What PTA Charges for a UAN, Toll-Free or Short Code Number in Pakistan: Rs 1,000 to Apply, Rs 10,000 a Year
PTA's 2025 numbering fees: Rs 1,000 to apply, Rs 10,000 a year for a UAN, toll-free number, USSD or short code, and Rs 1 for ordinary numbers. See the table.
Short answer: PTA charges Rs 1,000 as the application processing fee for a number allocation, and Rs 1,000 again for any change to an existing number. A UAN, toll-free number, USSD code or short code costs Rs 10,000 a year, paid in advance. Mobile and landline numbers cost Rs 1 a year.
A pharmacy chain in Lahore wants one number that customers can call from any city. A bank wants a short code for SMS alerts. Both are number allocations, and PTA sets the fee for each one in a table that is easy to miss.
We read the fee table on PTA's regulations page. It is the Number Allocation and Administration (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, notified as S.R.O. 386(I)/2025 in the Gazette of 21 March 2025. It is a scanned file, so we read all three pages as images. The text below follows that notification.
The application costs Rs 1,000, and so does a change
An applicant must submit the application form with a processing fee of Rs 1,000, or another amount PTA sets later. The fee is paid by pay order, online payment or bank draft in favour of PTA's designated account.
A processing fee of Rs 1,000 is also charged for any change in existing numbers. So moving a number or changing its details is not free, even when the annual fee is already paid.
The regulation says the amount may be changed by PTA "from time to time". Check the current figure with PTA before you pay. We read the 2025 notification, and we did not find a later one.
Annual fees by number type
Ordinary geographic numbers, which are fixed line numbers, and mobile numbers cost Rs 1 each a year. Special business numbers such as UAN, toll-free numbers, USSD and short codes cost Rs 10,000 each a year.
A UAN is a universal access number, the kind of number a company publishes so that one number reaches it from any city. A toll-free number lets callers reach you at no charge to them. A USSD code is the kind you dial with a star and a hash, such as *123#. A short code is a short number used for SMS services.
An ordinary mobile number comes with a SIM, so a subscriber never deals with this table, as in how to buy a new Jazz SIM.
Three other categories carry the same Rs 10,000 fee: UIN, PRS and network codes such as MNC and NDC. We did not find a plain definition of every one of these in the notification, so we leave them out of the plain English steps.
| Number type | Annual fee | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic (fixed line) number | Rs 1 | An ordinary landline number |
| Mobile number | Rs 1 | An ordinary mobile number |
| UAN | Rs 10,000 | One number that reaches a company from any city |
| TFN | Rs 10,000 | Toll-free number, free for the caller |
| USSD | Rs 10,000 | A dial code with a star and a hash |
| Short code | Rs 10,000 | A short number for SMS services |
| One digit extension | Rs 10,000 per number | Extension number of one digit |
| Two digit extension | Rs 2,000 per number | Extension number of two digits |
| Three digit extension | Rs 1,000 per number | Extension number of three digits |
When the fee is due and how demand notes arrive
The annual fee is paid in advance at the time of application. If an allocation is for less than a year, the charge is payable as in the table, with no part-year discount stated.
PTA says demand notes for the deposit of payment for numbering resources are issued in the first week of April, May and June. Fees already paid for UANs, UINs and TFNs before the regulations came in stay valid for that year's allocation period. The licensee pays the new charges from the next year.
The regulation also changed how mobile numbers are allocated. They are now allocated to cellular mobile licensees for the area of their licence, and numbers once allocated by district are treated as allocated for the licence area. This is the operator's matter, and it does not change what you pay as a subscriber.
How a business should approach this
The regulation says numbers are allocated to licensees. We did not find a route for an ordinary business to apply to PTA directly. That is our reading. A business would normally ask its telecom provider for a UAN or a short code, and the provider deals with PTA.
Before you ask for a quote, work out what you need and what it costs per year. Then ask the provider what it adds on top of PTA's fee.
- Decide the number type: UAN, toll-free, USSD or short code.
- Ask your provider whether it applies to PTA on your behalf and what it charges.
- Budget Rs 1,000 for the application and Rs 10,000 a year per number.
- Keep the receipt and the allocation letter for each year.
- Plan a Rs 1,000 charge for any later change.
If you are a customer who wants to call such numbers free, see how to call 0800 toll-free numbers free from a mobile. To check a caller using a PTA name, see the spoofed PTA call warning.
Common questions
How much does PTA charge to apply for a number?
Rs 1,000 as the application processing fee, or any other amount PTA sets later. The same Rs 1,000 applies to any change in existing numbers.
What does a UAN cost each year?
Rs 10,000 a year, paid in advance. A toll-free number, a USSD code and a short code carry the same fee.
What does an ordinary mobile number cost?
Rs 1 a year per number in PTA's fee table. We read it as a fee on whoever holds the allocation. That is our reading of the text, not a stated rule for subscribers.
Can a small business apply directly?
The regulation speaks of allocation to licensees. We found no direct route for ordinary businesses, so ask your telecom provider first.
When does PTA send demand notes?
It says demand notes are issued in the first week of April, May and June, for the allocation of numbering resources.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Number Allocation and Administration (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 on PTA's regulations page. We could not confirm the application form, who may apply, current processing times or whether PTA has changed the fees since March 2025. Plain meanings of UAN, USSD and short code are general terms, not quotes from the notification.
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.
