Phone on Instalments in Pakistan: iPhone, Samsung and Infinix Plans Compared
iPhone 18 Pro from Rs 94,167 a month at 0% for 6 months. We compared card plans at 6 banks, Daraz and QistBazaar for monthly cost, fees and the real rate.
The cheapest way to buy a phone on instalments in Pakistan is a short 0% card plan with no fee: an iPhone 18 Pro 256GB on a Bank Alfalah card costs Rs 94,167 a month for 6 months and exactly Rs 565,000 in total. Stretch it to 12 months and a 12% fee adds Rs 67,800.
We read the current instalment flyers and schedules of charges at six banks, plus the Daraz and QistBazaar terms, on 6 October 2026. Figures marked "our calculation" are our own arithmetic on the published rates.
Phone instalment costs for three phones, side by side
Short plans of 3 to 6 months can be truly free. Plans of 12 months or more cost Rs 16,000 extra on a budget phone and over Rs 400,000 extra on an iPhone at 36 months. The prices below are Bank Alfalah's own instalment prices, not the brands' store prices.
iPhone 18 Pro 256GB (Rs 565,000)
| Bank Alfalah card plan | Monthly | Processing fee | Total paid | Extra over price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | Rs 188,333 | 0% | Rs 565,000 | Rs 0 |
| 6 months | Rs 94,167 | 0% | Rs 565,000 | Rs 0 |
| 12 months | Rs 47,083 | 12%, Rs 67,800 | Rs 632,796 | Rs 67,796 |
| 24 months | Rs 34,620 | 2.5%, Rs 14,125 | Rs 845,005 | Rs 280,005 |
| 36 months | Rs 26,837 | 2.5%, Rs 14,125 | Rs 980,257 | Rs 415,257 |
The monthly figures come from Bank Alfalah's iPhone 18 flyer dated 25 September 2026. Our calculation for the totals: monthly × months, plus the fee as a percentage of Rs 565,000. The 9 month plan is Rs 62,778 a month with a 5% fee of Rs 28,250.
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE 8/256 (Rs 250,000)
Bank Alfalah's Samsung flyer of 21 September 2026 charges no markup for 3, 6 or 9 months. Only the 3 month plan has no fee: Rs 83,333 a month. At 6 months it is Rs 41,667 with a 2.5% fee of Rs 6,250. At 9 months it is Rs 27,778 with an 8% fee of Rs 20,000. The 12 month plan is Rs 25,711 a month, Rs 308,532 in total plus Rs 6,250, so Rs 64,782 more than the price.
Infinix Hot 60i 6/128 (Rs 61,999)
On Bank Alfalah's Infinix flyer of 3 September 2026, the 12 month plan is Rs 6,376 a month. That is Rs 76,512 in total, plus a 2.5% fee of Rs 1,550, or Rs 16,063 more than the price. A 6 month plan with no markup costs Rs 10,333 a month plus the same Rs 1,550 fee (our calculation: Rs 61,999 ÷ 6).
A 0% phone plan can cost more than a loan
Zero markup does not mean zero cost. Bank Alfalah's 12 month iPhone plan has no markup but a 12% fee. Spread over a year, that is about 24% a year, close to what HBL charges as interest on the same amount.
Our calculation: 12 payments of Rs 47,083 repay Rs 565,000, but you also pay Rs 67,800 on day one. Solving for the rate, that comes to about 24.3% a year. HBL's schedule of charges lists 24% a year on the outstanding instalment amount. On Rs 565,000 over 12 months, that is Rs 53,426 a month and Rs 76,114 in markup (our calculation, reducing balance), before HBL's processing fee, which we could not read clearly in its PDF.
So compare the total, not the word "0%". Ask for the fee in rupees, and whether FED (federal excise duty) is added. The Samsung and Infinix flyers say "plus FED"; the iPhone flyer is silent.
Card instalment rates at six banks
Published card instalment rates run from 24% a year at HBL to as much as 46% at Standard Chartered. For a Rs 250,000 phone over 12 months, that means about Rs 23,600 to Rs 26,400 a month before fees.
| Bank and plan | Published rate | Fee | S26 FE, 12 months (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HBL Installment Plan | 24% a year on outstanding | Listed, amount not readable | Rs 23,640 a month |
| UBL Lite Installment Plan | 29% a year | Not read | Rs 24,249 a month |
| Askari Extended Payment Plan | 3% a month (36% a year) | Rs 1,500 or 3.75%, whichever higher | Rs 25,116 + Rs 9,375 fee |
| MCB i-plan | 3.25% a month (39% a year) | Rs 1,200 or 3%, whichever higher | Rs 25,492 + Rs 7,500 fee |
| Standard Chartered Asaan Instalment | Up to the card rate, 46% | Booking charge up to 20% | Up to Rs 26,381 |
| Bank Alfalah SBS | Not stated, about 23.4% flat | 2.5% + FED | Rs 25,711 + Rs 6,250 fee |
Our calculation uses the reducing balance formula, monthly = P × r ÷ (1 - (1 + r)-12), with r as the yearly rate divided by 12. Only HBL says its rate is on the outstanding amount. UBL and Askari do not say flat or reducing. If they are flat, the UBL monthly would be Rs 26,875 and the Askari one Rs 28,333 (our calculation: Rs 250,000 × 1.29 ÷ 12, and × 1.36 ÷ 12). Alfalah prints no rate, so we worked it back from its own table: Rs 308,532 on Rs 250,000 is 23.4% in one year, which is about 40.7% a year on a reducing basis.
