Pakistan digital payments reach 14.3bn retail transactions in FY26
Retail payments through formal banking channels in Pakistan reached 14.3 billion transactions valued at PKR 673 trillion in fiscal year 2025-26, according to the State Bank of Pakistan's Annual Report on Payment Systems. The central bank reported year-on-year growth of 58 per cent in volume and 10 per cent in value. Of the total, 13.2 billion transactions were made through digital channels, a rise of 65 per cent year on year, and digital channels accounted for 92 per cent of all retail payment transactions, up from 88 per cent in FY25.
Mobile phone-based solutions led digital activity with more than 11.1 billion transactions, growth of 79 per cent, the SBP said. Internet banking portals processed 0.3 billion transactions, up 15 per cent from the previous fiscal year. Branchless banking mobile app users rose to 99.1 million, while banks' mobile app users reached 30.4 million, which the report attributed to a continued shift of everyday banking towards smartphone platforms.
The report also pointed to expansion in acceptance infrastructure. The point-of-sale network grew to 337,791 terminals across 295,367 merchant locations, supporting close to 1.5 million daily card payments, compared with 1.0 million in the previous fiscal year. Account-based online payments made up 96 per cent of e-commerce transactions conducted through banking channels.
On infrastructure, the SBP cited the introduction of PRISM+ in August 2025, which moved the real-time gross settlement system to the ISO 20022 standard. The central bank said the upgraded platform is intended to improve the efficiency, transparency and security of payment processing across retail and large-value segments, and that it places Pakistan among countries with both wholesale and retail instant payment systems built on ISO 20022.
The SBP said it remains committed to secure, efficient and inclusive payment systems and to strengthening the country's financial infrastructure in line with technological developments and international practices, while maintaining public trust, resilience and stability.
