There’s no denying that the world has flipped 180 degrees in recent years. Something seemingly impossible, online banking, has now become extremely feasible with the mere flip of a digital switch.
Branchless banking is flourishing in Pakistan, and we’re all here for it! Not only has it made making online payments and receiving money easy, but it has also financially empowered individuals residing in hardly accessible areas, thereby allowing many Pakistanis to be financially included.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the top branchless banking providers and explained how you could open your bank account without visiting any bank branch in person. Let’s dive in!
JazzCash
Jazz is a name every household knows of, and rightfully so! They provide exceptional mobile services across Pakistan, and then of course they have JazzCash which has been running successfully.
JazzCash is a branchless bank. It allows seamless bank deposits to any 1-link bank account throughout Pakistan and allow individuals to send funds to any non-JazzCash recipient! If you’re a business owner, consider checking out their business app too!
And that’s not all. JazzCash is one of the first banking services financially empowering Pakistan’s youth! They offer the young generation their very own mobile wallets. Teenagers between the age of 12 to 17 years are now able to take full responsibility for their finances and enjoy the best digital banking services in Pakistan.
JazzCash now also offers a virtual card that allows you to shop online without sharing your Debit card numbers, thereby granting customers greater security and control over their shopping experience.
Setting up an account
Customers with a valid NADRA CNIC can sign up on JazzCash within seconds. If you’re a Jazz user, dial *786# or visit your nearest JazzCash retailer to activate your account.
To set up an account online:
- Download the JazzCash app from the App Store or Google Play
- Tap on “Get Started” and enter your mobile number in the space provided
- Click on “Next”, and an account registration prompt will appear on your screen. Enter your name, CNIC number, issuance date and email address in their respective places.
- Check the terms and conditions button and tap on the arrow on the bottom right corner of the screen.
- An OTP number will be sent on the mobile number you’re provided
- For account verification, you’ll be required to answer two questions – your mother’s name and your place of birth
- Next, enter your 4-digit MPIN. Remember this PIN for the future. You’ll be using it to log in to your account.
If you’re a freelancer and have a Payoneer account, skid over to our article to see how you can withdraw your funds from abroad to JazzCash.
EasyPaisa
Another well-known branchless banking service provider since 2009 is EasyPaisa. It’s one of the easiest apps to use, with an incredibly user-friendly user interface.
Regardless of whom you want to send money to, when you want to send it or where EasyPaisa allows you to make transfers in several different ways. You can make online payments to any EasyPaisa account, any mobile number registered on any mobile network in Pakistan, CNIC number, and even RAAST. Sending money has never been easier!
They’ve always got special promotions and discounts going on, so make sure to keep a lookout for those! Apart from that, you can even order your EasyPaisa Debit card!
EasyPaisa offers its customers a wide range of services which include:
- Bill Payments
- Money Transfers
- Postpaid and Prepaid Mobile Loads
- Pay Mobile Bundles
- RAAST
- Donations and Zakat
- Grocery and Shopping Payments
- QR payments
Setting up an account
To register an account on EasyPaisa, you only need an active mobile number and a valid NADRA CNIC. You can either text “EPCNIC Number” to 0345-1113737 and wait for a customer representative to get back to you and set up an account for you, or follow the easy steps below:
- Download the EasyPaisa app through App Store or Google Play
- Open the app on your mobile and enter an active mobile number and click on “Proceed.”
- Next, enter your CNIC number and issuance date in the spaces provided and tap on “Next.”
- Now, you need to enter a 5-digit PIN code
- Next, for your EasyPaisa account verification, you’ll be required to confirm your mother’s name. Once you’ve selected the correct option, your account has been successfully set up!
NayaPay
Next in line is NayaPay, a fairly recent addition to our list of branchless banking providers. NayaPay offers customers several different services with no hidden charges, annual fees or SMS surcharges!
Apart from offering conventional banking services, NayaPay also allows you to set spending limits and split bills. How often have you gone out to eat with friends, paid for everyone, and never gotten your money back? Not anymore! Skip the math with NayaPay! You can split bills equally and send a request to everyone to pay up.
Bad at remembering birthdays and anniversaries? Always leave getting a present for your loved one to the eleventh hour? NayaPay Gift Envelopes got your back. You can send a surprise and let them know you’re thinking of them!
NayaPay also allows customers to issue their Visa virtual cards and physical Visa Debit cards through their phones and can be delivered right to your doorstep! So, what are you waiting for?
Setting up an account
To set up your NayaPay account, follow the steps listed down below:
- Download the NayaPay app via App Store or Google Play
- Tap on “Register”, and enter your first name, last name and email address in the spaces provided
- Next, enter your mobile number and specify your service provider
- An OTP will be sent to you via SMS on the number provided. Enter the OTP or wait for it to be auto-fetched
- Next, enter your NayaPay credentials by creating a unique username and strong password. Congratulations! You’re now a part of the NayaPay family!
If these snippets are not enough, check our entire article guiding you to everything that NayaPay is.
SadaPay
Last but not least is SadaPay, one of the most sought branchless banking providers. SadaPay makes making payments extremely simple, quite literally! From receiving IBFT transfers from any bank in Pakistan to receiving international payments hassle-free via TransferWise, Remitly or Payoneer, SadaPay offers free registration, Mastercard Debit cards and instantaneous transactions.
