Prepaid Balance Validity in Pakistan Is Now 180 Days: Check Your Expiry on Jazz, Zong and Ufone
PTA says every prepaid recharge must last 180 days from 1 October 2026. Check expiry on *111#, *222# or *124#, and get expired balance back. Zong's table lags.
Every prepaid recharge in Pakistan must stay valid for at least 180 days since 1 October 2026, under a PTA rule. If your balance expires anyway, it must come back when you recharge again while the SIM is active. Check your balance and expiry on *111# for Jazz, *222# for Zong and *124# for Ufone.
We checked PTA's notice and the Zong and Ufone websites on 4 November 2026, five weeks after the rule started. Zong's website still shows its old validity table, where a Rs 100 card lasts 60 days and a Rs 300 card 90 days. That table no longer matches PTA's minimum. Below is the rule in PTA's words, the codes to check your expiry, and what to do if balance disappears.
PTA's rule: 180 days minimum, and expired balance comes back
PTA announced the rule on 27 August 2026. It set a minimum validity of 180 days "for recharge / balance for all Cellular Mobile Operators" from 1 October 2026. It also said expired balance "shall automatically be reinstated" on your next recharge, during the active life of the SIM.
So two things changed. No recharge can now expire in less than 180 days, whatever its size. And if balance does expire, it is not lost for good. It returns when you load again, as long as the SIM is still active.
| What the rule says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Minimum 180 days validity | A Rs 50 or Rs 100 load should last at least 180 days |
| Applies to all mobile operators | Jazz, Zong and Ufone, including Telenor numbers |
| In force from 1 October 2026 | Recharges made since then are covered |
| Expired balance reinstated | Recharge again and the old balance should return |
| Only during the SIM's active life | A SIM that has been closed for non-use loses this |
Zong's website still shows 30, 60 and 90 day validity
Every page on zong.com.pk carries a "Recharge Validity" table. On 4 November 2026 it still gave validity of 30 days for a load of Rs 50 to Rs 99, 60 days for Rs 100 to Rs 299, and 90 days for Rs 300 to Rs 499. Only loads of Rs 500 and more reached 180 days or longer.
| Zong load amount | Validity on Zong's website | PTA minimum since 1 October |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 50 to Rs 99 | 30 days | 180 days |
| Rs 100 to Rs 299 | 60 days | 180 days |
| Rs 300 to Rs 499 | 90 days | 180 days |
| Rs 500 to Rs 999 | 180 days | 180 days |
| Rs 1,000 to Rs 20,000 | 365 days | 180 days |
A website table is not proof of what Zong's system applies. Zong may have changed the validity on its network and not yet updated the page. That is why the expiry date your own SIM shows matters more than any table. Check it with the codes below.
Check your balance and expiry date on Jazz, Zong and Ufone
Each operator has a short code that shows your balance. The reply also shows the validity or expiry date on most phones. Note the date after your next recharge.
| Network | Balance and expiry code | Other way |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | *111# | Jazz helpline 111 for help |
| Zong | *222# | Call 310, or the My Zong app |
| Ufone | *124# | UPTCL app or My Ufone self care |
Ufone's own complaint page says to dial *124# "to make sure your prepaid account has not expired, or you have enough balance". Zong's payment page gives *222# or 310 for a balance inquiry. For more codes, see our Zong codes list and Ufone balance check guides.
What to do if your balance expired or vanished
Start with the cheap fix, then complain if it does not work. The rule says reinstatement should happen on its own when you recharge. Follow these steps in order.
- Dial your balance code and screenshot the balance and expiry date.
- Recharge any amount, even a small one.
- Dial the balance code again and check if the old balance came back.
- If it did not, call your operator: 111 for Jazz, 310 for Zong, 333 for Ufone.
- Quote PTA's 180 day rule from 1 October 2026, and ask for a complaint number.
- If the operator does not fix it, complain to PTA with that number. PTA's helpline is 0800-55055.
Balance that drains while still valid is a different problem. That is usually a paid service or a package auto-renewing. On Jazz, *7050# shows the last three days of usage, which our guide on why Jazz balance gets deducted explains.
The 180 days protect balance, not an unused SIM
The rule covers your balance, not a SIM you stop using. A SIM with no paid activity for a long time can be made inactive and later given to someone else. Once that happens, the "active life of the SIM" in PTA's rule has ended, and the old balance goes with it.
Keep a SIM alive by making a paid call, sending an SMS or using data every few weeks. Our guide on unused SIMs and the quarantine period covers how long you have. Our news story on the PTA 180 day validity order covers how the rule came about.
Common questions
How many days is mobile balance valid in Pakistan now?
At least 180 days for any recharge, on every network, from 1 October 2026. PTA set this minimum in its press release of 27 August 2026.
Will my expired balance come back?
PTA says expired balance should be reinstated automatically when you recharge again while the SIM is active. If it does not return, complain to your operator, then to PTA.
Why does Zong's website still say 60 days for a Rs 100 card?
Zong's validity table had not been updated when we checked on 4 November 2026. Check the expiry date on your own SIM with *222#, and complain if it is under 180 days.
How do I check my Ufone balance expiry?
Dial *124#. Ufone says this shows whether your prepaid account has expired and how much balance you have.
Does the 180 day rule apply to packages and bundles?
PTA's release speaks of "recharge / balance", not bundles. A weekly or monthly bundle still ends on its own date. Ask your operator about any bundle.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 4 November 2026. The 180 day minimum, the 1 October 2026 start and the reinstatement rule are from PTA's press release "PTA Sets Minimum 180-Days Validity for Pre Paid Mobile Balance", dated 27 August 2026. Zong's validity table appears on every zong.com.pk page, including its FAQs page, and *222# is from its payment methods page. Ufone's *124# is from its complaint page. Jazz's *111# is from Jazz's self service code list, read on 24 October 2026; Jazz's site showed a browser check to us on 4 November. We did not let a balance expire to test reinstatement.
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.
