The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited (PACRA) has upgraded easypaisa digital bank’s long term credit rating from A+ to AA-, marking another milestone for Pakistan’s first licensed Digital Retail Bank. The upgrade reflects the bank’s strong financial position, rapid business growth and expanding digital ecosystem.
Announced on July 8, the rating action represents easypaisa’s second consecutive credit rating upgrade in two years, a rare achievement in Pakistan’s banking sector. The bank said the latest improvement recognizes the strength of its balance sheet, disciplined risk management and continued expansion following its transition into a fully licensed Digital Retail Bank after receiving a commercial DRB licence in January 2025.
PACRA also acknowledged easypaisa’s growing transaction volumes, rising customer engagement and the continued popularity of its mobile application, which remains central to its digital banking strategy. Strategic backing from shareholders, including Telenor and Ant Group, also contributed to the improved rating by strengthening the bank’s operational resilience and long term growth prospects.
Strong Financial Performance Drives Rating Upgrade
easypaisa reported strong financial and operational growth throughout 2025. The digital bank processed more than 4.6 billion transactions worth PKR 16 trillion, highlighting the increasing adoption of digital financial services across Pakistan.
Monthly active users climbed to more than 22 million, while branchless banking deposits rose sharply to PKR 122.8 billion, compared with PKR 72.4 billion a year earlier. The bank attributed the increase to higher customer engagement and stronger wallet adoption.
Financial performance also improved significantly. easypaisa recorded a Profit After Tax of PKR 17.04 billion, representing a fivefold increase from the previous year. Growth in net markup income and fee based services supported the strong earnings.
The bank’s equity increased to PKR 30.9 billion, while its Capital Adequacy Ratio reached 20.4 percent, providing a solid capital buffer for future expansion. Total assets also expanded to PKR 184.8 billion, up from PKR 108.4 billion in 2024. The investment portfolio grew to PKR 113.3 billion, supported by higher deposits and profit retention.
The merchant network expanded to 300,000 businesses, further strengthening easypaisa’s presence in Pakistan’s digital payments ecosystem.
Leadership Reaffirms Focus on Financial Inclusion
Commenting on the achievement, Jahanzeb Khan, President and CEO of easypaisa digital bank, said, “This rating upgrade is a strong endorsement of easypaisa digital bank’s strategy, execution, and long-term vision of building a more inclusive and digitally empowered financial ecosystem while maintaining a strong balance sheet. As Pakistan’s first digital bank to commence commercial operations, we are focused on expanding access to formal financial services, deepening customer engagement through innovation, and delivering seamless digital experiences that empower individuals and businesses across the country. This recognition further strengthens our resolve to accelerate financial inclusion and contribute meaningfully to Pakistan’s digital transformation journey.”
Chief Financial Officer Amin Sukhiani added, “The upgrade reflects the strength of our financial fundamentals, the resilience of our business model, and our ability to deliver sustainable growth at scale. Strong growth in deposits, profitability, capital adequacy, and customer adoption demonstrates the robustness of our digital banking model and reinforces the confidence of our stakeholders. We remain committed to maintaining prudent risk management, strong governance standards, and a solid balance sheet as we continue to support the bank’s next phase of growth.”
easypaisa now serves more than 60 million registered users through its mobile application and nationwide agent network. The bank offers payments, lending, savings, insurance, merchant services and digital banking solutions. Its continued growth aligns with the State Bank of Pakistan’s vision of promoting financial inclusion through technology and innovation.
