Eid-ul-Azha 2026: SBP says Go Cashless campaign saw Rs34bn in digital transactions

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Friday its Go Cashless campaign for Eid-ul-Azha 2026 stood successful as more than 480,000 transactions valuing over Rs34 billion had been conducted using digital channels and instruments.

The central bank said there was a significant increase in both the volume and value of digital transactions.

“Compared to 2025, the number of transactions recorded under the campaign increased more than sevenfold, rising from approximately 65,000 to 481,000 transactions, while the value of transactions surged from Rs4.6 billion to Rs34 billion in 2026. Around 12,500 new accounts for cattle farmers and allied service providers were opened during the activity,” it said.

Around the occasion of Eid al-Azha, cattle markets across the country witness significant economic and commercial activity, much of which remains cash-based. Recognising the scale of these transactions and the opportunity to expand digital financial inclusion, SBP has been actively leveraging this seasonal activity over the past few years to promote adoption of digital payment channels in cattle markets.

This year also, the central bank launched Go Cashless campaign to promote the acceptance of digital payments in 123 cattle markets across the country.

“Building on the success of similar initiatives undertaken in 2024 and 2025, the campaign was significantly expanded in 2026, with coverage increasing from 54 cattle markets in 2025 to 123 markets across Pakistan.

“Under the Go Cashless campaign, 22 participating banks established dedicated camps and kiosks in the assigned cattle markets to facilitate seamless digital transactions for buyers and sellers. These banks onboarded cattle sellers, transporters, and allied service providers onto digital channels through real-time biometric verification conducted within the markets and provided them with QR codes to enable the receipt of digital payments.

“In addition, Mobile Banking Vans were deployed in selected cattle markets, equipped with ATMs, cash counters, and Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs) to provide on-site banking services. The availability of cash counters and CDMs enabled merchants to conveniently deposit surplus cash directly into the banking system, thereby reducing the circulation of physical currency and supporting a more digitised payments environment,” SBP statement read.

The central bank further said its teams had been deployed in the markets “on round the clock basis” to facilitate the banks and their staff and resolve any issues.

“To facilitate cattle merchants and support high value transactions, SBP introduced temporary enhancements to transaction limits from May 14, 2026, to June 5, 2026.

“Further, SBP also led an extensive nationwide awareness and outreach drive for the campaign, encompassing television, radio, print, and social media platforms, alongside banks’ awareness activities,” the SBP said.