Call, SMS and Data Rates Without a Package in Pakistan: Jazz, Zong, Telenor, Ufone

Without a package, mobile data in Pakistan costs Rs 5 per MB on Jazz, Rs 4 plus tax per MB on Zong and Telenor, and Rs 2.75 plus tax per MB on Ufone, according to PTA's price list dated 30 September 2026. A normal call costs about Rs 2.68 to Rs 3.60 a minute. Turn on balance save so your phone cannot use data at these rates by mistake.

Your bundle ends at midnight. The phone stays on, WhatsApp keeps syncing, and by morning Rs 200 of balance is gone. Nobody chose to spend it. It went at the standard rate, the price a network charges when you have no package. We read the standard prepaid and postpaid tariff lists that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) put on its tariffs page on 6 October 2026. Here is what each network charges, and how to stop paying it.

Standard data rates per MB on Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone

Jazz charges the most for data without a bundle, at Rs 5 per MB. Zong and Telenor charge Rs 4 plus tax, and Ufone charges Rs 2.75 plus tax. With 19.5 per cent sales tax, Rs 4 becomes about Rs 4.78 per MB.

PTA's file marks the Zong, Telenor and Ufone data rates with "+ t" for tax. The Jazz rows carry no such mark, and the file does not say whether Jazz's Rs 5 already includes tax. Treat it as at least Rs 5.

Ufone works differently. PTA's note says that once you have used 25 MB at the standard rate, you get 150 MB free until midnight. So on Ufone, the first 175 MB of a day without a bundle costs about Rs 69 plus tax, on our reading of the note.

What 100 MB costs you without a bundle

100 MB costs Rs 500 on Jazz at the standard rate. On Zong and Telenor it costs about Rs 478 with tax. On Ufone it costs about Rs 82, because only the first 25 MB is charged.

The numbers add up fast. One GB is 1,024 MB, so 1 GB at Jazz's standard rate would cost Rs 5,120. Never let a phone use data with no bundle on it. To see which bundles give the best value now, use PTA's package price tracker.

Zong has one softer rule. Its FAQ says that if your data bundle runs out before its validity ends, and you do not buy an add-on, you pay Rs 1 per MB until the bundle's validity ends, instead of the standard Rs 4 plus tax.

Standard call rates per minute without a package

Calls without a package cost Rs 3.50 a minute on Jazz and Ufone, and about Rs 2.68 to Rs 2.97 plus tax on Zong and Telenor, to any network. Each call also has a small setup charge of Rs 0.125 to Rs 0.15.

The billing pulse is the unit a call is charged in. On a 60 second pulse, a 10 second call costs a full minute. On a 30 second pulse, it costs half a minute. If most of your calls are short, a plan with a shorter pulse saves money.

Postpaid plans have their own rates and a monthly line rent, listed in a separate PTA file. They are not covered here.

Taxes on every recharge and every use

PTA's list says a 15 per cent withholding tax is taken on every recharge, and 19.5 per cent sales tax applies when you use the balance. So Rs 100 of load gives you Rs 85 to spend, and each "+ tax" rate then rises by 19.5 per cent.

The withholding tax can be claimed back by people who file tax returns. The tax on your mobile and internet bill explains both taxes and who can adjust them.

How to stop paying standard rates by mistake

Turn on your network's free balance save service, keep a bundle active, and switch off mobile data when you have no bundle. Balance save blocks data use from your main balance, so a finished bundle stops data instead of charging Rs 4 or Rs 5 per MB.

1. Activate balance save on your network. The codes for each one are in balance save codes for every network.
2. Check how much data is left before a bundle expires. On Jazz, check remaining Jazz MBs by code or app.
3. Renew the bundle before midnight on its last day, or let it lapse with data switched off.
4. Switch off background data for apps you do not need. Video apps and cloud backup use the most.
5. On 4G, set the phone to 2G or 3G when data is off. Ufone says a 4G connection can use a very small amount of data even with mobile data switched off.

Unused balance also lasts longer than it used to. PTA has set a minimum 180-day validity on prepaid balance, so there is no need to spend it quickly.

Common questions

How much does Jazz charge per MB without a package?

Rs 5 per MB on all Jazz prepaid plans listed by PTA on 30 September 2026. That makes 100 MB cost Rs 500.

What is the Zong data rate without a bundle?

Rs 4 plus tax per MB, which is about Rs 4.78. If your bundle data runs out before its validity ends, Zong charges Rs 1 per MB until the validity ends.

Which network has the cheapest standard data rate?

Ufone, at Rs 2.75 plus tax per MB, and it gives 150 MB free until midnight after you use 25 MB.

Why did my balance finish when my package ended?

Your phone kept using data at the standard rate. Turn on balance save so data stops when the bundle ends.

How much tax is taken from a mobile recharge?

15 per cent withholding tax on every recharge, plus 19.5 per cent sales tax on use, according to PTA's tariff list.

Is a call cheaper on a 30 second pulse?

For short calls, yes. A 10 second call on a 60 second pulse is charged as a full minute, but as half a minute on a 30 second pulse.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 9 October 2026. Rates come from the Cellular Standard Prepaid tariff file, updated 30 September 2026, on the PTA tariffs page. The Zong out-of-bundle rule is from Zong's FAQs, and the 4G data note is from Ufone's LTE/4G page. The 100 MB costs are our own sums from those rates.