Check Your Pakistani Google or Meta Ads Reseller Meets SBP's Aggregator Rule: Rupees In, USD 5 Million Cap
SBP's 22 May 2026 rule lets Pakistani aggregators pay Google, Meta and Microsoft abroad. See what it covers, the USD 5 million cap and 6 checks for resellers.
Short answer: Since 22 May 2026, a Pakistani company may collect rupees from local customers and pay Google, Meta, Microsoft or Oracle abroad on their behalf, under a State Bank framework for aggregators. The company needs its bank's acknowledgement of its agreement first. Before you pay a reseller for ads or software, ask to see that acknowledgement and confirm it takes payment in rupees.
A clothing brand in Lahore pays a local agency in rupees for its Facebook ads. The agency pays Meta in dollars. Until May there was no clear State Bank rule for that middle step. The agency now has one, and the brand has a few questions it can put to the agency.
We read the State Bank's FE Circular No. 01 of 2026 and its annexure on sbp.org.pk on 12 October 2026. The circular is written for banks. We turn it into what a business owner should ask.
The State Bank now has a framework for local aggregators
FE Circular No. 01, dated 22 May 2026, inserts a new Para 11A into Chapter 14 of the Foreign Exchange Manual. It lets banks send remittances for companies incorporated in Pakistan that act as intermediaries or aggregators between foreign service providers and users in Pakistan.
The circular says the aim is to facilitate such companies in sending abroad the funds they collect locally in rupees. Before this, the same chapter covered only Pakistani firms buying services from abroad for their own use.
Only digital advertising and IT services are covered
The permission applies to digital advertising and IT-related services, including subscription video on demand and digital music services. The services must be bought directly from the original provider, the principal service owner or its authorised agent.
| Rule | What the annexure says |
|---|---|
| Eligible company | Incorporated in Pakistan, acting as intermediary or aggregator |
| Eligible services | Digital advertising, IT services, subscription video and digital music |
| Listed foreign providers | Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation |
| Annual limit for listed providers | USD 5 million per entity |
| Collection currency | Pakistani rupees only |
| Excluded | Interest or late fees, gifts, vouchers, tokens, stars, gambling, immoral activities and financial services |
A company that is in inward remittance services, directly or through a group entity, is not allowed to act as an aggregator under this para.
Providers off the list need an acknowledgement from SBP
The annexure includes a short list, Appendix V-151, with four names. Banks may remit to those providers up to USD 5 million a year per entity. For any other foreign provider, or any amount above USD 5 million, the intermediary must first obtain an acknowledgement of its agreement from the State Bank's Foreign Exchange Operations Department, through its bank.
For a listed provider within the limit, the bank can acknowledge the arrangement itself, if it is satisfied, and name the branch or unit that will handle it. So an agency selling Google Ads can be approved at the bank, while an agency reselling a smaller foreign platform needs the State Bank too.
How to check your reseller is allowed to pay abroad
You cannot look up acknowledgements on the State Bank's site, and the circular does not set up a public list. So the check is a set of requests to the reseller. Anyone running this route properly should be able to answer each of them.
- Ask which bank handles its payments abroad and whether the arrangement was acknowledged under FE Circular No. 01 of 2026.
- Ask which foreign provider it pays directly, and whether that provider is the original provider or its authorised agent.
- Pay it in rupees. The circular says collection from local customers must be in rupees.
- Get an invoice that names the service and the period. The bank reviews the provider's invoices before each remittance.
- Do not ask it to pay for gifts, tokens, vouchers or stars, or for gambling or financial services. Those are excluded.
- Keep the rupee receipt. It is your record that the money was collected on this route.
If you pay a foreign platform yourself by card, different rules apply. The tax on card payments abroad and the yearly card limit apply there. The article on the USD 30,000 yearly card limit explains the cap that resets on 1 November.
What the bank checks before each remittance
The designated bank does due diligence under the AML and counter terrorism financing rules and the tax laws. It also asks for an external auditor's certificate, from a firm with a satisfactory quality control review rating, on each remittance.
- The auditor confirms the services acquired and distributed.
- The auditor reconciles the funds to be sent with the funds collected from customers.
- The auditor confirms the amount has no interest, late fees or excluded payments.
- The company confirms that the transactions come from genuine customers.
- The bank verifies that a dedicated rupee account is used only for this activity.
That dedicated account is a practical safeguard for customers. Money collected for ads sits apart from the agency's other funds. If the agency also receives freelancer income or family remittances, it cannot use this route at all.
Common questions
Does this let me pay Google Ads directly from Pakistan?
It is for companies acting as aggregators between the provider and Pakistani users. Whether you pay Google yourself depends on your own bank account and card, which this circular does not change.
Which foreign companies are on the State Bank's list?
Appendix V-151 lists Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc., Microsoft Corporation and Oracle Corporation. Others need an acknowledgement.
Can an aggregator charge me in dollars?
No. The circular says collection from local service users must be in Pakistani rupees.
What is the yearly limit for the listed providers?
USD 5 million a year per entity. Above that, or for a provider not on the list, the agreement needs an acknowledgement from the State Bank's Foreign Exchange Operations Department.
Can an aggregator buy in-game gifts or tokens for users?
No. Gifts, vouchers, tokens and stars are excluded, along with gambling, immoral activities and financial services.
Does the circular name specific approved agencies?
No. It sets the framework only. We did not find a published list of acknowledged intermediaries, so ask the agency and its bank.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the State Bank of Pakistan's FE Circular No. 01 of 22 May 2026 and its Annexure A, including Appendix V-151, on 12 October 2026. We did not check any specific agency's arrangement with its bank. Ask the agency for its documents before you pay.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
