# Behbood Savings Certificates: profit rate, who can invest and how

URL: https://which.pk/money/guides/behbood-savings-certificates/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 16 Oct 2026

## Summary

Behbood Savings Certificates pay 12.72% a year from 1 Oct 2026, or Rs 1,060 a month on each Rs 100,000, with no withholding tax and no zakat. Only Pakistanis aged 60 or above, widows who have not remarried, and persons with disability (or special minors through a guardian) can buy them, at National Savings Centres. The minimum is Rs 5,000. CDNS's pages disagree on the maximum: Rs 75 lakh or Rs 50 lakh single. Encashing within four years costs 1% to 0.25%. The rate changed six times in 2026.

## Key facts

- Profit rate: 12.72% (1 Oct 2026)
- Monthly per Rs 1 lakh: Rs 1,060
- Withholding tax: None
- Term: 10 years

A Behbood Savings Certificate pays **12.72% a year from 1 October 2026**, or **Rs 1,060 a month on each Rs 100,000**, with no withholding tax and no zakat. Only Pakistanis aged **60 or above**, widows who have not remarried, and persons with disability can buy one. You buy it at a National Savings Centre with your CNIC, from Rs 5,000. The certificate runs 10 years and pays profit every month.

**Monthly profit on Rs 10 lakh:** Rs 10,600 (At 12.72% from 1 Oct 2026. Nothing is deducted for tax, whether you are a filer or not.)

## What is the Behbood certificate profit rate today?

As of October 2026 the rate is **12.72%**, set by the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) from 1 Oct 2026. It went up from 12.60%, which applied from 4 to 30 Sep 2026. The Pensioners Benefit Account and the Shuhada Family Welfare Account pay the same rate.

CDNS changes the rate often. Its own table shows six changes in 2026 so far:

| From | To | Monthly per Rs 100,000 | Rate a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Nov 2025 | 4 Jan 2026 | Rs 1,060 | 12.72% |
| 5 Jan 2026 | 22 Jan 2026 | Rs 1,040 | 12.48% |
| 23 Jan 2026 | 9 Jun 2026 | Rs 1,000 | 12.00% |
| 10 Jun 2026 | 17 Jul 2026 | Rs 1,100 | 13.20% |
| 18 Jul 2026 | 3 Sep 2026 | Rs 1,080 | 12.96% |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 | Rs 1,050 | 12.60% |
| 1 Oct 2026 | Till date | Rs 1,060 | 12.72% |

For a longer view: the rate started at 10.08% in July 2003 and fell to its lowest, 9.12%, in August and September 2016. Its highest in the last decade was 16.56%, from 10 Apr to 29 Oct 2023.

**Does a new rate change my existing certificates?:** CDNS's pages don't say. ARY News reported in December 2025 that a revised rate applied to fresh investments made from its start date. Ask at your National Savings Centre what rate your own certificates will earn before you buy or reinvest.

## How do I calculate Behbood certificate profit?

CDNS's method: divide your amount by Rs 100,000, then multiply by the monthly figure. At the 1 Oct 2026 rate of Rs 1,060:

| You invest | Monthly profit | Profit in a year |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 5,000 (minimum) | Rs 53 | Rs 636 |
| Rs 5 lakh | Rs 5,300 | Rs 63,600 |
| Rs 10 lakh | Rs 10,600 | Rs 127,200 |
| Rs 25 lakh | Rs 26,500 | Rs 318,000 |
| Rs 75 lakh (single maximum) | Rs 79,500 | Rs 954,000 |

These are our calculations at today's rate. If CDNS changes the rate, the figures change too.

## Who can buy Behbood Savings Certificates?

Only citizens of Pakistan in one of these groups:

- **Senior citizens** aged 60 or above.
- **Widows**, as long as they do not remarry.
- **Two eligible people jointly**, for example a husband and wife who are both 60 or above.
- **Persons with disability** holding a CNIC with the disability logo.
- **Special minors** with a disability, through a guardian.

Widowers cannot invest, CDNS's FAQ says. The scheme began on 30 Jul 2003. Persons with disability and special minors were added from 1 Jan 2018.

Overseas Pakistanis who qualify can apply with a NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) instead of a CNIC.

## What is the maximum limit of Behbood certificate?

The minimum is **Rs 5,000**. Certificates come in Rs 5,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 50,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh.

CDNS's own pages disagree on the maximum:

- The Behbood product page says **Rs 7.5 million (Rs 75 lakh)** for one investor and **Rs 15 million (Rs 1.5 crore)** jointly.
- The FAQ page says Rs 5 million single and Rs 10 million joint.

We follow the product page, because it is the more detailed of the two. If you plan to invest more than Rs 50 lakh, confirm the limit at the counter first.

## Is there tax or zakat on Behbood profit?

No. CDNS does not deduct **withholding tax** on Behbood profit, and the investment is **exempt from zakat**. This holds for filers and non-filers alike.

That is the main advantage over taxed schemes. On taxed National Savings schemes, CDNS deducts 15% of profit if you are on FBR's Active Taxpayer List (ATL) and 30% if you are not.

Bank deposit profit is taxed at 20% for filers and 40% for non-filers, according to FBR's 2026-27 rate card. See [tax on bank profit](/money/guides/tax-on-bank-profit/).