SadaPay also offers free transfers to any bank or wallet in Pakistan and free 3 cash withdrawals at any ATM. From the 4th withdrawal onwards, a minimal fee of Rs. 23.44 is charged. In addition, there is no annual fee or minimum deposits, and freelancer merchant accounts have a monthly deposit limit of Rs. 500,000 and a withdrawal limit of Rs. 500,000.
Apart from being one of the fastest banking services in Pakistan, SadaPay offers its customers complete security by enabling biometric access, AI fraud detection and instant transaction alerts on your phone to keep you updated throughout.
Setting up an account
To create your SadaPay account:
- Download the SadaPay app from the App Store or Google Play
- Click on “Goodbye Bank Fees”, enter your mobile number and tap on “Confirm.”
- You’ll be sent an OTP via SMS on your registered mobile number. Enter the pin in the space provided
- Next, enter your full name, date of birth and email address and click “Next.”
- Now you’ll be required to upload a front and back view of your NADRA CNIC and a selfie to match against the ID provided
- Next, confirm your ID details by entering your CNIC number, issuance date, place of birth, and mother’s first name
- Your SadaPay account will be manually reviewed; this can take up to 2 business days
- Once your account has been accepted, log in as normal, and enter the verification code sent on your number.
- Next, verify your login PIN. This will come via SMS.
We also have an article piece talking about SadaPay in-depth, so check it out if you want to know every little details about it.
UPaisa
Ufone’s very own UPaisa – a collaboration between Ufone and U Microfinance Bank that first launched their innovative branchless banking services in 2013.
From hassle-free online shopping, bill payments and fund transfers to easy mobile balance recharge, all with a single tap, UPaisa makes everything extremely convenient and quick. No more waiting in long queues at your traditional banks.
With UPaisa, you can do almost everything on the go!
UPaisa offers customers a wide range of services which include:
- Banking services
- Loan repayments
- Toll payment
- School fee payments
- Prepaid mobile recharge
- Postpay bill payment
- Bill payment
- Money transfers
- Debit card
- Donation
Setting up your account
There are several ways you can sign up on UPaisa. You can either dial *786# or visit your nearest UPaisa retailer.
To register your account online, watch this video or follow the steps listed down below:
- Download the UPaisa app from the App Store or Google Play
- Open the app on your mobile and tap on “New User” to set up your account
- Next, enter your mobile number
- Once you’ve tapped on “Submit”, you need your CNIC number and issuance date. If your mobile network is Ufone, the issuance date alone is sufficient.
- Next, you must select your birthplace and accept the terms and conditions.
- An OTP will be sent to the mobile number you provided. This can take a few seconds.
- Once you’ve entered your unique OTP number, create a 4-digit MPIN. You will need to remember this number to login into your account in the future.
- Congratulations! You’ve just successfully set up your UPaisa account!
PayMax
PayMax belongs to Zong4G.
They received the license earlier this year from State Bank of Pakistan to operate as an EMI in Pakistan. However, their app is only on Google Store and not iOS. Yep! They’re a bit restricted in the reach department.
They offer pretty much the same features as other mentioned above such as mobile payments, bank transfers, and bill payments.
The app is clunky and a bit outdated, but generally it works. Once you are set up, PayMax sets a monthly limit and if you want to increase it then a biometric verification is necessary.
You can also do the following by using PayMax:
- Free cash deposit.
- Seamless postpaid bill payments and mobile loads.
- Up to five utility bill payments per month without any additional charges. Rs. 20 will be levied from the sixth bill.
- Send and receive money throughout Pakistan.
- You can visit the nearest PayMax operator to make withdrawals or send money. Use the mobile app or website to find operators near you.
- You can transfer money between PayMax accounts for free.
- Zong users can enjoy bundles and recharge without any additional charges with the use of theirPayMax wallet.
- Cashback opportunities
Setting up an account
PayMax allows customers to create their accounts for free. To do so, follow these steps:
- Download “PayMax” from Google Play Store.
- Enter your Name, Contact Number.
- Click on “Sign Up.”
- Verify your contact number by entering the OTP code.
- Enter your CNIC number and click on the arrow.
- Take pictures of your CNIC from both the front and back sides.
- Now, capture your selfie and click on the arrow.
- A form will be displayed on the screen. Enter your name, CNIC number, father’s or spouse’s name, and the date of issue of your CNIC.
- After that, the app will ask you for your mother’s name and city. There will be some options. Click on the correct choice and then proceed by clicking on the arrow.
- Finally, set up your 5-digit account PIN. A dialog box will be displayed saying ‘Success.’
- Log into your account via your mobile number and PIN.
Branchless Banking: A Promising Start
In just a few years, branchless banking has grown significantly across the globe. And with the world rapidly leaning towards paperless payments, Pakistan isn’t far behind in the race!
These are some of Pakistan’s top branchless banking financial service providers that have earned a great reputation, are extremely easy to use and comprise all the groundbreaking features anyone would need.
We dare say the future looks extremely promising, and we can’t wait to see what else is in store! Have you tried any of these mobile wallet apps? Let us know in the comments below!
Till then, happy financing!
