The possibility of Wise formally launching in Pakistan is once again in focus, as fresh details emerge around regulatory engagement, cost efficiencies, and integration with the country’s instant payment infrastructure.
While Wise is not officially live in Pakistan, it already processes more than $1 billion annually into the country, about 3% of total inflows, suggesting significant unmet demand among overseas Pakistanis.
The push to bring Wise closer to formal operations in Pakistan has received facilitation at the federal policy level. According to reports, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, played a direct role in enabling engagement between Wise and the State Bank of Pakistan by opening channels with the Governor’s office.
As a result of this facilitation, Wise is now working with the State Bank of Pakistan on potential integration with Raast. The objective of this integration is to make inbound remittances faster, cheaper, and more transparent by leveraging Pakistan’s instant payment infrastructure.
Why Wise is popular is largely due to its pricing. Traditional banks typically charge between 3% and 7% on remittances, whereas Wise operates at roughly 0.6%. In comparable markets, the savings have been material: in the Philippines alone, Wise users reportedly saved over $155 million in fees last year. The company already handles an estimated 10% of remittance volumes in India and around 12% in the Philippines, underscoring the scale Pakistan could potentially unlock if regulatory clearance is secured.
Momentum on that front appears to be building. Wise is currently engaging with the State Bank of Pakistan to explore integration with Raast, a move that could significantly lower costs, improve settlement speed, and enhance transparency for inbound remittances. While several regulatory updates are still required, discussions are described as active and coordinated, with government-level support aimed at accelerating progress.
Midway through this broader push is Amir Anzur, Chief Marketing Officer at the Pakistan Software Export Board, who has publicly stated that making Wise fully operational in Pakistan is a top “professional priority for 2026.” Framed less as personal advocacy and more as an economic imperative, the effort reflects a growing consensus that remittance costs remain one of Pakistan’s most solvable structural inefficiencies.
Founded in 2011 by Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann, Wise emerged from a simple problem: both founders were expatriates paying excessive fees to move money between countries. Their solution was to eliminate unnecessary currency conversions by matching local transfers on both sides of a transaction, allowing money to move internationally at a fraction of the cost charged by banks.
The Wise discussion also feeds into a wider fintech narrative. Pakistan remains one of the largest global markets without access to PayPal, and while no concrete progress has been announced on that front, the contrast highlights how far the country still has to go in integrating with global digital payment rails.
Beyond remittances, policymakers and industry stakeholders increasingly view platforms like Wise as foundational infrastructure for exports, freelancing, and cross-border services. Lower transaction friction directly impacts take-home income for freelancers and SMEs, sectors that are central to Pakistan’s digital growth strategy.
For now, Wise’s Pakistan launch remains pending rather than confirmed. But the combination of existing transaction volume, regulatory engagement with the central bank, and potential Raast integration suggests the question is shifting from if to when, and under what framework.
