Credit Card Charges in Pakistan — Jan to Jun 2026
Remember when getting a credit card in Pakistan felt like the bank was doing you a personal favour?
For many Pakistanis, especially before debit cards became properly useful for online payments, a credit card was not about shopping. It was about access.
Hosting, domains, digital ads, software subscriptions, international travel bookings, and online tools often needed a credit card. Before COVID, many debit cards either did not work properly for international or eCommerce payments, or worked so inconsistently that you could not rely on them. If you were trying to buy a domain, run ads, or pay for a SaaS tool, you were usually stuck. Either you knew someone abroad with a card, or you found some jugaar through a freelancing platform.
Corporate employees were a bit luckier. Banks would sometimes approve a credit card on a salary slip. And when that card arrived, it genuinely felt like a win. The bank trusted you. You had credit. You could finally pay for things online without asking anyone.
The pitch was simple too: use it, pay the full amount before the due date, and you pay zero interest. Which is true. That part is completely true.
What nobody tells you — and what most of us only find out after the first confusing statement — is the rest of it. The annual fee. The late payment charge that hits if you miss by even one day. The cash advance fee that nobody explains until you’ve already used it. The foreign transaction percentage that quietly adds up on every international subscription you have.
Banks call all of this the Schedule of Charges. It is a public document. Every bank publishes it. Most people never open it.
This article is based on Schedule of Charges documents from ten major Pakistani banks for January to June 2026. The goal is simple: put the actual numbers in one place so you know what you signed up for.
Credit Cards in Pakistan: Pros and Cons
Before comparing charges across banks, it helps to be honest about what a credit card actually is and is not in Pakistan.
Pros:
- Zero interest if you pay in full. Pay the complete outstanding amount before the due date every month and you will not pay a single rupee in service charges. This is genuinely useful.
- International and eCommerce payments. This was the original reason most Pakistanis wanted a credit card. Hosting, domains, Google or Meta ads, SaaS tools, Amazon, Netflix, international flights — a credit card makes all of this straightforward.
- Emergency buffer. A short-term emergency can be managed without taking a loan or borrowing from someone. As long as you can clear it by the due date, the cost is zero.
- Supplementary card for family. Most banks let you add a supplementary card for a spouse or dependent at a lower annual fee.
- Rewards, cashback, and lounge access. Platinum and above cards from most banks include airport lounge access, fuel discounts, or cashback on certain categories. Useful if the annual fee is reasonable relative to how much you spend.
Cons:
- Annual fee regardless of usage. Whether you use the card or not, the annual fee is charged. Some banks waive it based on spending thresholds — but that condition is in the fine print, not the welcome letter.
- Missing one payment is expensive. Late payment fees range from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,500 across banks, on top of service charges that start immediately.
- Minimum payment is a trap. Paying only the minimum due feels like you are staying current. You are not. The remaining balance attracts service charges of 42% to 46% APR. That compounds fast.
- Cash advance costs double. Banks charge both a transaction fee upfront and service charges from the withdrawal date. It is not like using your own ATM card. Not even close.
- Foreign transaction charges are invisible until the statement. Most banks charge 4% to 6% on international transactions. You book a flight for USD 200 and get billed for an extra Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,500 on top.
- Overspending is easy. Credit feels like money. It is not. It is borrowed money with a deadline.
Bank AL Habib Credit Card Charges
Bank AL Habib offers two credit card variants: Green and Gold. The fee structure is simple compared to most banks here. The APR at 25% is the lowest in this entire comparison, which matters if you ever carry a balance.
Annual fees:
- Green Card primary: Rs. 4,500
- Gold Card primary: Rs. 6,500
- Green Card supplementary: Rs. 2,000
- Gold Card supplementary: Rs. 3,000
Other charges:
- APR: 25% p.a.
- Late payment fee: Rs. 2,200 or 10% of minimum payment due, whichever is higher
- Cash advance fee: 3% or Rs. 1,000, whichever is higher
- International retail and eCommerce transactions: 4.50% of transaction amount
Bank Alfalah Credit Card Charges
Bank Alfalah has one of the wider card ranges in the market. Visa Classic, Gold, Platinum, Signature, AMEX Gold, Optimus MasterCard, and Visa Ultra Cash Back. Annual fees vary a lot across variants, so make sure you know which card you are actually applying for.
