Google Pay, a global digital payment platform, will be officially launched in Pakistan by mid-March 2025.
According to sources, the platform, certified by Google in November 2024, will be facilitated through collaboration with Visa, MasterCard, and leading local banks.
This digital service will allow Pakistani users to link their bank-issued debit and credit cards to Google Pay through the Google Wallet app, enabling users to take advantage of the convenience of contactless digital payments.
While the launch of the Google app will initially focus on enabling basic contactless payments, the full suite of Google Wallet features such as loyalty cards and public transport passes will not be available in the first phase.
Sources confirmed that preparations for the launch are underway and four to six major banks are working with Visa and MasterCard to meet the technical requirements.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan's payment infrastructure is well positioned to support the service, with 133,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals, 99 percent of which are already fully ready to support mobile contactless payments.