Mobile banking leads Pakistan’s digital payment boom: SBP report
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
The State Bank of Pakistan has unveiled its Quarterly Payment Systems Report covering the period from January to March 2026, highlighting continued growth in digital transactions and increasing adoption of electronic payment methods across the country. According to the report, Pakistan recorded nearly 3.7 billion retail transactions worth PKR 168.8 trillion during the quarter through formal banking and payment channels. The figures represent transactions processed within the regulated financial system and do not account for payments conducted outside official banking networks. Digital payment platforms accounted for 92 per cent of total retail transactions during the three months, including services such as mobile banking applications, internet banking, USSD services, ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, e-commerce payments, and call centre-based banking systems. The overall number of retail transactions increased by 9 per cent compared to the previous quarter, reflecting steady growth in the country’s digital financial ecosystem. The report showed that digital payment channels handled approximately 3.4 billion transactions with a combined value of PKR 68 trillion, signalling stronger consumer reliance on electronic payment options. Mobile banking applications remained the most widely used digital payment method, processing 2.9 billion transactions through services offered by banks, branchless banking providers, and electronic money institutions. These app-based transactions represented nearly 78 per cent of all digital payments and totalled PKR 42 trillion in value. The payments covered a broad range of services, including person-to-person transfers, utility bill payments, and merchant transactions conducted through online platforms as well as physical retail outlets. Internet banking also posted solid growth during the quarter, with transaction volume rising by 5 per cent while transaction value recorded a stronger increase of 19 per cent. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Raast in