# Virtual cards in Pakistan: which ones work for online and international payments

URL: https://which.pk/money/guides/virtual-card-pakistan/
Author: Hassam Imtiaz
Updated: 15 Oct 2026

## Summary

SadaPay's Mastercard virtual card is free to issue, but card payments abroad cost 6% plus FED. NayaPay's Visa virtual card costs Rs 600 and charges USD 0.25 per international payment, without a published exchange-rate cost. UBL's WIZ card costs Rs 600 and charges 4.5% (minimum Rs 150). On top, banks collect 0.5% advance tax if you're on the Active Taxpayer List and 1% if not, and SBP caps card spending abroad at USD 30,000 a year.

## Key facts

- Virtual card fee: SadaPay free · JazzCash Rs 300 · NayaPay Rs 600 · UBL Rs 600
- Foreign fee: NayaPay $0.25 · UBL 4.5% · SadaPay 6% + FED
- Tax on card payments abroad: 0.5% (ATL), 1% non-ATL
- Annual card limit abroad: USD 30,000 per person, all cards

For a virtual card in Pakistan that works on foreign websites, the published options are SadaPay, NayaPay and UBL. **SadaPay's** Mastercard virtual card is free but charges **6% plus FED** on payments abroad. **NayaPay's** Visa virtual card costs **Rs 600** and charges **USD 0.25** per international payment. UBL's WIZ card costs Rs 600 and charges 4.5%, all as of their July to December 2026 schedules. On top, banks collect **0.5%** advance tax (1% if you're not on FBR's Active Taxpayer List).

**SadaPay's own example: a USD 10 payment abroad:** Fee Rs 171.33 (6.96%) (At Rs 246.16 per dollar, from SadaPay's March 2026 help page. The 6% fee plus FED comes to 6.96%. Advance tax is extra.)

## Which virtual card works for international payments in Pakistan?

The table compares the cards whose fees we could confirm from each provider's own schedule, as of October 2026. Fees exclude FED or sales tax unless noted.

| | SadaPay | NayaPay | UBL WIZ | JazzCash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card network | Mastercard | Visa | Mastercard | Mastercard |
| Virtual card fee | Free | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 300 |
| Annual fee | Free | Free | None listed | Rs 0 |
| Fee on payments abroad | Rs 55 + 6% up to Rs 800; 6% above | USD 0.25 per transaction | 4.5% or Rs 150, whichever is higher | Not listed |

How to read it:

- **You pay in dollars often (software, ads, subscriptions):** NayaPay's flat USD 0.25 is the lowest listed card fee, but it also passes on "FX settlement costs" for buying dollars and gives no rate. Compare the final rupee amount in the app before you pay.
- **You want a card that costs nothing to get:** SadaPay's virtual card is the only free one in these schedules, but its 6% fee abroad is the highest.
- **You already bank with UBL:** the WIZ card is a prepaid card for UBL current and savings account holders, issued instantly through Netbanking or the contact centre. It charges 4.5%, with a Rs 150 minimum that makes small payments expensive.

**Fees changed in 2026:** NayaPay's help pages from 2025 call its virtual card free; its July to December 2026 schedule lists Rs 600. UBL's product page says Rs 300 plus FED; its July to December 2026 schedule says Rs 600. We follow the dated schedules. Check the price in the app before you order.

## Is there a free virtual card in Pakistan?

Yes. **SadaPay** issues a Mastercard virtual card with no issuance fee and no annual fee, per its July to December 2026 schedule. The other cards we checked charge to issue:

- **JazzCash:** Rs 300 for a Mastercard virtual card, no annual fee, in Mobilink Microfinance Bank's schedule dated 30 June 2026.
- **NayaPay:** Rs 600 for the Visa virtual card. Sign-up and the annual fee are free.
- **UBL WIZ:** Rs 600 to issue, with no load or reload fee.

A free card isn't the same as cheap use abroad. On SadaPay, a rupee-priced charge from a foreign merchant such as Netflix or Spotify is still settled in dollars and charged the 6% international fee.

## What does a virtual card cost for international payments?

Three things add up on every foreign payment: the card issuer's fee, its exchange rate, and FBR's advance tax.

**SadaPay** charges Rs 55 plus 6% on payments up to Rs 800, and 6% above that. Its schedule marks the 6% as tax-inclusive, but its help pages say 6% excluding FED, and its worked example charges 6.96%. We report it as 6% plus FED.

