By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Google Pay, the global digital payment platform, is set to officially launch in Pakistan by mid-March 2025. This marks a significant development in the country’s digital payments landscape. The platform, which was confirmed by Google in November 2024, will operate through partnerships with Visa, Mastercard, and leading local banks.
With this launch, Pakistani users will be able to link their bank-issued debit and credit cards to Google Pay via the Google Wallet app, allowing them to make contactless digital payments seamlessly. Initially, the focus of the Google Pay launch will be on enabling basic contactless payments, with more advanced features like loyalty cards and public transport passes expected to be rolled out in later phases.
Sources familiar with the launch preparations have confirmed that technical work is underway, with four to six major banks collaborating with Visa and Mastercard to meet the necessary requirements. The State Bank of Pakistan has also expressed confidence in the country’s payment infrastructure, noting that the 133,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals across the nation are already 99 percent ready to support mobile contactless payments.
Earlier, developer release notes had hinted at the upcoming rollout of Google Wallet in several countries, including Pakistan. While the official announcement had yet to be made, these leaks indicated that Pakistan, along with nations such as Egypt, Venezuela, Bermuda, Cambodia, and El Salvador, was among the countries set to benefit from the global expansion of Google Wallet.
