Raast lets anyone with a Pakistani bank or wallet app pay you in seconds, free for the payer. A Raast merchant account is how a business takes those payments properly, with a QR code, payment requests and alerts. This guide explains how it works, what it costs as of September 2026, and how it fits with 1BILL if you collect monthly dues.
What Raast is, and what a Raast merchant account adds
Raast is Pakistan's instant payment system. It was built by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and is run by Raast Payments Pakistan, a company fully owned by SBP. The word راست means straight or direct in Urdu.
It came out in stages:
- January 2021: bulk payments.
- February 2022: person to person (P2P) payments.
- December 2023: person to merchant (P2M) payments for businesses. SBP told banks to have it working in their apps, internet banking and USSD channels by 1 March 2024.
When P2P launched, SBP told banks that money sent through Raast should reach the receiver's account within 20 seconds. That's why people call it instant.
Raast ID, P2P and P2M in plain words
Your Raast ID is usually your mobile number, linked to your account's IBAN. Instead of sharing a long account number, you share your phone number. You set it up once inside your bank or wallet app. JazzCash and Easypaisa both support Raast.
| Raast P2P | Raast P2M | |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Person to person | Person to merchant |
| Who it's for | Friends, family, individuals | Shops, schools, gyms, any business |
| How you get paid | Raast ID or IBAN | QR code, Request to Pay, merchant alias or IBAN |
| What the business gets | Just the money | QR, payment requests and payment alerts |
| Cost to the payer | Free | Free |
People search for a Raast business account, but there's no separate Raast bank to join. You get Raast P2M through your own bank, microfinance bank or wallet provider. In SBP's words these are merchant service providers. They sign you up, give you a QR code and send the money to your account.
Can you use your personal Raast ID for business? You can receive money on it, but it's built for person to person payments. You won't get business QR codes, payment requests or proper alerts, and business money mixes with personal money. Ask your bank about its rules for business use of a personal account.
How to get a Raast QR code for your business
Here's how to become a Raast merchant. The steps differ a little by bank, but the shape is the same.
- Ask your bank or wallet provider if it offers Raast P2M, often called Raast QR, for merchants.
- Register as a merchant. Some banks do it inside an app. Bank Alfalah uses its Alfa Business app for individuals and small businesses. MCB lets you register as a "New Merchant" in MCB Live, with biometric checks. Others may ask you to visit a branch.
- Share your CNIC, business details and any documents they ask for.
- Get your static QR. MCB says it's assigned after registration and can take a few days.
- Test it with a small payment from a different bank's app. Then print it and put it where people pay.
Static QR is one fixed code. You print it once. The payer scans it and types the amount.
Dynamic QR is made fresh for each payment, with the amount and a bill number already inside. The payer just scans and confirms. It's better for bills, because the payment arrives already tagged to the right bill.
Anyone with a participating bank or wallet app in Pakistan can scan a Raast QR. The payer doesn't need to bank where you bank.
Simple habits that avoid Raast QR trouble
- Check your alert before the customer leaves. A success screen on their phone is good. Your own payment alert is better.
- Check your printed QR now and then. A sticker pasted over it can send your money somewhere else. Laminate it and keep it where staff can see it.
- Tell customers the exact amount. With a static QR the payer types the amount, and typos happen. Show it on the bill or say it out loud.
- Write down who paid for what. A static QR payment only shows a name and an amount. Note the customer and month the same day.
Raast Request to Pay: you ask, they approve
Raast Request to Pay (RTP) flips the usual order. Instead of waiting for the customer to send money, you send a payment request to their bank app. They approve it or reject it.
- RTP Now is for paying on the spot, like at a counter or an online checkout.
- RTP Later sits in the customer's bank app, and they can pay any time before the due date. This is the one that fits bills and monthly dues.
1LINK's Raast service for merchants and platforms, called 1GO, also supports sending RTP Later requests in bulk. For a business that bills many customers every month, that matters.
The catch: to send a request, you need each customer's Raast ID or IBAN. And the customer has to notice the request inside their app. Many people aren't used to that yet, so a short WhatsApp message telling them to check their app helps a lot.
Is Raast payment free? Fees as of September 2026
For the payer, yes. SBP has told banks not to charge customers for Raast P2P transfers. When it launched P2M, it also told banks not to charge customers who pay a business through Raast.
For the business, it depends on your provider. Here's what has been announced so far:
| When | What was announced |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | At the P2M launch, SBP said providers may charge merchants a reasonable fee, but encouraged them to waive it at first. |
| September 2025 | A government subsidy for Raast P2M QR payments, paid to banks at 0.5% of each payment or Rs 100, whichever is lower. The first period ran from September 2025 to June 2026, and it was announced as a three-year programme. |
| September 2025 | Under the same scheme, banks may charge merchants up to 0.25% of the payment for onboarding and servicing. |
| Checked September 2026 | Bank Alfalah's Raast P2M page says the merchant fee (MDR) on Raast is 0%. Other providers may differ. |
Settlement varies too. JazzCash says Raast QR payments reach a JazzCash Business account in real time. Bank Alfalah describes a T+1 settlement cycle, meaning the next day. Ask which one applies to you.
1BILL and Raast, together
Wasooli.Online creates each customer's bill every cycle and sends it on WhatsApp. Customers pay by Billing ID from almost any bank app or wallet, or by Raast. Every payment posts to their khata.
Using Raast for monthly dues, next to 1BILL
Raast P2M was built mainly for paying at a shop or an online checkout. Monthly dues are different. The same customer pays every month, the amount can change, late fees apply, and you need to know exactly who paid.
Here's how a gym, school or ISP can use both:
- 1BILL Billing ID as the main way to pay. It works from almost every bank and wallet app, and each payment lands on the right customer's bill.
- Raast QR at the counter for people who come in and want to pay on the spot.
- Raast Request to Pay for customers who've shared their Raast ID and like approving requests in their app.
- Cash stays open for those who still want it, with a receipt every time.
One thing to avoid: a static QR on the wall as the only way to pay monthly dues. Payments will arrive with just a sender name and an amount. You'll spend evenings matching "Rs 2,500 from M. Aslam" to the right customer and month.
| Raast P2M | 1BILL Billing ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to the payer | Free under SBP rules | Depends on setup. A fee may be added. |
| Where people can pay | Raast-enabled bank and wallet apps | Almost every bank app and wallet, plus some counters |
| Knows which customer paid | Yes with dynamic QR or RTP. No with static QR. | Yes. The ID is tied to the customer or bill. |
| Due date and late fee | RTP Later has a due date. A late fee needs a new request. | Can show a higher amount after the due date |
| Part payment | Static QR takes any amount, which is hard to match | The bill amount must be changed first |
| Money into your account | Real time or next day, depending on provider | On your agreed settlement cycle |
| Familiar to payers | Growing, but newer for bills | Very familiar for fees and utility bills |
| Best for | Counter payments and QR lovers | Monthly dues, fees and bills |
Where Wasooli.Online fits
Wasooli.Online creates each customer's bill automatically every cycle and sends it on WhatsApp, in Urdu or English. Each customer has a Billing ID they can pay through 1BILL, and Raast is supported too. Whichever way they pay, the payment posts to their khata by itself and they get a receipt on WhatsApp. You see who's paid and who hasn't, without matching screenshots.
Comparing every option, including cash, IBFT and wallets? Read how to collect payments online in Pakistan. For the 1BILL side in depth, see how to create a 1BILL invoice.