Annual fees:
- Signature Card basic: Rs. 30,000
- Signature Card supplementary: Rs. 15,000
- Platinum Card basic: Rs. 23,000
- Platinum Card supplementary: Rs. 11,500
- Optimus MasterCard basic: Rs. 16,000
- Optimus MasterCard supplementary: Rs. 8,000
- AMEX Gold basic: Rs. 13,000
- AMEX Gold supplementary: Rs. 6,500
- Gold Card basic: Rs. 13,000
- Gold Card supplementary: Rs. 6,500
- Visa Ultra Cash Back issuance fee: Rs. 10,000
- Visa Ultra Cash Back annual fee: Rs. 10,000
- Visa Ultra Cash Back supplementary: Rs. 5,000
- Visa Classic basic: Rs. 7,000
- Visa Classic supplementary: Rs. 3,500
Finance charges:
- Visa Classic: 3.83% per month, 46% APR on cash advance and retail
- All other cards: 3.75% per month, 45% APR on cash advance and retail
Other charges:
- Late fee: Rs. 2,500 flat
- Cash advance / Call & Pay fee: up to 5% of amount or Rs. 1,500, whichever is higher
- Over-limit fee: 2% of over-limit amount or Rs. 1,600, whichever is higher
- Card replacement fee (except Platinum, Optimus, Signature): Rs. 1,200
- Card replacement fee (Platinum, Optimus MasterCard, Signature): Rs. 2,000
- Foreign transactions: 4.5% or Rs. 100, whichever is higher
- Cheque return / auto debit failure: Rs. 1,200 per instance
- Duplicate statement: Rs. 300
- Utility bill payment below Rs. 5,000: Rs. 50 per bill
- Utility bill payment above Rs. 5,000: Rs. 65 per bill
Allied Bank Credit Card Charges
Allied Bank’s Visa credit card comes in Gold and Platinum. No joining fee. The APR at 34% sits on the lower end for retail, and the late payment fee at Rs. 1,500 is also one of the lowest here.
Annual fees:
- Gold basic: Rs. 3,000
- Platinum basic: Rs. 6,000
- Gold supplementary: Rs. 750
- Platinum supplementary: Rs. 1,500
Finance charges:
- Retail cash and PO/DD/ABC: 2.83% per month, 34% APR
- Balance Transfer Facility and Allied Easy Instalments: 2.0% per month, 24% APR
Other charges:
- Late payment fee: Rs. 1,500 per instance
- Cash advance fee: Rs. 500 or 3% of cash amount, whichever is higher, plus acquiring bank charges and withholding tax on daily transactions exceeding Rs. 50,000
- Card replacement fee: Rs. 625
- Foreign currency transactions: up to 4% over prevailing interbank or open market rate on settlement date
- Dynamic currency conversion: up to 4% over prevailing interbank or open market rate
- Balance transfer processing fee: Rs. 500
- Cheque return / auto debit failure: Rs. 1,200 per instance
- Duplicate statement: Rs. 300
- Priority Pass annual fee: no charge
- Priority Pass per visit: at actual
- Priority Pass replacement card: Rs. 750
Askari Bank Credit Card Charges
Askari Bank offers MasterCard variants including Classic, Gold, Platinum, World, Corporate, Awami, and PIA Co-Brand cards. Worth knowing: a 70% annual fee waiver applies if you spend 50% of your total limit within 3 months of issuance or renewal, where applicable.
Annual fees:
- World basic: Rs. 23,000
- Platinum basic: Rs. 19,500
- Gold basic: Rs. 11,000
- Classic basic: Rs. 5,000
- Corporate basic: Rs. 4,800
- Awami basic: Rs. 2,300 (existing portfolio only)
- World supplementary: Rs. 12,500
- Platinum supplementary: Rs. 10,000
- Gold supplementary: Rs. 5,500
- Classic supplementary: Rs. 2,500
- Awami supplementary: Rs. 1,200 (existing portfolio only)
PIA Co-Brand annual fees:
- Platinum basic: Rs. 10,000 / supplementary: Rs. 6,000
- Gold basic: Rs. 8,000 / supplementary: Rs. 4,000
- Classic basic: Rs. 5,000 / supplementary: Rs. 2,500
Finance charges:
- Classic, Gold, Platinum, Corporate: up to 3.5% per month, 42% APR
- World and Awami: 3.7% per month, 44.40% APR
- Cash advance service charges: 3.30% per month, 39.60% APR
- FCP service charges: 2% per month, 24% APR
- EPP / CFC / BTF: 2 to 3% per month, 24 to 36% APR
Other charges:
- Late payment fee: Rs. 2,200 per instance
- Cash advance fee: Rs. 1,500 or 3.5%, whichever is higher
- Classic replacement fee: Rs. 900
- Gold replacement fee: Rs. 1,100
- Platinum replacement fee: Rs. 1,300
- World replacement fee: Rs. 1,500
- Corporate replacement fee: Rs. 1,100
- Foreign currency / DCC charges: 4.75% of transaction amount
- Chip maintenance fee: basic Rs. 1,000, supplementary Rs. 600
- Cheque return charges: Rs. 1,500 per cheque
- Direct debit rejection fee: Rs. 1,100
- Card conversion / upgrade fee: Rs. 1,200
- Credit cover premium: 0.48% of outstanding balance
- 1-Bill / utility bill payment: Rs. 60 per payment
- Top-up / limit enhancement fee: Rs. 1,200
Bank of Punjab Credit Card Charges
BOP covers a wide range. Mastercard World, Platinum, Gold, Lahore Qalandar co-branded cards, executive business cards, a corporate card, and the Green Credit Card which has no annual fee.
