Billing & payment words, in plain Urdu and English

1LINK's bill-payment service. People pay a bill from almost any Pakistani bank app, wallet or bank counter by entering one consumer number. Utilities, ISPs, schools, government bodies and many private businesses collect this way.

The first digits of a 1BILL consumer number. They tell the bank app which biller, or which billing platform, the bill belongs to, so the payer doesn't pick the company from a list. Several businesses on one platform can share a prefix.

The company that runs Pakistan's shared bank switch, set up in 2003 by a group of banks. It sits behind ATM sharing, interbank transfers (IBFT) and 1BILL. 1BILL and 1LINK aren't the same: 1BILL is one of 1LINK's products.

On the WhatsApp Business API, a 24-hour window opens each time a customer messages your business. Inside it you can reply with normal messages, and Meta doesn't charge for them. Outside it, you can only start a chat with an approved template message.

Money a customer pays before a bill is due, like paying three months of fees at once. A good billing system keeps it as credit and uses it against the next bills, so it never gets lost.

Old dues still unpaid from earlier months. They're usually shown separately on a bill, so the customer can see what's new and what's carried forward.

The number a customer enters in their bank or wallet app to pay a 1BILL bill. It points to one bill, or one customer, at one biller. Apps may also call it Bill ID, voucher number or invoice number.

Marking attendance with a fingerprint, face or card on a reader, instead of a register. Gyms and offices often use the same readers to open the door only for people who are allowed in.

A customer who hasn't paid by the due date, or who owes for more than one month. A defaulter list shows who to follow up with and how much each one owes.

The last day to pay a bill without a late fee. On 1BILL, a bill can show one amount before the due date and a higher amount after it.

A printed or digital fee slip showing the student or customer, the month, the amount and the due date. Many now carry a 1BILL consumer number, so parents can pay from their phone instead of standing in a bank queue.

Interbank Funds Transfer: sending money from an account at one bank to an account at another, usually from a bank app. Receiving is free. Under a 2021 SBP rule, banks must keep at least Rs 25,000 a month of sending free for individuals, then may charge a small, capped fee.

An invoice (or bill) asks for money: it says what's owed and by when. A receipt proves money was paid. Send the invoice before the due date and a receipt after every payment.

A running account of what a customer owes and what they've paid, like the register book at a shop. A digital khata updates by itself as bills are made and payments come in.

An extra charge added when a bill is paid after the due date. It works best when it's clear, written down and told to customers before it's ever charged.

Pausing a gym or club membership for a while, for example during travel or an injury. The paused days are usually added to the end date, so the customer doesn't lose what they paid for.

The fee a business pays its bank or payment provider on each card or QR payment it receives, usually a small percentage. The payer doesn't see it. Ask for the rate in writing before you sign up.

When a customer pays only some of a bill, like Rs 1,500 of Rs 3,000. The rest stays due and should carry into the customer's balance, not get forgotten.

Payment Slip ID: the number used to pay government dues, such as FBR taxes, from a bank app, ATM or counter. It's for paying the government, not a business, so don't confuse it with a 1BILL consumer number from a private biller.

A fixed part of a bigger amount, paid on a schedule, like a motorbike or a plot paid off monthly. Each qist has its own due date, and missed ones turn into arrears.

The State Bank of Pakistan's instant payment system, run by its company Raast Payments Pakistan. Money moves between banks and wallets in seconds, and SBP has told banks not to charge customers for it.

Your mobile number, linked to your bank or wallet account, so people can send you money without your account number. You set it up once inside your bank or wallet app.

Person to merchant: the part of Raast built for businesses, launched by SBP in December 2023. Businesses take payments by QR code, Request to Pay, merchant alias or IBAN, and the payer isn't charged.

Billing the same customers on a fixed cycle, such as every month, for fees, rent, subscriptions or services. The bills are created automatically each cycle instead of being written by hand.

A Raast feature where a business sends a payment request to the customer's bank app, and the customer approves or rejects it. RTP Now is for paying on the spot. RTP Later lets them pay any time before a due date.

When collected money actually reaches the business's bank account. A payment can be confirmed in seconds while settlement happens later, on the cycle agreed with your bank or platform.

Buying now and paying later, on trust. Udhaar is normal in Pakistani business, but without a clear record of who owes what, it slowly turns into money you never see again.

Urdu for collection, as in collecting money that's owed to you. Wasooli.Online takes its name from it: software that helps Pakistani businesses collect their dues on time.

The official way for businesses to send WhatsApp messages at scale, through software and from a verified business number. It's different from the free WhatsApp Business app. Meta charges per template message delivered, while normal replies inside the 24-hour window are free.

A pre-approved message format a business uses to start a chat on the WhatsApp Business API. Utility templates are about something the customer already has with you, like a bill or a receipt, while marketing templates are promotions, and Meta prices each type differently. Utility templates sent inside an open 24-hour window are free.