Raast Crosses Rs 180M in Utility Payments
SSGC and SNGPL collect Rs 51.8 million via QR codes from 10.74M customers; electricity DISCOs add another Rs 128M through Raast — Pakistan’s instant-payment rail is reshaping household bill payments
SBP Raast QR Payments Cross Rs 51 Million in Gas Bills and Rs 128 Million in Electricity Bills July 2026
Pakistan’s State Bank instant-payment system Raast has emerged as a major channel for household utility bill payments, with the country’s gas utilities collecting Rs 51.8 million via QR codes from over 10.74 million customers and electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) adding another Rs 128 million through Raast QR payments — 10 of 11 DISCOs now onboard.
The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) instant-payment system Raast has become a major channel for household utility bill payments across Pakistan, with the country’s two gas distribution companies — Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) — collectively collecting Rs 51.8 million through QR code payments from their 10.74 million customers, and electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) adding another Rs 128 million via Raast QR codes. The development confirms Raast’s transition from a peer-to-peer transfer system into a full-fledged utility-payment infrastructure underpinning Pakistan’s cashless economy.
What Raast is and how it works
Raast is the State Bank of Pakistan’s instant-payment rail, launched in January 2021 as Pakistan’s first indigenous, interoperable, real-time payment system. It enables fund transfers directly from one bank account to another using only the recipient’s mobile number, CNIC, or IBAN — without needing the recipient’s bank details.
| Raast feature | What it enables |
|---|---|
| P2P transfers | Free instant transfers to any bank account using mobile number, CNIC, or IBAN |
| QR merchant payments | Scan-to-pay at retail outlets, restaurants, and service providers |
| Bill payments (Raast Bills) | Pay utility, telecom, education, and government bills directly from any bank/wallet app |
| Bulk payments | Salary disbursement, government payments, and B2B transfers |
| 24/7 availability | Real-time settlement, no banking hours restriction |
| Zero fees for P2P | Free for retail users; merchant fees on QR payments |
Raast processed 742 million transactions worth Rs 23.27 trillion during the most recent fiscal quarter, making it one of the most-used financial infrastructure layers in Pakistan.
How the gas utility QR payment system works
For SSGC and SNGPL customers, the QR payment flow is:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Receive bill | Customer receives monthly gas bill from SSGC/SNGPL with a printed Raast QR code on the bill |
| 2. Open banking app | Customer opens any participating bank app, mobile wallet (JazzCash, Easypaisa), or Raast-enabled payment app |
| 3. Scan QR | Customer scans the QR code on the bill with the app camera |
| 4. Confirm amount | App auto-fetches bill amount from QR; customer confirms |
| 5. Authenticate | Customer authenticates with PIN or biometric |
| 6. Real-time settlement | Payment is settled to SSGC/SNGPL account in real time; customer receives confirmation SMS |
| 7. Bill marked paid | SSGC/SNGPL system receives instant notification; bill is marked paid within minutes |
The full flow takes 10-30 seconds end-to-end, compared to 30-90 minutes for a traditional bank-counter payment.
How electricity DISCOs use Raast
The 10 of 11 DISCOs that have adopted Raast QR codes include:
| DISCO | Coverage | Raast onboarded |
|---|---|---|
| LESCO | Lahore region | ✅ Yes |
| IESCO | Islamabad region | ✅ Yes |
| GEPCO | Gujranwala region | ✅ Yes |
| FESCO | Faisalabad region | ✅ Yes |
| MEPCO | Multan region | ✅ Yes |
| PESCO | Peshawar region | ✅ Yes |
| HESCO | Hyderabad region | ✅ Yes |
| SEPCO | Sukkur region | ✅ Yes |
| QESCO | Quetta region | ✅ Yes |
| K-Electric | Karachi (private) | ✅ Yes (separate system) |
| TESCO | Tribal areas | 🔄 In progress |
K-Electric operates its own payment infrastructure but is integrated with Raast through partner banks.
