Author: admin

The use of digital payment channels by the public saw big growth in Pakistan, with 2.5 billion transactions processed and the total value surpassing Rs. 55 trillion during the financial year 2024–25.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has released its Quarterly Report on Payment Systems, which presents a comprehensive analysis of the existing payment ecosystem, key evolving trends shaping the payment landscape, and developments achieved across the sector during the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal year 2025–26.

Digital payment channels included transactions carried out through mobile apps, internet banking, digital wallets, payment cards, ATMs (excluding cash withdrawals), the Raast system, and other platforms.

Mobile app-based payments dominated the digital landscape, with 2.0 billion transactions carried out through apps offered by banks, branchless banking (BB) providers, and electronic money institutions (EMIs). These transactions accounted for 81 percent of all digital payments and amounted to Rs. 33.7 trillion in value.

This channel was used for various types of digital payments, including person-to-person payments, bill payments, and account- and wallet-based merchant payments at both online platforms and physical retail outlets.

Internet banking also saw steady expansion, with an increasing number of users conducting transactions through digital channels. The number of card users also increased, with payment cards in circulation reaching 61.3 million, of which 90 percent were debit cards, and 4 percent were credit cards.

The Raast Instant Payment System continued to maintain strong growth momentum. Person-to-person (P2P) transactions rose to 535 million, up 31 percent, with a value of Rs. 11.3 trillion during the quarter. Raast person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions doubled to 4.3 million, amounting to Rs. 17.0 billion. Overall, Raast processed 544 million transactions worth Rs. 12.8 trillion.

Point-of-sale (PoS) terminals and e-commerce activity continued to grow, registering 1.5 million daily card-based transactions. A network of 20,527 ATMs facilitated 267 million transactions amounting to Rs 4.5 trillion across the country. On average, each ATM handled 142 transactions per day with an average ticket size of Rs. 16,800 per transaction.

Alongside ATMs and other digital channels, physical touchpoints continued to support retail payments. A total of 19,852 bank branches and 756,480 BB agents provided over-the-counter (OTC) services, including cash deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, and bill payments.

Bank branches processed 137 million transactions worth Rs. 110 trillion, while BB agents facilitated 129 million transactions amounting to Rs. 0.9 trillion.