Summer spending on Visa premium consumer cards in Pakistan rose 36% year over year.
Karachi : Visa, a global leader in digital payments, its latest consumer spending insights for the 2025 summer holiday period in Pakistan, based on the Visa Consulting & Analytics Retail Spend Monitor. The data reveals a 36% increase in total summer spending on Visa premium consumer cards compared to 2024, highlighting continued growth in digital payments, higher-value transactions, and evolving travel preferences.
Shifting Consumer Behavior This Summer,
Summer spending in Pakistan not only increased compared to last year but also demonstrated changes in consumer behavior. The holiday period saw a 63% rise in emerging travel destinations, while staycations grew by 26%. Planning began as early as three months in advance for 7% of travelers, 9% planned within 1–3 months, while the majority (84%) opted for last-minute plans within a month – emphasizing the freedom and convenience offered by digital payments. Spending on dDining and leisure spend increased by 57%, and digital payments by premium Visa cardholders expanded by 110%, who accounted for a 35% share of overall summer spend.
Travel Trends:
Short Escapes vs. Extended Getaways
Consumers in Pakistan favored both short (under 3 days) and long trips, with longer getaways accounting for 66% of travel spend and generating higher average spending.
Outbound Travel
Outbound travel shifted toward emerging destinations such as Malaysia, Thailand, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, and Indonesia, which saw a 63% increase. Premium Visa cardholders increased their outbound travel spend by 11%, now representing nearly 80% of total summer travel spend.
Inbound Travel
Inbound travel spending by premium Visa cardholders from the Gulf (Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) and Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, and Malawi) grew by 33%. Premium cardholder spending from Europe—particularly the United Kingdom, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Belgium—rose by 44%.
Digital and eCommerce Continue to Grow
Digital spend among premium Visa cardholders rose by 110%. eCommerce spending also increased by 19% within this segment, showing a growing preference for alternate payment methods.
” Consumers in Pakistan are embracing digital payment options and experiences more than ever this summerConsumers in Pakistan are embracing digital payment options and experiences more than ever this summer,” said Umar Khan, Country Manager for Visa in Pakistan & Afghanistan. “Visa is proud to support this evolution by enabling secure, seamless, and inclusive payment solutions, whether consumers are exploring new destinations or enjoying staycations at home. With innovation and trust, we remain committed to empower every journey, always adapting to changing preferences. As preferences continue to evolve, we remain committed to empowering every journey with the trust and innovation of Visa.Visa is committed to supporting these evolving preferences by providing secure and seamless payment solutions.”
Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor was produced by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), capturing total retail, travel, and experience-related activity during Pakistan’s summer break (1st July – 15th August), based on a subset of VisaNet data and complemented by survey-based estimates for other payment methods.
“With the regional expertise of Visa Consulting & Analytics and the scale of VisaNet, Visa empowers clients with actionable insights into evolving consumer behaviors—helping them plan strategically, respond faster to demand shifts, and unlock new growth opportunities, especially during key seasonal moments like the summer holidays,” said Nicolas Khoury, SVP, Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA.
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About Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor
The Retail Spend Monitor insights on national retail sales across all payment types. The findings are based on a subset of aggregate retail sales activity in the Visa payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for other forms of payment. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into consumer spending behaviors and trends, aiding retailers in strategic planning and market positioning. Premium card definition – Following cards are mapped under Premium category – VISA SIGNATURE, VISA SIGNATURE PREFERRED, VISA INFINITE, VISA INFINITE PRIVILEGE, VISA PLATINUM, VISA ULTRA HIGH NET WORTH.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
