92pc of retail transactions are digital: State Bank

Karachi, October 7th, 2026 - A recent report from the State Bank of Pakistan reveals that digital channels now handle an overwhelming 92% of retail payment transactions, marking a significant 65% year-on-year growth. In the fiscal year 2025-26, there were 14.3 billion transactions conducted through formal banking channels, with 13.2 billion of those taking place digitally.

Retail payments through banking channels saw a notable increase of 58% in volume and 10% in value, reaching 14.3 billion transactions valued at Rs673 trillion.

Mobile phone-based solutions led the digital surge, accounting for over 11.1 billion transactions, which grew by 79% compared to the previous fiscal year. Internet banking portals processed 300 million transactions, an increase of 15% year-on-year. The expansion of digital acceptance infrastructure at merchant outlets, including a Point of Sale (POS) network of 337,791 terminals across 295,367 merchant locations, supported this growth.

Nearly 1.5 million daily card payments were made through this network, up from one million the previous year.

E-commerce payments also saw growth, with account-based online payments constituting 96% of total e-commerce transactions conducted through banking channels. The number of branchless banking mobile app users rose to 99.1 million, while banks' mobile app users totaled 30.4 million, further emphasizing the shift towards smartphone-based platforms for everyday banking.

The introduction of PRISM+ in August of the previous year marked a significant development in payment infrastructure, transitioning the RTGS system to the ISO-20022 standard.