**NayaPay** charges USD 0.25 per international card transaction, on both successful and failed payments. It also passes on FX settlement costs, including on international payments priced in rupees. We couldn't find a published percentage.

**UBL** charges 4.5% of the amount or Rs 150, whichever is higher, for international use of its cards. Government levies and taxes are added on top.

**Advance tax.** Under section 236Y of the Income Tax Ordinance, the bank collects tax when it sends money abroad for your card payment. As of the Finance Act 2026, the rate is **0.5%** if you're on the Active Taxpayer List (ATL, whether you count as a filer) and **1%** if you're not. The budget cut it from 5%. The tax is adjustable against your income tax. See [filer vs non-filer](/business/guides/filer-vs-non-filer/) for what else the ATL changes.

**Meezan's schedule still shows the old tax:** Meezan Bank's July to December 2026 schedule says advance tax on international transactions is 5% for filers and 10% for non-filers. FBR's own rate card, updated to 30 June 2026, says 0.5% and 1%. We follow FBR.

## Do HBL and Meezan have a virtual card?

Not in their current fee schedules. HBL's and Meezan's July to December 2026 schedules list no virtual card. Their ordinary debit cards still work abroad:

| Bank card | Fee abroad (July to December 2026) |
|---|---|
| HBL Visa or Mastercard debit card | 4% on international shop (POS) payments; PayPak cards are domestic only |
| Meezan debit card | 4% on international online, shop and contactless payments |
| Meezan foreign-currency debit card | 3% |

Meezan converts international payments at the inter-bank or open-market rate and settles them in dollars. HBL quotes its fees before FED or sales tax.

We couldn't confirm a Bank Alfalah virtual card from an Alfalah page or schedule, so it isn't compared here.

## Does the JazzCash or easypaisa virtual card work for Netflix?

We couldn't confirm it. JazzCash's schedule lists a Rs 300 Mastercard virtual card but no international transaction fee, and we couldn't open an official JazzCash page saying whether it works with foreign merchants.

easypaisa's April to June 2026 schedule lists a "Visa Online Debit card" at Rs 500 including tax, with free online payments. It doesn't say whether the card is virtual or works abroad, or what a foreign payment costs. A newer schedule may exist.

If you need a card for foreign subscriptions, ask the app's support before you pay for the card.

## Which websites accept a Pakistani virtual card?

Nobody publishes a tested list. SadaPay says its virtual card works on any website that accepts Mastercard, and names Netflix, Spotify, ChatGPT, Canva, Google Drive, Dropbox and digital advertising as examples. That is SadaPay's own undated claim, not an independent test. NayaPay says its Visa debit card is accepted by online merchants worldwide.

Failed payments can cost you, so keep enough balance before you subscribe:

- **NayaPay** allows 5 failed international transactions before failed-transaction charges start, and charges the USD 0.25 fee on failed payments too.
- **UBL** charges Rs 55 for an international payment declined for low balance or over the limit, and Rs 100 if online or international use is switched off.
- **Meezan** charges Rs 99 after every 10th declined cross-border transaction.

## What are the limits on a virtual card?

**SBP's cap.** Card payments abroad are limited to **USD 30,000 a year per person**, across every debit, credit and virtual card you hold, at all banks combined. The year starts on 1 November. Cards issued to individuals can't be used for business payments abroad.

**Card limits we could confirm:**

- **UBL WIZ:** maximum balance Rs 100,000, online spending Rs 100,000 a day, and Rs 500,000 a year of loading per CNIC if you're biometrically verified (Rs 100,000 if not). You can hold up to five virtual cards per account.
- **SadaPay:** Rs 500,000 a month on international card payments, from a help page last updated in October 2023.
- **NayaPay:** you set spending limits for the virtual card in the app, and can freeze or block it.

## Can I use a virtual card at an ATM or shop?

No. SadaPay's and UBL's virtual cards work only online and can't be used at ATMs or in-store card machines. SadaPay's virtual card spends from the same balance as its physical card. NayaPay's virtual card appears in the app as soon as you open the wallet and works for one-off payments and recurring subscriptions.

For more detail on the two wallets, see [NayaPay vs SadaPay](/money/guides/nayapay-vs-sadapay/). If you want a credit card for payments abroad instead, see [credit cards compared](/money/guides/credit-cards-pakistan-compared/). Freelancers receiving money from abroad can compare routes in [freelancer payment methods in Pakistan](/business/guides/freelancer-payment-methods-pakistan/).

