signed up, only to learn that the 8% p.a. interest rate required a minimum deposit balance of ₱1 million. Honestly, not a lot of people have that kind of money lying around, and many would hesitate to deposit such a huge amount into a relatively new bank they barely know.

Please note that Salmon’s 8% promo rate interest will expire on June 1, 2026.

Pivot to Credit Lines

By late 2024, AUB partnered with Salmon, allowing the platform to provide BNPL services through both physical and virtual cards.

AUB had already partnered with Atome back in September 2022. Atome is owned by Advance Intelligence Group, a Singapore-headquartered AI-driven technology company and one of Southeast Asia’s leading BNPL services.

Best Features in Salmon that Atome Doesn’t Have

1. One-time Virtual Cards

You can generate a virtual credit card within seconds and delete it immediately after use. I find this really useful for free trial services that require a card before accessing their trial periods.

It’s also great for online purchases on websites you may not fully trust. Even if your card information gets leaked, the card becomes unusable once deleted.

Of course, any completed purchase will still be charged to your credit balance even after deleting the card.

2. Longer Repayment Time

Salmon heavily competes with Atome, and one of its biggest selling points is its longer repayment grace period. Salmon offers up to 62 days before repayment compared to Atome’s maximum of around 40 days.

Here’s how the computation works.

Salmon Grace Period Computation

Billing for June	July 1
Purchase Date	July 2
Billing for July	August 1
July Bill Due Date	September 1
Total Period	62 days

For Salmon, if your billing statement is generated on July 1 and you make a purchase on July 2, that transaction gets billed on August 1, with payment due on September 1. That gives you roughly 62 days before repayment.

Atome Grace Period Computation

Billing for June	July 1
Purchase Date	July 2
Billing for July	August 1
July Bill Due Date	August 10
Total Period	40 days

Meanwhile, Atome typically gives only 10 days after the billing statement date. Using the same example, a July 2 purchase gets billed on August 1 and becomes due by August 10, giving only around 40 days total.

3. Customer Chat Support 24/7

Salmon has a 24/7 customer support chat service in case the FAQ page or AI chatbot can’t fully address your concerns.

Honestly, many people still prefer speaking to real customer support agents instead of dealing with automated replies. I once experienced this in Lazada where I couldn’t reach a human support agent unless I selected account security concerns.

4. Minimum Payment Option

I strongly believe in paying debts and billing statements in full, but I understand that emergencies happen that you may want to delay paying in full.

Salmon offers minimum monthly payment options similar to traditional credit cards to help keep your account active and in good standing.

Unlike Salmon, Atome automatically converts unpaid balances into installment plans if you fail to pay in full, which can quickly accumulate interest fees.

What I Didn’t Like About Salmon Credit

1. Hard to Get a Physical Card

I registered with a Salmon agent at SM Mall of Asia at the start of April 2026. I asked when I could get my physical card, and the agent told me it would arrive before the end of the month. He even gave me his number.

Unfortunately, I could no longer contact him afterward through text or calls. When I returned to the mall, the agents there were different people.

I later contacted Salmon’s 24/7 support chat, and they informed me that my card was ready for pickup. However, they also said that all SM branches currently had no available physical cards in stock.

According to their FAQ page, existing Salmon Credit users also cannot request physical cards at the moment.

Meanwhile, Atome delivers your first physical card directly to your home for free after ten business days.

2. They Text You (A lot)

During the first few weeks after registering, and occasionally afterward, Salmon sends a lot of marketing SMS messages encouraging users to try their credit line, apply for product loans, or use their deposit products.

It can get pretty annoying. The problem is you can’t simply block the number because they also use the same SMS channel for OTP verification codes.

3. No Reward Points System

Using Salmon Credit doesn’t really offer rebates or rewards aside from the possibility of getting a higher credit limit.

With Atome, you can earn points through missions, reading articles, spinning reward wheels, and making purchases. These points can then be redeemed for higher credit limits or vouchers from merchants like Grab, foodpanda, Starbucks, Watsons, and Adidas.

You can also earn cashback from selected merchants, although these usually require minimum spending amounts.

4. Slightly Inconvenient Repayment

You can connect your Maya, BPI, or UnionBank accounts for automatic repayments every due date.

However, if you want to pay early or use other banks and e-wallets like GCash, you need to generate a QR code from the Salmon app, download the image, and upload it manually to your preferred banking app.

You can also generate a payment barcode and pay through 7-Eleven or Cebuana Lhuillier.

The good part is that these repayments are usually free of extra charges, unlike some Atome repayment methods.

5. No Bills Payment

Unlike Atome, Salmon currently doesn’t allow direct utility bill payments inside the app.

Atome lets users pay electricity, water, and internet bills directly without extra fees.

You may still use Salmon through apps that accept card or QR payments for bills, but having a built-in bills payment feature would definitely make things more convenient.

When and Where to Use Your Salmon Card

One of Salmon’s best features is definitely the one-time virtual card system. If you’re familiar with temporary email services, it feels similar but for payments.

It’s especially useful for free trial subscriptions and online purchases where you don’t want to expose your actual card information.

I’d also say it works well for small online purchases from platforms like Shopee and Lazada. Just remember to borrow responsibly and make sure you already have a repayment plan or the actual cash available.

For example, Shopee sometimes doesn’t allow e-wallet payments for purchases below ₱50. Using Salmon for these small transactions can be a convenient alternative if you don’t like using cash-on-delivery options.

Final Thoughts

Again, both Atome and Salmon are not traditional credit cards, even if they behave similarly.

While these BNPL platforms provide easy access to credit and card-based payments without annual membership fees, they also tend to have higher interest rates compared to actual credit cards.

They also do not directly help build your traditional banking credit history. Even if you are a responsible payer on these platforms, it may not necessarily improve your chances of getting approved for credit cards from AUB or other traditional banks.