Annual fees:
- Mastercard World basic: Rs. 25,000 / supplementary: Rs. 12,500
- Mastercard Executive Business basic: Rs. 12,500 / supplementary: Rs. 6,250
- Lahore Qalandar Executive Business basic: Rs. 12,500 / supplementary: Rs. 6,250
- Mastercard Platinum basic: Rs. 12,500 / supplementary: Rs. 6,250
- Mastercard Gold basic: Rs. 6,250 / supplementary: Rs. 3,125
- Mastercard Business Credit Card basic: Rs. 5,000 / supplementary: Rs. 2,500
- Lahore Qalandar Business Credit Card basic: Rs. 5,000 / supplementary: Rs. 2,500
- BOP Corporate Credit Card: Rs. 24,500
- BOP Green Credit Card basic / supplementary: Free (non-usage fee of Rs. 500 + FED/PST per quarter applies)
Finance charges:
- Retail and cash advance: 3.50% per month, 42% APR
- Balance Transfer Facility: 2.08% per month, 25% APR
Other charges:
- Late payment fee: Rs. 1,850
- Over-limit fee: Rs. 1,600
- Cash advance fee: 3% of transaction or Rs. 1,200, whichever is higher
- Card replacement fee: Rs. 1,200
- Foreign transactions: up to 5% over prevailing market rate or as per SBP directives
- Return cheque fee: Rs. 1,200
- Direct debit rejection fee: Rs. 1,200
- Credit Cover Shield premium: up to 0.65% of outstanding amount
- Lounge access: free for Platinum and World cardholders; USD 32 per guest visit
- Other bank credit card bill payment via BOP card: 2% of transaction amount
- Green Credit Card non-usage fee: Rs. 500 + FED/PST per quarter
HBL Credit Card Charges
HBL has three main credit card tiers — Green, Gold, Platinum — plus the Fuel Saver cards which run on a monthly fee instead of an annual one. If you are comparing total annual cost, multiply the monthly fee by 12.
Annual fees:
- Platinum basic: Rs. 22,000 / supplementary: Rs. 11,000
- Gold basic: Rs. 14,000 / supplementary: Rs. 7,000
- Green basic: Rs. 6,500 / supplementary: Rs. 3,250
Fuel Saver monthly fees (instead of annual fee):
- Fuel Saver Gold basic: Rs. 700 per month / supplementary: Rs. 350 per month
- Fuel Saver Green basic: Rs. 350 per month / supplementary: Rs. 175 per month
Finance charges:
- Retail service charges: maximum 42% per annum
- Cash advance: 42% per annum
- Balance Transfer Facility: 24% per annum
- HBL Installment Plan: 24% per annum
Other charges:
- Late fee: Rs. 2,500 per month
- Cash advance issuance fee: Rs. 1,200 or 3% of withdrawn amount, whichever is higher
- BTF processing fee: Rs. 600 or 3% of transferred amount, whichever is higher
- HIP processing fee: Rs. 1,200 per installment plan
- Card replacement fee: Rs. 1,200 per card
- Foreign transaction charges: 4% of transaction amount
- Early payment charges on installment plan: 6% of remaining principal balance
- Arbitration charges: USD 500 or equivalent
- Card conversion fee: Rs. 600 per card
- Returned cheque charges: Rs. 1,200 per cheque
- Voucher retrieval fee: Rs. 1,000 per transaction
- SMS alerts: free
JS Bank Credit Card Charges
JS Bank’s Visa credit card has a spend-to-save structure. Use the card heavily in the first month and the annual fee drops significantly. The Signature card goes from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 7,700 if you spend Rs. 150,000 within one month of activation. The retail APR at 49.99% is the highest in this comparison.
Annual fees:
- Signature basic: Rs. 20,000 (reduced to Rs. 7,700 on Rs. 150,000 spend within 1 month)
- Platinum basic: Rs. 15,000 (reduced to Rs. 3,100 on Rs. 100,000 spend within 1 month)
- Gold basic: Rs. 8,500 (reduced to Rs. 1,800 on Rs. 50,000 spend within 1 month)
- Classic basic: Rs. 5,000 (reduced to Rs. 1,200 on Rs. 25,000 spend within 1 month)
- Signature supplementary: Rs. 8,000 (reduced to Rs. 7,200 on Rs. 150,000 spend)
- Platinum supplementary: Rs. 6,500 (reduced to Rs. 2,700 on Rs. 100,000 spend)
- Gold supplementary: Rs. 3,500 (reduced to Rs. 1,500 on Rs. 50,000 spend)
- Classic supplementary: Rs. 2,000 (reduced to Rs. 1,000 on Rs. 25,000 spend)
Finance charges:
- Retail: 49.99% APR, 4.16% per month
- Cash advance: 48% APR, 4% per month
- Balance Transfer / Cash on Call: 36% APR, 3% per month
- Card Instalment Plan: 32 to 36% depending on tenure
- Cash on Instalment: 40 to 44% depending on tenure
Other charges:
- Late payment fee: Rs. 2,400 or 10% of minimum amount, whichever is higher
- Over-limit fee: Rs. 1,500
- Cash advance fee: 3.5% or Rs. 1,800, whichever is higher
- Classic replacement fee: Rs. 1,200
- Gold replacement fee: Rs. 1,500
- Platinum replacement fee: Rs. 2,000
- Signature replacement fee: Rs. 4,000
- International ATM / POS: Rs. 450 or 5% of transaction amount, whichever is higher
- Return cheque: Rs. 1,400
- Credit Protector: 0.58% of monthly outstanding amount
- Chip maintenance annual fee: Rs. 1,150
- Autopay rejection fee: Rs. 2,000
- SMS alerts: Rs. 100 per month
JS Corporate Charge Card:
- Annual fee: Rs. 1,200
- Late payment fee: Rs. 2,000
- International ATM / POS: 4.50% of transaction amount
- Card replacement fee: Rs. 600
- Over-limit fee: nil
MCB Credit Card Charges
MCB offers Visa credit cards in Classic, Gold, and Platinum. The retail APR is 44%. One important detail: the cash advance service charge starts from the date of the transaction, not the statement due date. That is different from retail purchases.
Annual fees:
- Platinum basic: Rs. 22,000 / supplementary: Rs. 11,000
- Gold basic: Rs. 14,000 / supplementary: Rs. 7,000
- Classic basic: Rs. 7,000 / supplementary: Rs. 3,500
- Card issuance fee: free
Finance charges:
- Retail transactions: 3.67% per month, 44% APR if full payment not received by due date
- Cash advance without instalment: 3.67% per month, 44% APR from date of transaction
- Cash advance with instalment: 3.25% per month, 39% APR
- I-Switch Balance Transfer with instalment: 2.25% per month, 27% APR
- Balance Transfer without instalment via MCB Live: 3.67% per month, 44% APR
Other charges:
- Late payment fee: Rs. 2,300 if minimum payment not received by due date
- Excess over-limit fee: Rs. 1,500 per instance
- Gold and Classic replacement fee: Rs. 1,200
- Platinum replacement fee: Rs. 2,400
- Cash advance processing fee (without instalment): Rs. 1,200 or 3%, whichever is higher
- Cash advance processing fee (with instalment): Rs. 1,000 or 3%, whichever is higher
- Foreign transaction charges: Rs. 100 or 4%, whichever is higher
- Cheque return charges: Rs. 800
- Arbitration charges: USD 600 or equivalent
- Priority Pass per visit fee: USD 35
- Utility / telco bill payment: Rs. 10 or 1.5% per transaction, whichever is higher
Standard Chartered Credit Card Charges
Standard Chartered offers Mastercard Titanium, Cashback, Platinum, World, World Elite, Easy Credit, and a Corporate Credit Card. The World Elite carries the highest annual fee in this comparison. The foreign transaction spread at up to 6% is also among the highest.
