Getting paid should be the easiest part of a sale, yet many Pakistani startups lose orders at checkout. This guide explains the five main ways to accept payments, what each one asks of you and how to choose a sensible mix. Provider details were checked on official pages in October 2026. Fees are not listed here because they change and often depend on your agreement, so always ask for a written, dated rate card.
First, a reality check on global tools
Many founders start by looking at international tools. Two quick checks, as of October 2026:
- Stripe’s global availability page does not list Pakistan among the countries where it supports businesses.
- Shopify’s help centre does not list Pakistan for Shopify Payments, and says businesses in unlisted countries need a third-party payment provider.
So most startups in Pakistan build their checkout on local banks, licensed payment providers and mobile wallets.
Option 1: card payments through a bank gateway
A bank’s payment gateway lets customers pay by debit or credit card on a secure payment page. The bank acts as your acquirer, and money settles into your account with that bank.
Two examples from official bank pages:
- Bank Alfalah says its online payment gateway is “powered by MasterCard Payment Gateway Services (MPGS)”. It offers branded payment pages, integration with mobile apps, fraud rules and tokenisation for recurring payments. You apply through a form on its site or at a branch.
- Meezan Bank announced its online payment gateway, alongside point-of-sale services, in September 2022.
Also ask about PayPak, Pakistan’s domestic payment scheme. Its official site says PayPak is owned and operated by 1LINK, is accepted across many e-commerce merchants and is co-badged with Mastercard, UnionPay International and JCB. Check that your gateway accepts PayPak cards, because some of your customers’ bank cards may run on it.
Best for: higher-value orders, subscriptions and customers who prefer cards.
Option 2: payment aggregators and fintech gateways
Aggregators give you one integration that can cover several payment methods. Onboarding is often faster than with a bank, and most offer ready-made plugins.
One example is Safepay. Its help centre says it “helps businesses in Pakistan get paid online”. It offers Quick Links, which are payment links for a chosen amount, and checkout plugins for WordPress, OpenCart and WHMCS, plus a JavaScript SDK for custom sites. It requires you to complete its Know Your Customer checks before taking real payments, and says it received a pilot operations licence from the State Bank of Pakistan in 2022.
If you use WooCommerce, its plugin page says it works with more than 100 payment gateways, so check whether your chosen provider has a maintained plugin.
Best for: startups that want several payment methods through one setup.
Option 3: mobile wallets
Wallets let customers pay without a card, which widens your market.
- Easypaisa offers an online payment gateway. Its merchant page says customers can pay from an Easypaisa mobile account or with a token paid at an Easypaisa shop. It provides a merchant portal for transactions, reversals and settlements, and plugins for WooCommerce, OpenCart, Magento and PrestaShop. The page says any business with a live website or app can apply, through application, KYC verification and integration. The same page lists rates and settlement times, so check the current version before you sign.
- JazzCash offers a JazzCash Business app. Its App Store listing describes receiving payments through QR codes, sending payment requests and invoices, issuing refunds and accepting card payments through a shared link. Its release notes mention settling funds into any bank account on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule.
Best for: customers without cards and smaller, frequent purchases.
Option 4: Raast and bank transfer
Raast is Pakistan’s national instant payment system, run by Raast Payments Pakistan, a wholly owned subsidiary of the State Bank of Pakistan. Its person-to-merchant service was launched by an SBP circular in December 2023. Under that circular:
- Customers can pay a merchant by scanning a static or dynamic Raast QR code, approving a request to pay, or sending money to the merchant’s Raast alias or IBAN.
- Customers can request refunds through Raast.
- Banks and other regulated entities must not charge customers a fee for paying merchants this way. Merchant service providers may charge merchants a reasonable fee.
At the launch, Dawn reported that e-commerce sellers could print QR codes on packages so customers pay when the order arrives. Ask your bank whether it can onboard you as a Raast merchant and provide dynamic QR codes or request-to-pay.
Plain bank transfer to your IBAN still works well for B2B invoices and high-value orders. Always confirm the money in your banking app before you deliver. Payment screenshots can be faked.
Option 5: cash on delivery
Cash on delivery (COD) remains common because it removes the fear of paying for something that never arrives. It also costs you in ways that do not show on an invoice: orders refused at the door, return shipping, cash handling and waiting for your courier to send the money.
Ways to reduce the risk:
- Confirm every order by WhatsApp message or call before dispatch.
- Test a small discount or free delivery for prepaid orders.
- Ask for a partial advance on custom-made or high-value items.
- Publish a clear exchange and return policy.
- Track the refusal rate by city and by product, and act on the outliers.
- Get each courier’s COD settlement timeline and return charges in writing.
How to choose your mix
| Your business | Start with | Add later |
|---|---|---|
| Small online shop selling everyday products | COD plus a wallet or Raast QR | A card gateway once order values rise |
| Subscription or software product | Card gateway with tokenisation | Wallet option for customers without cards |
| High-value products or services | Bank transfer or card gateway | Partial advance plus COD for the balance |
| B2B services | Bank transfer against invoices | Raast request-to-pay or payment links |
| Courses and event tickets | Payment links and wallets | A full checkout on your website |
Before you sign with any provider, ask:
- Which payment methods are included: cards, PayPak, wallets, Raast?
- What documents do you need for onboarding, and how long does it take?
- What are the fees and settlement times, in writing and dated?
- How do refunds and chargebacks work?
- Is there a plugin for your platform, an API or simple payment links?
- What is the provider’s licence status with the State Bank?
Your payments checklist
- Rule out tools that do not support Pakistani businesses before building around them.
- Offer at least one card option and one non-card option.
- Ask your bank about Raast merchant QR codes.
- Confirm prepaid orders in your bank or wallet app, never by screenshot alone.
- Reduce COD losses with order confirmation and prepaid incentives.
- Get every provider’s fees and settlement terms in writing, and review them every six months.
Sources and further reading
- Global availability (Stripe)
- Supported countries for Shopify Payments (Shopify Help Center)
- Online payment gateway (Bank Alfalah)
- Meezan Bank launches POS terminals and online payment gateway (Meezan Bank)
- About PayPak (PayPak)
- What is Safepay? (Safepay help centre)
- WooCommerce plugin page (WordPress.org)
- Easypaisa online payment gateway (Easypaisa)
- JazzCash Business on the App Store
- Raast (State Bank of Pakistan)
- Launch of Raast Person to Merchant (P2M) service, PSP&OD Circular No. 04 of 2023 (State Bank of Pakistan)
- SBP launches P2M payments under Raast (Dawn)
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