Payment gateway in Pakistan: how to accept Easypaisa, JazzCash and Raast on your website

Pakistan has more than 240 million people and one of the fastest-growing digital payment markets in Asia. Yet card use online is still low: most buyers pay with mobile wallets such as Easypaisa and JazzCash, by bank transfer, or — more and more — with Raast, the instant payment system of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

If your website sells to Pakistani customers and only accepts cards, you miss most of them. This guide explains how Pakistanis pay online, how a payment gateway handles wallets and Raast from payment request to webhook, which risks and rules matter, and how to choose a provider.

How Pakistani buyers pay online

Easypaisa and JazzCash: the wallets

Easypaisa and JazzCash each serve tens of millions of users. Many customers opened their wallet to receive money from family or salaries, and now use it to shop. A customer can pay without a bank account and without a card: they approve the payment in the app or enter their PIN when the phone asks.

Raast: Pakistan's instant payment system

Raast was launched by the State Bank of Pakistan in 2021, with person-to-merchant payments added later. It connects banks and wallets in one network:

• Payments arrive in seconds, 24/7.
• Customers can pay to a Raast ID (a mobile number linked to an account) instead of a long IBAN.
• Raast QR lets a customer scan and pay from any participating bank or wallet app.

For merchants, Raast works like PIX in Brazil or QRIS in Indonesia: one standard that every bank and wallet understands.

The problem with manual transfers

Many online sellers in Pakistan still post a wallet number or an IBAN and check payments by hand. That causes:

1. Hard reconciliation: many small payments a day, customers forgetting the order number, no clear link between payment and order.
2. Fake screenshots: edited payment screenshots or transfers that were never completed.
3. Slow delivery: orders wait for someone to check the wallet, especially at night.
4. Wallet limits: personal wallets have daily and monthly limits that a growing shop quickly reaches.

A payment gateway removes all four problems.

How a payment gateway handles wallets and Raast

The unique reference per order is what makes this work: the gateway matches every payment to the right order automatically.

Risks and how to handle them

Fake payment screenshots. Never deliver on a screenshot. Deliver only when the webhook confirms the payment.

PIN prompt not answered. With wallet payments, the customer must approve within a few minutes. If they miss it, the payment expires. Show a clear message and let them try again with a new charge.

Wrong amount or wrong account. Manual transfers often go to the wrong number or have the wrong amount. A gateway charge with a fixed amount and reference prevents this.

Missed webhooks. If your server is down when the confirmation arrives, the order can stay unpaid. Choose a gateway that retries webhooks and has a status API, and process webhooks idempotently so you never credit twice.

Mobile network delays. Some customers are on slow connections. Keep the checkout light and tell the customer to keep the page open until the payment is confirmed.

Rules you should know

• Online gambling is illegal in Pakistan. Payments for betting and casino games are not allowed, and wallets and banks block them.
• Merchant KYC: expect to provide company documents and a business description before going live.
• Foreign exchange: the SBP controls how rupees move abroad. Ask your provider how and in which currency you will be settled.
• Tax: some digital services sold into Pakistan are taxed. Ask a local tax adviser.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Who benefits most

• Digital goods and software: courses, licences, templates, subscriptions — delivered right after the webhook.
• Game top-ups (non-gambling): in-game currency and items, credited in seconds.
• Trading and education platforms: subscriptions and memberships with clear payment records.
• E-commerce: fewer cash-on-delivery orders, fewer returns and faster cash flow.

Checklist for choosing a gateway in Pakistan

1. Easypaisa and JazzCash, with payment prompts and in-app approval.
2. Raast (QR and Raast ID) for instant bank and wallet payments.
3. A unique reference for every order.
4. Signed webhooks with retries, plus a status API.
5. A sandbox to test paid, expired, failed and cancelled payments.
6. Clear pricing, with no charge for failed payments.
7. Settlement that suits you: local account, foreign account or stablecoins.
8. Reports with gross, fee and net per payment.
9. One API for several countries, if Pakistan is one of several markets.

Step-by-step integration

1. Create a merchant account and add your website.
2. Create a sandbox API key and keep it only on your server.
3. Set your webhook URL and store the secret safely.
4. At checkout, create a charge by API with the amount in PKR and your order reference.
5. Let the customer choose Easypaisa, JazzCash or Raast, and show the prompt or QR.
6. Verify each webhook's signature and mark the order paid only once.
7. Test every outcome in the sandbox, then switch to a live key.

Designing a checkout that converts in Pakistan

A good payment method is only half the work. The checkout itself decides how many customers finish:

• Show the wallet logos first. Easypaisa and JazzCash should be the first buttons, not hidden under "other methods".
• Ask for the wallet number once and remember it (with the customer's permission) for the next purchase.
• Explain the PIN prompt. A short line such as "You will receive a prompt on your phone — enter your PIN to confirm" prevents many abandoned payments.
• Show a timer. Wallet prompts expire after a few minutes; a visible countdown tells the customer to act now.
• Prices in PKR. Show the final price in rupees, including any fee, before the customer pays.
• Urdu and English. A short Urdu explanation next to the button helps customers who are less comfortable in English.

Settlement and payouts

Collecting is one side; getting the money to you is the other. Ask every provider:

1. How often is money settled? Daily, a few times a week or on request.
2. In which currency? PKR to a local account, or converted to USD or stablecoins for a foreign company.
3. Who carries the exchange-rate risk between payment and settlement?
4. Can you pay out to wallets? Refunds, cashback or seller payouts to Easypaisa and JazzCash save a lot of manual work.
5. What reports do you get? Every settlement should list the payments it contains, with gross, fee and net.

How PAYWISE handles Pakistan

PAYWISE is an API-first payment platform. Indonesia (QRIS) and crypto payments are live today, and Pakistan (Easypaisa, JazzCash) opens on request: merchants who ask first are prepared first. When Pakistan opens for your account, you keep the same API, the same signed webhooks and the same dashboard as in every other PAYWISE market.

See the Pakistan page and send a request in two minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Do customers need a bank account to pay with Easypaisa or JazzCash? No. A mobile wallet is enough. Many users have a wallet but no traditional bank account.

What is a Raast ID? A mobile number linked to a bank or wallet account. Customers can pay to it instead of typing a long IBAN.

How fast are Raast payments? Usually a few seconds, at any time of day.

Can a customer reverse a wallet payment? Not like a card chargeback. Refunds are made by the merchant, so keep clear records of each payment.

Can a foreign company accept payments from Pakistan? Yes, through a provider that collects locally and settles to you. Ask about the settlement currency and timing.

Sources: State Bank of Pakistan — Raast, Easypaisa, JazzCash. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice.