Pakistan’s digital payments surge 65% to 13.2 billion transactions in FY26

The State Bank of Pakistan reported that digital transactions climbed 65% in FY2025-26 to 13.2 billion, according to its Annual Payment Systems Review. Digital channels now carry 92% of retail payments made through formal banking routes, up from 88% a year earlier. Total retail volume rose 58% to 14.3 billion transactions, while their value grew 10% to Rs673 trillion.

Mobile payment apps drove most of the expansion, handling over 11.1 billion transactions, a 79% jump on the prior year. Internet banking channels added another 0.3 billion transactions and grew 15%. Merchant acceptance widened as the POS network reached 337,791 terminals at 295,367 locations, with card payments running at nearly 1.5 million a day.

The SBP also highlighted PRISM+, introduced in August 2025, which moved the Real-Time Gross Settlement system onto the ISO 20022 messaging standard. According to the regulator, both the wholesale payment system and the retail Instant Payment System now run on that standard. The central bank said it will keep pursuing secure, efficient and inclusive payment systems while protecting public trust.