Your card limit must cover the full price, a rule that applies to all credit card instalment plans in Pakistan. The State Bank also caps your total monthly loan payments at 40% of your net income, and the card counts towards that.
Daraz EMI and QistBazaar publish less than banks
Daraz runs card instalments through partner banks, and its terms show 0% at MCB and Standard Chartered with a fee. QistBazaar shows only an advance and a monthly amount, with no cash price and no rate.
- Daraz EMI. Its terms page lists MCB at 0% for 3, 6 and 12 months with a 2.5% fee, and Standard Chartered at 0% with fees of 0%, 2.5% and 7%. Bank Alfalah is listed at 22% for 12 months, a flat total. The page still uses 2019 examples, so check at checkout.
- QistBazaar. A Samsung Galaxy A07 6/128 is Rs 8,900 in advance and 12 payments of Rs 7,350, Rs 97,100 in all. With no cash price shown, compare that total with a shop's price before you sign.
We could not read Jazz's current phone plans, and Ufone's page still listed 2023 phones, so neither is compared. The wider buy now pay later market, including wallet credit, works on the same rule: get the total in writing.
PTA tax and loan apps are the two traps
A phone bought from abroad or from an unofficial seller may still owe PTA tax, which no instalment plan covers. And a loan app that is not licensed by the SECP can charge far more than any bank.
Bank Alfalah's flyer says its iPhones are taxes paid and PTA approved. A non-PTA phone is different: you pay the tax yourself, and the iPhone 18 Pro PTA tax alone is a large sum. The Finance Act 2026 allows the tax to be paid in PTA tax instalments, but that option was not live on DIRBS when we last checked on 17 September 2026. Work out the amount with a PTA tax calculation before you pay a seller.
Before taking money from any app, check the lending app is SECP licensed. The SECP has announced price caps on digital loans, but we could not open its website to confirm the figures, so we do not quote them here.
Which phone instalment plan suits you
If you can pay within 3 to 6 months, use a card plan with no fee. If you need a year, pick the lower total of fee or markup. Without a credit card, a marketplace plan is the main option.
- Bank Alfalah card holder. Take the 3 or 6 month plan on an iPhone, which has no fee. On a Samsung only the 3 month plan is free. The 12 month iPhone plan's 12% fee is the most expensive "0%" we found.
- HBL card holder who needs 12 months. HBL's 24% on the outstanding balance is the lowest published card rate we read.
- MCB or Standard Chartered card holder. Check Daraz first. Its terms list 0% plans for these cards with a fee of 2.5% to 7%.
- No credit card. QistBazaar or a shop plan. Ask for the cash price and the total.
- Buying a bike as well? The same card plans cover motorcycles, and bike instalment plans from Meezan and Suzuki are often cheaper.
Try it on your own numbers: use our Phone Instalment Calculator to run these plans on your own phone price and tenure.
Common questions
Which bank gives an iPhone on 0% instalments in Pakistan?
Bank Alfalah's card plan for the iPhone 18 series has no markup and no fee at 3 and 6 months. At 9 and 12 months there is no markup but a 5% or 12% fee.
What is the monthly instalment of the iPhone 18 Pro?
On a Bank Alfalah card, Rs 94,167 for 6 months, Rs 47,083 for 12 months or Rs 26,837 for 36 months for the 256GB model.
Can I buy a phone on instalments without a credit card?
Yes, through a marketplace such as QistBazaar, which takes an advance and monthly payments. It does not publish a rate or cash price.
Is a phone on instalments PTA approved?
Bank Alfalah's iPhone flyer says its phones are taxes paid and PTA approved. With any other seller, check the IMEI on DIRBS before you pay.
Do card instalments affect my credit record?
Yes. A card instalment is credit from your bank, so missed payments can hurt your credit record. It also counts towards your 40% debt limit.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 6 October 2026. We read Bank Alfalah's iPhone 18, Samsung and Infinix instalment flyers; the schedules of charges of HBL and Standard Chartered for the second half of 2026; MCB's credit card summary box for July to December 2026; UBL's credit card FAQ; Askari Bank's extended payment plan page; and the Daraz and QistBazaar terms.
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.