Why Pakistan’s central bank is pushing Raast for utilities
The SBP’s strategy behind utility bill migration to Raast is multi-layered:
| Goal | How Raast supports |
|---|---|
| Cashless economy target | Reducing cash transactions; transitioning Pakistan to digital-first economy |
| Financial inclusion | Bringing unbanked users into the formal payment ecosystem |
| Cost reduction | Lower payment-processing costs for utilities and banks |
| Transparency | Every Raast transaction is digitally recorded — reduces corruption and leakage |
| Speed | Real-time settlement eliminates reconciliation delays |
| Tax base | Digital payments enable better tax tracking and revenue collection |
What’s next for Raast in 2026-27
SBP’s roadmap for expanding Raast:
| Milestone | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|
| All 11 DISCOs onboarded | Q3 2026 | 10 of 11 live |
| All gas utilities fully on Raast | Q4 2026 | SSGC + SNGPL live |
| Education fee payments via Raast | Q1 2027 | Planning phase |
| Government tax collection via Raast | Q2 2027 | FBR integration in progress |
| Cross-border Raast | Q4 2027 | Discussions with regional central banks |
| Raast offline / NFC | Q3 2027 | Pilot planned |
The trajectory is clear: Raast is the foundation for Pakistan’s digital payment ecosystem.
What this means for households
For Pakistani households paying monthly utility bills, the migration to Raast QR payments means:
| Benefit | How it applies |
|---|---|
| No bank queues | Pay from home, office, or anywhere with your phone |
| 24/7 availability | Pay at midnight on the due date if needed |
| No cash handling | Reduces risk of counterfeit notes and theft on the way to the bank |
| Instant confirmation | Receive SMS confirmation immediately after payment |
| Free for most users | Most bank apps and wallets charge zero fees for bill payments |
| Auto-receipt | Digital receipt stored in your app; can be downloaded or shared |
| Payment history | All past payments visible in the app for tax/expense tracking |
What this means for utilities
For SSGC, SNGPL, and DISCOs, the migration to Raast delivers:
- Faster collections: Real-time settlement reduces days-sales-outstanding (DSO)
- Lower operating costs: Reduced bank-counter processing fees and cash handling costs
- Better reconciliation: Each Raast transaction auto-reconciles; no manual matching required
- Improved customer satisfaction: Faster, more convenient payments improve customer experience
- Better data: Real-time payment data enables better forecasting and planning
How this compares to international peers
Pakistan’s Raast adoption is comparable to similar instant-payment systems globally:
| Country | System | Annual transactions | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | UPI | 100+ billion | Merchant + P2P + bills |
| Brazil | Pix | 40+ billion | Merchant + P2P + bills |
| UK | Faster Payments | 4+ billion | P2P + bills |
| Pakistan | Raast | 2.5+ billion (run rate) | P2P + bills + government |
| Bangladesh | bKash / Nagad | 5+ billion | P2P + merchant |
Raast is on a similar growth trajectory to Brazil’s Pix (launched 2020) and is well-positioned to reach Indian UPI-style volumes within 3-5 years if adoption continues.
What are the limits of the current Raast bill payment system
Despite the rapid growth, some limitations remain:
| Limit | Current status |
|---|---|
| TESCO (tribal areas) | Not yet onboarded; some areas still rely on bank counters |
| Rural coverage | Mobile wallet adoption is high; bank app adoption lower in rural areas |
| Older customers | Some elderly customers still prefer cash at bank counters |
| International tourists | Foreign cards/wallets cannot directly use Raast; need local bank account |
| Offline usage | Raast requires internet connectivity; offline mode in pilot |
The SBP and partner organisations are working on each of these gaps.
## Frequently asked questions
Related coverage on Life in Pakistan
For the broader NADRA digital services story, our Pakistan Super App for Government Services coverage places this in context. For bank-account context that’s foundational to Raast usage, our online bank account opening guide walks through the setup. For passport payment digitisation parallel to utility payments, our cashless passport payment deadline coverage is relevant. For CNIC verification that backs Raast identity-based transfers, our CNIC status online guide explains the linkage.
Sources: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Raast quarterly transaction data, SSGC and SNGPL official statements, DISCO operator publications, NADRA digital services data, SBP and Karandaaz training programme records (August 2025), PAK ID mobile app statistics, Dawn, Business Recorder, The News International, Express Tribune. Figures current as of Q3 FY26 (latest available); specific DISCO and gas utility onboarding status may evolve over coming quarters.
