NADRA Goes Cashless: 99% of Payments at Service Centres Now Digital
The National Database and Registration Authority has digitised 99 per cent of payments at its service centres across Pakistan, officials said on Monday, as the government pushes its Cashless Pakistan drive into everyday citizen services. The progress on NADRA cashless payments came up for review at a meeting chaired by Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani at the Finance Division on October 13, 2026.
The meeting reviewed how far digital payments have spread through the federal government and set targets for the next phase. Around 75 per cent of payments across the federal government’s centralised and self-accounting entities are now accepted digitally, according to the briefing given to participants.
NADRA Cashless Payments: What the Meeting Reviewed
Officials told the meeting that the number of merchants accepting digital payments increased fourfold during the last fiscal year. Passport centres have also been enabled to accept digital payments, extending the cashless net beyond NADRA offices to another high-volume citizen service.
Participants agreed on three key indicators to measure progress: the number of active and unique digital payment users, the annual number of digital transactions, and the number of merchants accepting digital payments. The committee decided to review the definitions of active app users, active merchants and unique digital payment users so the figures reflect real usage and avoid double counting.
Kayani asked private sector representatives to prepare recommendations on tax policy changes that could support the expansion of digital payments. He said the Cashless Pakistan initiative aims to make payments more convenient, improve transparency and bring more economic activity into the documented economy. He stressed the need for reliable data to track progress.
Who Is Driving the Push
The meeting brought together the Finance Division, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, NADRA and the Pakistan Digital Authority. From the private sector, representatives of the Pakistan Banking Association, Easypaisa, JazzCash, Bank Alfalah, JS Bank and Karandaaz Pakistan attended.
The government said it would continue working with regulators, banks, fintech companies and other businesses to expand digital payments and improve financial inclusion.
Why It Matters Beyond NADRA Counters
The timing is telling. On the same day, a Pakistan Digital Authority document estimated that administrative friction cost Pakistan $132 billion in 2023, equal to 39 per cent of GDP, pointing to fragmented processes and disconnected government systems. The Authority sat in this very meeting. Digitisation of payments is, in effect, the government’s own answer to the problem it has now put a number on: every digital transaction at a NADRA counter is one less cash handling point, one less queue, and one more entry in the documented economy.
The push also fits a wider digitisation of state interfaces. The FBR’s reconciliation of the Pakistan-China trade data gap runs through the Pakistan Single Window system, and the PTA has been tightening digital oversight across telecom services. As more citizens pay digitally, the CERT and NTC drive against scams targeting the elderly becomes the necessary safety net for the same shift, alongside basic guidance on creating strong passwords.
FAQs
What does NADRA going cashless mean for citizens?
It means fees at NADRA service centres can be paid through digital channels such as cards, bank transfers and mobile wallets instead of cash. NADRA says 99 per cent of payments at its centres are now digitised.
Who chaired the review meeting?
Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani chaired the meeting at the Finance Division on October 13, 2026, with officials from the Finance Division, State Bank, IT ministry, NADRA and the Pakistan Digital Authority in attendance.
What are the three indicators being tracked?
The committee will track the number of active and unique digital payment users, the annual number of digital transactions, and the number of merchants accepting digital payments, with clearer definitions to avoid double counting.