Annual fees:
- Mastercard World Elite basic: Rs. 30,000 / supplementary: Rs. 15,000
- Mastercard World basic: Rs. 26,000 / supplementary: Rs. 9,000
- Mastercard Platinum basic: Rs. 19,000 / supplementary: Rs. 7,500
- Mastercard Titanium basic: Rs. 14,000 / supplementary: Rs. 7,000
- Mastercard Cashback basic: Rs. 13,000 / supplementary: Rs. 3,500
- Mastercard Easy Credit: Rs. 7,500 flat / supplementary: Rs. 1,000
- Corporate Credit Card: waived
Finance charges:
- Retail and cash: up to 46% APR
- Corporate credit card: 46% APR
- Asaan Instalment Plan / Balance Transfer: up to 42% APR
- Easy Credit: up to 42% APR
Other charges:
- Late fee: Rs. 2,000 or 10% of minimum amount due, whichever is higher
- Cash advance fee: Rs. 1,000 or 3% of transaction amount, whichever is higher, plus acquiring bank charges
- Card replacement fee: Rs. 1,000 per card
- Foreign transaction spread: Re. 1 per USD plus up to 6% of transaction amount
- QR payment foreign transaction spread: up to 6% of transaction amount
- Asaan Instalment Plan booking charges: 3% of transaction amount
- Asaan Instalment Plan prepayment fee: Rs. 1,000 or 5% of remaining balance, whichever is higher
- Credit Protector: 0.35% of outstanding amount per month
- Direct debit failure fee: Rs. 1,000 per instance
- Cheque return charges: Rs. 1,000 per instance
- Card conversion fee: Rs. 1,000 per card
- Arbitration charges: USD 500 or equivalent
UBL Credit Card Charges
UBL runs four Visa tiers. The bank also carries Mastercard variants for former Silkbank customers at lower annual fees.
Annual fees — Visa:
- Signature basic: Rs. 30,000 / supplementary: Rs. 15,000
- Platinum basic: Rs. 20,000 / supplementary: Rs. 10,000
- Gold basic: Rs. 12,000 / supplementary: Rs. 6,000
- Classic basic: Rs. 6,000 / supplementary: Rs. 3,000
Annual fees — Mastercard (former Silkbank customers):
- Platinum basic: Rs. 18,000 / supplementary: Rs. 9,000
- Titanium basic: Rs. 14,000 / supplementary: Rs. 7,000
- Gold basic: Rs. 8,000 / supplementary: Rs. 4,000
- Standard basic: Rs. 3,500 / supplementary: Rs. 1,750
Finance charges:
- Retail and cash advance: 44% APR
- Balance Transfer Facility: up to 28% APR
- Lite Instalment Plan: 29% APR
- Cash on Phone: 35% APR
Other charges:
- Late payment fee: Rs. 2,000
- Excess over-limit fee: Rs. 1,600
- Cash advance issuance fee: Rs. 1,200 or 3%, whichever is higher
- Card replacement fee: Rs. 1,200
- Card conversion / upgrade fee: Rs. 900
- Foreign transaction charges: 4.5% of transaction amount or Rs. 100, whichever is higher
- Return cheque charges: Rs. 1,000
- Arbitration charges: USD 500 or equivalent
- Minimum monthly payment: 5% of outstanding balance or Rs. 500, whichever is higher
- Credit Cover Premium: 0.55% of outstanding balance
- Utility bill payment: free
- SMS alerts: free
- Gym visit fee: Rs. 2,000 plus FED per visit above complimentary visits
Verdict: Which Bank Has the Lowest Charges?
There is no single winner because the cheapest card depends on how you use it. But here is an honest breakdown by category.
Lowest annual fee (entry-level card): Allied Bank Gold at Rs. 3,000 is the lowest among traditional credit cards. BOP Green Credit Card has no annual fee at all, though it charges Rs. 500 per quarter if you do not use it.
Lowest APR: Bank AL Habib at 25% p.a. is significantly lower than every other bank here. The next closest is Allied Bank at 34%. If there is any chance you will carry a balance, this difference is substantial.
Lowest late payment fee: Allied Bank at Rs. 1,500. Most other banks are at Rs. 1,850 to Rs. 2,500.
Lowest foreign transaction charge: Bank AL Habib and Allied Bank both charge around 4%, which is on the lower end. Standard Chartered goes up to 6%, which matters if you make frequent international payments.
Lowest cash advance fee: Allied Bank charges Rs. 500 or 3%, which is lower than most. But cash advance is expensive at every bank once you factor in service charges on top.
Overall, for someone who wants a low-cost card: Bank AL Habib and Allied Bank both come out well across most categories. Bank AL Habib wins on APR by a wide margin. Allied Bank wins on annual fee for the entry-level card.
For salaried corporate employees who pay their full bill every month, the annual fee and foreign transaction charge matter most. At that point, Allied Bank Gold at Rs. 3,000 a year with a 4% foreign transaction rate is hard to beat at the entry level.
All charges above are based on published Schedule of Charges documents for January to June 2026. Always confirm current rates with the bank before applying.
If you are getting your first credit card, or recently got one, read our guide on how to use a credit card safely in Pakistan before your first billing cycle closes.
