Does Instagram Pay in Pakistan? Gifts Not Available, Badges and Every Option Checked
Instagram Gifts is not offered in Pakistan: Instagram lists 49 countries. See the 500 and 10,000 follower rules, what Badges needs and fake monetization agents.
Instagram Gifts, the feature that pays creators for virtual gifts on reels, is not available in Pakistan. Instagram's help page lists 49 countries where creators can earn from Gifts, and Pakistan is not on it. Badges on Live video has its own rules and no country list on its page, so we could not confirm it either way. Below is what each Instagram earning tool needs, what we found for Pakistan, and the "monetization agents" to avoid.
Pakistani creators with large followings keep asking why the gift button never appears. We read Instagram's help centre on 24 October 2026 to answer that from Instagram's own words rather than from comment sections.
Instagram Gifts works in 49 countries, and Pakistan is not one
Instagram says creators must live in a country where Gifts is available, then lists 49 countries. India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and Thailand are on it. Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Gulf states are not, so a Pakistani creator cannot earn from Gifts today.
The list is on Instagram's page About Instagram Gifts, which we read through a text reader because the page needs scripts to load. We counted the names ourselves.
| Region | Gifts countries on Instagram's list |
|---|---|
| Asia | India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Georgia |
| Africa | Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda |
| Americas | Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States |
| Europe | 26 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |
| Pakistan | Not on the list |
Instagram's page carries no date, so we cannot say when the list was last changed. Meta's rule for every earning tool is the same, though: you must reside in an eligible country, and you can lose access if you move to one that is not.
Gifts would need 500 followers and pays $0.01 a star
Where Gifts is open, Instagram asks for a professional account, an age of 18 or over, at least 500 followers and a payout account. Viewers buy stars and send them as gifts on reels, and Instagram pays $0.01 per star, once a month.
These are the rules on the Gifts page. Collaborative posts and accounts that mainly post content for children cannot earn from Gifts. Facebook Stars is a separate product, and a Facebook Stars balance cannot be used on Instagram.
- Professional (creator or business) account.
- 18 or older.
- At least 500 followers.
- A payout account set up on Instagram.
- Live in one of the 49 Gifts countries.
At $0.01 a star, 1,000 stars is $10. That is our arithmetic, and it shows why Gifts is a tip jar, not a salary, even in countries where it works.
Badges on Live needs 10,000 followers, and its country list is not published
Badges let viewers pay during a Live video. Instagram asks for a professional account, an age of 18 or over and 10,000 followers. Its Badges page lists no countries, so we could not confirm Pakistan. Check your dashboard for "Apply for monetization".
Instagram's About Badges page gives a few more facts. Instagram's own revenue share is currently 0%, but Google and Apple take 30% of in-app purchases. Payments from one supporter in a single Live are capped at $250. If you are eligible, Instagram sends a notification and the option appears in the professional dashboard.
- Open your profile and tap the professional dashboard.
- Look for Apply for monetization. If it is missing, your account or country is not eligible yet.
- If it appears, submit the application and wait for Instagram's notice.
- Once approved, set up Badges, accept the terms and add a payout method.
We did not see this flow from a Pakistani account ourselves, so treat the dashboard as the final word for your profile.
Instagram money for Pakistani creators mostly comes from outside the app
Because Instagram's own payout tools are closed or unconfirmed for Pakistan, most Pakistani creators earn from paid brand posts arranged directly with companies, paid through a bank or wallet. Those deals sit outside Instagram's payout system, so Instagram's monetization rules do not decide them.
Meta's partner monetization rules still matter for your account health. Instagram says creators who artificially boost followers, views or engagement can lose eligibility, and content that copies others can be held back. The details for Meta's apps are in checking Facebook and Instagram for unoriginal content. The Facebook side of the same question is answered in Facebook content monetization in Pakistan.
Nobody can switch on Instagram monetization for a fee
Eligibility depends on your country, account and Instagram's policies. No agent can add Pakistan to the list or "enable gifts" for a payment. Messages offering paid monetization, or warning of a copyright strike with a "verify" link, are scams aimed at your password.
Hacked creator accounts in Pakistan often start with exactly that message. If it has already happened, follow the steps to recover a hacked Instagram account. If you paid someone to unlock earnings, the tests in do online earning apps in Pakistan actually pay explain the pattern, and the payment should be reported quickly.
Common questions
Does Instagram pay creators in Pakistan?
Not through Gifts. Instagram lists 49 Gifts countries and Pakistan is not one. Badges has no published country list, so check your professional dashboard.
How many followers do I need for Instagram Gifts?
At least 500, plus a professional account, age 18 or over, a payout account and residence in a Gifts country.
How much does Instagram pay per star?
$0.01 per star received on reels, paid monthly, in countries where Gifts is available.
How many followers do I need for Instagram badges?
At least 10,000 followers, a professional account and an age of 18 or over.
Can a VPN turn on Instagram Gifts in Pakistan?
No. Instagram ties monetization to the country where you reside, and says you can lose access if you are not in an eligible country.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read Instagram's help pages on Gifts, Badges, earning with Badges on Live and the Partner Monetization Policies on 24 October 2026, through the r.jina.ai text reader because help.instagram.com needs scripts. The payout set-up page did not load. We could not see when the Gifts list was last updated, whether Badges is offered to Pakistani accounts, or Instagram Subscriptions eligibility, which we did not check.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
