KARACHI: The share of digital payments in retail transactions of the banking system increased to 80 percent during the first quarter of this fiscal year (FY24), the State Bank of Pakistan reported on Saturday.
The quarterly payment systems report for the July-Sep of FY24, issued by SBP, highlighted key advancements within the country’s payment ecosystem and provided an inclusive overview of digital transactional activities.
According to report, Pakistan’s emerging economy is witnessing remarkable growth in the digitalization of its payment systems, a testament to the nation’s forward-thinking approach. The emergence of digital onboarding, Raast (instant payment system), Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and fintechs, have brought convenience and easily accessible banking to individuals and businesses.
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Pakistan has undergone a transformative shift, moving from traditional models to embracing innovative technologies, paving the way for a more progressive financial landscape. These advancements are revolutionizing payments in Pakistan, making them instantaneous and transparent. This leap forward is not just about technology, it’s also about building more trust and efficiency in the financial system, the report said.
The report revealed that retail transactions have increased by 4.2 percent in volume and 22.4 percent in value during the quarter under review. Among total retail transactions processed by Banks, MFBs and EMIs, 80 percent are digital in comparison to 74 percent in the same quarter of last year. The share of OTC transactions was 20 percent in retail transactions this quarter.
However, in terms of value of retail transactions, 13 percent are digital, while 87 percent are OTC transactions. Compared to the previous quarter, the volume of digital transactions has increased by 3.6 percent, and over-the-counter (OTC) transactions have risen by 4.7 percent.
Digital transactions mainly comprised of Fund Transfers 41 percent followed by Cash Withdrawals 37 percent and POS purchases 11 percent. While in OTC transactions, around 32percent of the transactions were cash withdrawals, Cheque Deposits 20.4 percent and 22 percent Fund Transfers through bank branches using cheques.
In terms of volume, Large Value Payments (LVPs) settled by RTGS was 1.4 million amounting to Rs 199 trillion, whereas, retail transactions processed by banks, MFBs and EMIs during the quarter was 702 million with value of almost Rs 134 trillion.
End of Sep 2023, retail transactions mainly comprised 37 percent of was funds transfers, cash withdrawals 36 percent, purchases at POS & e-commerce platforms 10 percent, bill payments & mobile top-ups 7 percent, cash/cheque deposits 7 percent and 3 percent rest of the payments.
Funds transfers was the most prevailing transaction on digital channels by volume, while on OTC, cash/cheque deposits was the most prominent transaction mode. Regarding digital platform users, there were 17.0 million mobile banking users, 10.3 million internet banking users, 2.4 million e-wallet holders (issued by EMIs) and 61.3 million m-wallet holders (issued by BB service providers) by the end of quarter. Alongside this, there were 54.3 million payment cards issued to the customers of which 79% were debit cards, 17% were social welfare cards and 4% were credit cards.
Bank accounts, digital wallets, and payment cards are key elements for the digitalization of payments and fostering financial inclusion. As of June 2023, there are 85.6 million bank accounts, complemented by 111.0 million Branchless Banking Accounts and 2.4 million EMI-issued digital wallets by the quarter end Sep-23.
Currently, in Pakistan, there are two type of digital wallets; one is issued by Branchless Banking service providers and the other is issued by EMIs. As of Sep 2023, there were 61.3 million BB wallets and 2.4 million E-wallets (issued by EMIs).
The collective issuance of payment cards by Banks, Physical currency notes and coins used for direct transactions Written orders to banks to pay a specific sum to the bearer or recipient Digital platforms or apps that store payment card information and enable transactions via smartphones.
Cards linked directly to a bank account, allowing users to make purchases, withdraw cash or borrow funds to make purchases, with a repayment obligation Cash Cheque & Other Paper Instruments Digital Wallets Payment Card Banking Account serves as a hub for financial transactions, allowing individuals and businesses to execute payments seamlessly Banking Account 9 MFBs, BB Service Providers and EMIs stood at 54.3 million. Among these cards, 79 percent comprised of debit cards, 17percent were social welfare cards, 4percent were credit cards and less than 1percent were prepaid cards.
All these retail transactions were facilitated by the payments network provided by the banks, MFBs and EMIs. This included a network of 17,768 bank branches, 18,117 ATMs, 118,444 POS terminals and 7,310 registered e-commerce merchants (with banks/MFBs).
As of quarter-end, there were 33 Banks, 11 Microfinance Banks (MFBs), 4 Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs) and 5 Payment Service Providers/ System Operators (PSOs/PSPs) providing payment services across the country. In addition, Real-time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) and Raast - an instant payment solution, both operated by SBP, further enrich country’s payments infrastructure. Moreover, 16 banks and MFBs extended their offerings to Branchless Banking (BB) services thereby expanding the accessibility of the financial services.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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