QR Payment Merchants Up 245% in Pakistan

For context, the number of QR-enabled merchants in Pakistan more than tripled (3.5x) to 3.8 million during fiscal year 2025-26, up from 1.1 million a year earlier.

Key points

• According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, QR-enabled merchants processed 297 million transactions worth Rs.
• This means merchants processed around 0.8 million QR transactions per day, with the average daily value reaching approximately Rs5.5 billion.
• The sharp growth in QR payments and merchant adoption was backed by the government's subsidy program under the Prime Minister's Cashless Pakistan Initiative.
• In FY25, QR-based transactions totaled more than 86 million with a combined value of Rs.
• Financial institutions were additionally allowed to charge up to 0.25 percent of the transaction value for merchant onboarding and servicing.

According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, QR-enabled merchants processed 297 million transactions worth Rs. 1.6 trillion during FY26. Pakistan Online Payments Hit 92%.

In FY25, QR-based transactions totaled more than 86 million with a combined value of Rs. 234 billion.

In practice, the sharp growth in QR payments and merchant adoption was backed by the government's subsidy program under the Prime Minister's Cashless Pakistan Initiative.

Notably, the administration allocated Rs. 3.5 billion for the program and offered a subsidy equal to 0.5 percent of the value of each eligible transaction, subject to a maximum of Rs. 100 per transaction.

Meanwhile, the subsidy was divided equally between the merchant's financial institution and the customer's financial institution, covering the acquiring and issuing institutions.

Notably, the expansion is projected to encourage more traders and consumers to shift from cash to digital payments at points of sale.

Analysts have pressed the subsidy program to continue, saying a larger QR-enabled merchant network could further backing cashless payments, reduce cash management costs and improve financial inclusion. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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Taken together, the developments around QR Payment Merchants Up 245% in Pakistan point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.