Pakistan to Reduce Visa, Mastercard Dependence with Mandatory PayPak Cards
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has proposed a plan to reduce Pakistan's reliance on international payment networks like Visa and Mastercard. As part of this strategy, 1LINK has suggested making PayPak cards mandatory for government employees' salary accounts, subsidy programs, and other public sector payments.
The proposal also includes tax incentives on Point-of-Sale (PoS) and e-commerce transactions made through PayPak cards, along with cashback offers, discounts, and loyalty rewards on utility bill payments, fuel purchases, public transport, and other government-related transactions.
To accelerate adoption of the domestic payment scheme, 1LINK has also proposed that all public-facing government service centers install PoS terminals capable of accepting PayPak cards. This includes NADRA offices, passport offices, and excise departments.