The number of QR-enabled merchants in Pakistan surged by 245% to 3.8 million during fiscal year 2025-26, up from 1.1 million a year earlier, as digital payment adoption expanded across the country.
According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, QR-enabled merchants processed 297 million transactions worth Rs. 1.6 trillion during FY26. This translates into around 0.8 million QR transactions per day, with an average daily transaction value of approximately Rs. 5.5 billion.
In FY25, QR-based transactions stood at more than 86 million, with a combined value of Rs. 234 billion. The sharp increase in merchant adoption and transaction volumes was supported by the government’s subsidy program under the Prime Minister’s Cashless Pakistan Initiative.
The government allocated Rs. 3.5 billion for the initiative and provided a subsidy of 0.5% of the value of each eligible transaction, capped at Rs. 100 per transaction. The subsidy was shared equally between the merchant’s and customer’s financial institutions.
The rapid expansion of QR payments is expected to encourage more businesses and consumers to shift from cash to digital transactions. Analysts have also called for continuation of the subsidy program, saying a wider QR network could reduce cash management costs and strengthen financial inclusion.