More guides: [Money](/money/), [using Wise in Pakistan](/money/guides/wise-in-pakistan/), [how to become a filer](/business/guides/how-to-become-filer/).

## Questions people ask

### Which virtual card is best for international payments in Pakistan?

On published fees, NayaPay's Visa virtual card has the lowest listed card fee per payment, USD 0.25, against 4.5% (minimum Rs 150) at UBL and 6% plus FED at SadaPay, per their July to December 2026 schedules. NayaPay doesn't publish its exchange-rate cost, so compare the final rupee amount in the app.

### Is there a free virtual card in Pakistan?

Yes. SadaPay's Mastercard virtual card has no issuance or annual fee in its July to December 2026 schedule. JazzCash charges Rs 300, NayaPay Rs 600 and UBL Rs 600 for theirs.

### How much tax is deducted on Netflix or ChatGPT payments with a Pakistani card?

Under section 236Y, banks collect advance tax of 0.5% on card payments abroad if you are on FBR's Active Taxpayer List and 1% if you are not. The Finance Act 2026 cut the rate from 5%. This is on top of the card issuer's own fee.

### Is there a limit on international payments with a virtual card?

Yes. SBP caps card payments abroad at USD 30,000 a year per person across all banks and cards, including virtual cards. The year starts on 1 November, and personal cards can't be used for business payments abroad.

### Can I use a virtual card at an ATM or shop?

No. SadaPay's and UBL's virtual cards are for online payments only and can't be used at ATMs or in-store card machines.

## Sources

- [Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (amended up to 30 June 2026)](https://download1.fbr.gov.pk/Docs/2026724177725705IncomeTaxOrdinanace2001.pdf), FBR (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Withholding Income Tax Rate Card, updated up to 30 June 2026 (Finance Act 2026)](https://download1.fbr.gov.pk/Docs/202681113864992WithholdingTaxRatesCard2027.pdf), FBR (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [FE Circular No. 07 of 2022: Cross-Border Transactions through Debit/Credit Cards](https://www.sbp.org.pk/epd/2022/FEC7.htm), State Bank of Pakistan (accessed 10 Oct 2026)
- [WHT reduced on foreign payments via debt, credit cards (13 June 2026)](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40425349/wht-reduced-on-foreign-payments-via-debt-credit-cards), Business Recorder (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Schedule of Charges, July - December 2026](https://sadapay.pk/soc), SadaPay (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [How much does SadaPay charge for PKR transactions to International merchants?](https://help.sadapay.pk/en/articles/7899438-how-much-does-sadapay-charge-for-pkr-transactions-to-international-merchants), SadaPay (accessed 10 Oct 2026)
- [How much does SadaPay charge for non-PKR international transactions?](https://help.sadapay.pk/en/articles/7899433-how-much-does-sadapay-charge-for-non-pkr-international-transactions), SadaPay (accessed 10 Oct 2026)
- [How SadaPay Virtual Debit Card Works](https://sadapay.pk/blogs/sada-spotlight-your-virtual-debit-card), SadaPay (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Schedule of Charges, July - December 2026](https://www.nayapay.com/soc), NayaPay (accessed 10 Oct 2026)
- [What's a Visa Virtual debit card?](https://help.nayapay.com/article/96-whats-a-visa-virtual-debit-card), NayaPay (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Schedule of Charges, July to December 2026](https://ubldigital.com/portals/0/Pdf/UBL-SOC-July-to-December-2026.pdf), UBL (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [UBL Wiz Virtual Prepaid Card FAQs](https://www.ubldigital.com/Loans/Cards-Products/UBLVirtualCard/FAQs), UBL (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Schedule of Bank Charges, 1 July to 31 December 2026](https://www.hbl.com/assets/documents/Schedule_of_Bank_Charges_for_July_to_December_2026_%E2%80%93_English.pdf), HBL (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Schedule of Charges, July to December 2026](https://www.meezanbank.com/wp-content/themes/mbl/downloads/home-downloads/SOC-ENG-Jul-Dec-2026.pdf), Meezan Bank (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Branchless Banking Schedule of Charges (circular dated 30 June 2026)](https://mobilinkbank.com/assets/documents/SOC_Q3_2026_-_Final.pdf), Mobilink Microfinance Bank (JazzCash) (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- [Schedule of Bank Charges, Branchless Banking, April 2026 to June 2026](https://easypaisa.com.pk/public-information/Schedule-of-Bank-Charges/Schedule-of-Bank-Charges-Branchless-Banking-English.pdf), easypaisa (accessed 15 Oct 2026)