Karachi, November 3, 2025 — Digital wallets have become Pakistan’s preferred online payment method, accounting for 93% of all e-commerce transactions in fiscal year 2025 (FY25), according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Annual Payment Systems Review. The figure marks a sharp rise from 87% in FY24, reflecting the nation’s accelerating shift toward cashless and mobile-first commerce.
During FY25, 684 million online purchases were executed through accounts or e-wallets, while only 52 million transactions were made using debit or credit cards. This overwhelming dominance of digital wallets underscores their convenience, accessibility, and growing consumer trust in mobile payment ecosystems.
Retail Payments Hit New Record
Pakistan’s retail payment landscape continued its rapid growth, with 9.1 billion transactions worth PKR 612 trillion recorded in FY25 — a 38% increase in volume and 12% in value year-on-year. Digital channels now represent over 88% of all retail payments, up from 85% in FY24 and 78% in FY23, as more consumers embrace mobile apps, internet banking, and e-money wallets for everyday transactions.
Card Payments and POS Adoption Rising
Despite wallets leading the way, card-based payments — dominated by debit cards (77%) — also showed strong momentum. Transactions at point-of-sale (POS) terminals surged 41% year-on-year, with 415 million POS transactions and 111 million e-commerce card transactions, compared to 287 million and 78 million, respectively, in FY24.
POS terminals, deployed across merchant outlets nationwide, processed an average of 1 million transactions daily, totaling 378 million transactions worth PKR 2.1 trillion — representing 39% growth in volume and 37% in value.
QR Payments Gaining Ground
QR code–based payments have also emerged as a low-cost digital alternative, with around 1 million merchants now accepting QR payments. In FY25, QR transactions reached 86 million in volume, valued at PKR 234 billion, indicating rising merchant adoption and consumer confidence in instant, contactless payment solutions.
As Pakistan’s financial ecosystem continues to evolve, the data highlights a transformative leap toward digital inclusion, with mobile wallets, POS terminals, and QR codes driving a new era of convenience, transparency, and financial empowerment.
