NADRA centres now take 99% of payments digitally, passport offices too

NADRA has moved 99% of the payments made at its service centres across Pakistan to digital channels, and passport offices have also been enabled to take digital payments. The figures were reviewed on Monday 13 October at a Finance Division meeting chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, ProPakistani reported.

The numbers

• 99% of payments at NADRA service centres are now digital.
• About 75% of payments across federal government centralised and self-accounting entities are now accepted digitally.
• The number of merchants accepting digital payments rose fourfold in the last fiscal year.

The meeting brought together the Finance Division, the State Bank of Pakistan, the IT ministry, NADRA and the Pakistan Digital Authority, with the Pakistan Banking Association, Easypaisa, JazzCash, Bank Alfalah, JS Bank and Karandaaz from the private sector.

What was decided

1. Progress will be measured on three indicators: active and unique digital payment users, the number of digital transactions a year, and merchants accepting digital payments.
2. Definitions of an active app user, an active merchant and a unique user will be reviewed so that people with several wallets are not counted twice.
3. Banks and wallets were asked to propose tax policy changes that would encourage digital payments.

What it means at the counter

If you are heading to a NADRA centre or a passport office, plan to pay by a bank or wallet app, a debit card or another digital method rather than in cash. The report did not list the exact methods each centre accepts, so check at your centre or on NADRA's official channels before you go, and keep your phone charged with your banking app logged in.

Work out what you will pay before you leave home with our NADRA fee calculator and passport fee calculator. If your CNIC application is already in process, our guide to the NADRA tracking ID check shows where it stands.

Be careful with lookalike sites: NADRA has warned about fake "NADRA card centre" websites that take payments. Pay only at the centre or through official channels. Our earlier story explains how to spot a fake NADRA site.