Foreign Transaction Fee on Debit Cards in Pakistan: SadaPay, NayaPay, Zindigi, Meezan and Big Banks Compared (2026 List)
Compare foreign transaction fees on Pakistani debit cards: NayaPay $0.25, Zindigi 1%, banks 4%, SadaPay 6%, plus the 236Y tax and what Rs 10,000 really costs.
On a Rs 10,000 online payment abroad, the card fee in Pakistan ranges from about $0.25 on NayaPay to Rs 100 on Zindigi, Rs 400 at the big banks and Rs 600 on SadaPay. That is before the 236Y advance tax of 0.5% for filers or 1% for non-filers. The foreign transaction fee, not the exchange rate alone, decides which card is cheapest for Netflix, Google Play or a hotel abroad.
We read the current schedules of charges of SadaPay, NayaPay, Zindigi and Meezan Bank on 1 November 2026, the same day the yearly USD 30,000 card limit reset. For HBL, MCB, UBL and Al Baraka we used their July to December 2026 schedules, which our team read in September and October. Each fee below is for using a rupee debit card for a payment in foreign currency.
Card fees on foreign payments run from $0.25 to 6%
NayaPay charges a flat $0.25 per international card payment. Zindigi charges 1%. Meezan, HBL, MCB, UBL and Al Baraka charge 4%. SadaPay charges 6%, plus Rs 55 on payments up to Rs 800. PayPak and Easypaisa cards do not work abroad at all.
| Card | Fee on a foreign payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NayaPay Visa | $0.25 per payment | Charged on successful and failed payments, plus taxes |
| Zindigi Mastercard or virtual Visa | 1% of the amount | Ultra or Freelancer account only; includes FED |
| Meezan Visa debit | 4% of the amount | Called "international purchase" |
| HBL, MCB, UBL, Al Baraka debit cards | 4% of the amount | PayPak variants excluded |
| SadaPay Mastercard | Rs 55 + 6% up to Rs 800; 6% above | Includes FED |
| Any PayPak card | Not usable abroad | Pakistan only |
| Easypaisa debit cards | Not usable abroad | Easypaisa says Pakistan only |
NayaPay's fee needs one more line. Its help page says "FX settlement costs", the cost of buying dollars to settle with Visa, also apply to international payments, even ones priced in rupees. NayaPay does not publish a percentage for that, so the $0.25 is not the whole cost.
What a Rs 10,000 foreign payment costs on each card
On a payment worth Rs 10,000 abroad, the card fee is Rs 100 on Zindigi, Rs 400 on a 4% bank card and Rs 600 on SadaPay. A filer then adds Rs 50 of 236Y tax and a non-filer Rs 100. NayaPay's flat $0.25 is smallest on paper.
| Card | Card fee | Plus tax, filer (0.5%) | Plus tax, non-filer (1%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zindigi (1%) | Rs 100 | Rs 150 | Rs 200 |
| Bank card (4%) | Rs 400 | Rs 450 | Rs 500 |
| SadaPay (6%) | Rs 600 | Rs 650 | Rs 700 |
| NayaPay ($0.25) | $0.25 plus FX settlement cost | plus Rs 50 | plus Rs 100 |
These totals are our arithmetic from each schedule. They leave out the exchange rate each card uses, which none of these schedules states as a number. Over a year of a Rs 1,100 Netflix plan, a 6% fee adds about Rs 790 and a 1% fee about Rs 130.
The 236Y tax is 0.5% for filers, but some banks still print 5%
FBR's withholding rate card for tax year 2027 sets the advance tax on card payments abroad at 0.5% for people on the active taxpayer list and 1% for others. Zindigi's schedule shows the same 0.5% and 1%. Meezan's Visa card page still says 5% and 10%.
The FBR card is the authority, so trust 0.5% and 1%. If your statement shows a higher rate, ask your bank in writing which rate it applied and why. The tax on card payments abroad has the full history of the cut.
Your yearly limit of USD 30,000 restarted on 1 November
The State Bank caps card payments abroad at USD 30,000 a person each year, across all your cards. The year starts on 1 November, so the count went back to zero today. Meezan's card page repeats the limit and says cards are for personal use only.
Going over the limit stops international payments on every card until the next reset. The USD 30,000 card limit explains how banks add up your cards.
How to pick the cheapest card for foreign payments
Pick by how much you spend abroad and how often. For one small monthly subscription, a flat fee wins. For larger payments, a low percentage wins. And whatever you use, keep enough balance to avoid failed charges.
- Check that the card is not PayPak and that international use is switched on.
- For a wallet card, make sure your account level allows foreign payments. Zindigi needs Ultra.
- For small regular charges, compare NayaPay's $0.25 against a 1% or 4% fee.
- For large one-off payments, a 1% card saves more than a 4% or 6% card.
- Keep the balance topped up before the charge date, since NayaPay also charges $0.25 on failed payments.
Fees are only half the picture for wallets. Read the SadaPay limits and charges and the NayaPay limits and charges before moving your main spending. To stop surprise foreign charges instead, you can turn off international payments on a debit card.
Common questions
Which Pakistani card has the lowest foreign transaction fee?
On the schedules we read, NayaPay's flat $0.25 is lowest per payment, then Zindigi's 1%. NayaPay also adds an unpublished FX settlement cost.
How much does SadaPay charge on international payments?
SadaPay's July to December 2026 schedule lists Rs 55 plus 6% on payments up to Rs 800, and 6% above Rs 800, including FED.
Do banks in Pakistan charge 4% on foreign card payments?
Meezan, HBL, MCB, UBL and Al Baraka list 4% on their debit cards for payments abroad in their current schedules.
Is Netflix a foreign transaction in Pakistan?
Netflix bills Pakistani members in rupees, but the payment is settled abroad. NayaPay says FX settlement costs apply to international payments priced in rupees too.
What is the tax on international card payments in Pakistan?
FBR's tax year 2027 rate card sets 0.5% for filers and 1% for non-filers under section 236Y.
Can I use a PayPak card for Netflix?
No. PayPak cards work only in Pakistan, at shops and ATMs. Use a Visa or Mastercard debit card instead.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
On 1 November 2026 we read SadaPay's schedule of charges for July to December 2026, NayaPay's schedule for July to December 2026 and its help pages on FX settlement and failed transactions, Zindigi's schedule for October to December 2026, and Meezan Bank's Visa debit card page. HBL, MCB, UBL and Al Baraka figures come from their July to December 2026 schedules as our team read them in September and October 2026. Easypaisa's "Pakistan only" answer is from its FAQ read on 19 October. JazzCash's card fee for foreign payments is not included because its current schedule did not give one we could read. Exchange rates used by each card are not published and are not compared.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