We couldn't confirm whether Behbood profit must be shown in an annual tax return. If you file one, ask your tax adviser.

## How do I buy Behbood certificates?

You can buy them **only at National Savings Centres**, not at banks. CDNS's pages don't list Behbood among the products in its digital app.

**Extra documents for widows:** a copy of the husband's death certificate, and an undertaking on stamp paper that you have not remarried, attested by a notary public or oath commissioner. If it later turns out a widow had remarried, CDNS can ask for the money received to be refunded.

For joint certificates, choose how profit is paid. **Joint class-A** pays both holders, or either one with the other's written consent. **Joint class-B** pays either holder.

## What happens if I cash Behbood certificates early?

You can cash them any time, but CDNS deducts a service charge on the face value:

| Encashed before | Charge | On Rs 10 lakh |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 1% | Rs 10,000 |
| 2 years | 0.75% | Rs 7,500 |
| 3 years | 0.50% | Rs 5,000 |
| 4 years | 0.25% | Rs 2,500 |
| After 4 years | None | Rs 0 |

Two more rules matter. Behbood certificates can't be pledged as loan security or transferred to another person. And certificates bought on or after 15 Nov 2010 can't be reinvested on maturity, so after 10 years you take the money out and buy again if you still qualify.

## Is Behbood better than other National Savings schemes?

If you qualify, Behbood pays a higher rate than Regular Income and Defence Savings certificates, and nothing is deducted for tax. Rates from 1 Oct 2026, on Rs 10 lakh:

| Scheme | Rate | Monthly before tax | After 15% filer tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behbood Savings Certificates | 12.72% | Rs 10,600 | Rs 10,600 (no tax) |
| Regular Income Certificates | 11.76% | Rs 9,800 | Rs 8,330 |
| Defence Savings Certificates | 11.80% | None: Rs 10 lakh grows to Rs 30.5 lakh in 10 years, before tax | n/a |

CPI inflation was **10.3%** in September 2026, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. So Behbood's 12.72% is about 2.4 points above inflation, before any rate change. For every scheme side by side, see [National Savings certificates compared](/money/guides/national-savings-certificates/).

More guides: [EOBI pension](/money/guides/eobi-pension/), [Savings account profit rates](/money/guides/savings-account-profit-rates/), [investment options in Pakistan](/money/guides/investment-options-pakistan/), [pension funds](/money/guides/pension-fund-pakistan/), [prize bonds](/money/guides/prize-bonds-pakistan/), [zakat deduction on bank accounts](/money/guides/zakat-deduction-bank/), [how to become a filer](/business/guides/how-to-become-filer/), [Investing](/money/investing/).

## Questions people ask

### What is the Behbood certificate profit rate today?

12.72% a year from 1 Oct 2026, paid monthly as Rs 1,060 on each Rs 100,000. It was 12.60% from 4 to 30 Sep 2026.

### What is the maximum limit of Behbood certificate?

CDNS's product page says Rs 7.5 million (Rs 75 lakh) for one investor and Rs 15 million jointly. Its FAQ page still says Rs 5 million and Rs 10 million, so confirm at the National Savings Centre before a large deposit.

### Is there tax on Behbood certificate profit?

No withholding tax is deducted from Behbood profit, for filers and non-filers alike. The investment is also exempt from zakat.

### Can a widower buy Behbood certificates?

No. CDNS's FAQ says widowers cannot invest at present. Widows can, as long as they have not remarried.

### How do I calculate Behbood certificate profit?

Divide your amount by Rs 100,000 and multiply by Rs 1,060, the monthly figure from 1 Oct 2026. Rs 10 lakh pays Rs 10,600 a month.

## Sources

- [Behbood Savings Certificates](https://savings.gov.pk/behbood-savings-certificate/), Central Directorate of National Savings (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Profit rates (BSC) (PBA) (SFWA), July 2003 onwards](https://savings.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/BSC-PBA-SFWA_wef01X26.pdf), Central Directorate of National Savings (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [FAQs](https://savings.gov.pk/faqs/), Central Directorate of National Savings (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Latest Profit Rates](https://savings.gov.pk/latest-profit-rates/), Central Directorate of National Savings (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Regular Income Certificates profit rates w.e.f. 1 Oct 2026](https://savings.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/RIC_wef_01X26.pdf), Central Directorate of National Savings (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Defence Saving Certificate profit rates w.e.f. 1 Oct 2026](https://savings.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Defence-Saving-Certificate_wef01X26-DSC.pdf), Central Directorate of National Savings (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Withholding Tax Rates Card (tax year 2027)](https://download1.fbr.gov.pk/Docs/202681113864992WithholdingTaxRatesCard2027.pdf), FBR (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Monthly Review on Price Indices, September 2026](https://www.pbs.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Monthly-Review-September2026.pdf), Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [CDNS raises profit rates across key savings instruments](https://mettisglobal.news/CDNS-raises-profit-rates-across-key-savings-instruments-63895), Mettis Global (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Pakistan cuts National Savings profit rates on most schemes](https://nukta.com/pakistan-cuts-national-savings-profit-rates-on-most-schemes), Nukta (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Behbood Savings Certificate Profit Rate, Nov. 2025 update](https://arynews.tv/profit-on-behboob-savings-certificates), ARY News (accessed 16 Oct 2026)