Pakistan records 3.4 billion retail transactions from October to December 2025
Digital payments accounted for 92 percent of
retail transactions in Pakistan during the second quarter of FY26, reflecting a
strong shift toward a cashless economy, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.
The central bank reported that 3.4 billion
retail transactions were recorded from October to December 2025, showing an 8
percent increase in volume and a 7 percent rise in value to 167 trillion
rupees.
Out of the total, 3.1 billion transactions worth 64 trillion rupees were conducted through digital channels, up from 88 percent in the same period last year.
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Mobile app-based payments remained the key
driver, contributing 2.6 billion transactions, or 83 percent of digital
activity, amounting to 40 trillion rupees. These included peer-to-peer
transfers, bill payments and merchant transactions through banking apps and
digital platforms.
Raast also
saw significant growth, processing over 645 million transactions worth 18.5
trillion rupees. Person-to-person payments rose to 603 million transactions
valued at 15.7 trillion rupees, while person-to-merchant payments reached 33.6
million transactions totaling 167.6 billion rupees.
Bulk payments via Raast gained momentum as
well, with more than 9 million transactions worth 2.6 trillion rupees carried
out by corporates and government entities.
Internet banking posted steady gains, with
transaction volumes rising 11 percent and values increasing 22 percent.
Traditional channels remained in use, as ATMs
processed 277 million transactions worth 4.9 trillion rupees, while card-based
payments through point-of-sale terminals and e-commerce averaged around 1.7
million transactions daily.
The number of payment cards increased to 66.7 million, dominated by debit cards, followed by credit and prepaid cards.
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Bank branches and agents also handled notable
activity, with branches processing 138 million transactions worth 102 trillion
rupees, and agents facilitating 135 million transactions totaling 0.9 trillion
rupees.
The State Bank said the figures indicate continued progress toward a more inclusive and digitally driven payments system, supported by growing adoption of mobile platforms and instant payment solutions.
Source: Profit Pakistan