Special discount announced for card payments at petrol pumps
- By Asim Mallick -
- Aug 04, 2026
KARACHI, August 4, 2026: The State Bank of Pakistan has made it mandatory for all petrol pumps across the country to implement the Raast QR code system for digital payments by January 31, 2027. The central bank has also announced concessions on card charges to promote cashless transactions, ARY News reported.
According to details, the SBP has set the January 31, 2027 deadline to reduce the use of cash in the fuel sector and to promote digital finance.
The directive will apply uniformly to all small and large petrol pumps in every part of the country. Alongside this, the SBP has also revised the fee structure for card payments on the sale of petroleum products.
The Merchant Discount Rate for card payments on petroleum products has been capped at Rs 1 per litre. The interchange fee has been set at a maximum of 20 paisa per litre.
This special discounted rate will remain in effect until January 31, 2027 and will apply to all Pakistani bank cards.
The central bank has directed all commercial banks, microfinance banks and digital wallet companies to work with petrol pump owners to ensure the Raast QR code facility is fully functional and available within the given timeframe.
There are currently more than 15,000 operational petrol pumps in Pakistan. POS machine facilities were previously limited mostly to big cities. This decision is expected to bring digital payment machines to pumps in remote areas as well.
Chairman of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, Malik Khuda Bakhsh, welcomed the SBP’s decision. He said dealers previously had to pay about 0.8 percent, or Rs 2.40 per litre, in charges on card payments, which made them reluctant to accept card transactions.