Receiving freelancing income in Pakistan has always been really hard. But developments have been made in this regard to solve the issues. For a long time, freelancing was not even considered a source of income by the banks of Pakistan. But with the fast-changing post-COVID world, the government has finally realized the potential of this industry.
Freelancers are one of the largest revenue-generating resources for Pakistan due to their low investment and high-profit gains. Along with this, it causes foreign currency inflow to Pakistan. This not only makes revenue but also contributes to making our currency stronger against the US dollar since most of the foreign trade is made in USD.
Nowadays it is effortless for freelancers to open a bank account by showing them any contract with the client or emails such as from Fiverr. Upwork provides a nice certificate of earning that can be used as proof of income as well. Let’s discuss how to proceed to get payments.
Payoneer
The most common channel used by Pakistanis to get their income is Payoneer due to the absence of PayPal in Pakistan. Create an account by following this link: Create Payoneer Account. If you create an account with this link you will earn rewards. You can now use your newly created Payoneer account to directly receive payments from your clients.
Be careful when working with freelancing platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, etc. You have to accept payments only through these platforms if the clients are from these platforms. You cannot use directly use Payoneer in that case. This is because of the terms of service you have accepted on these platforms. Be careful to read the full terms of service before going forward on the freelancing platforms.
Now you can withdraw your payments in your local Pakistani Bank accounts from Payoneer easily however there is a minimum withdrawal limit. You can bypass that with JazzCash.
JazzCash for Freelancing Income in Pakistan
Creating a JazzCash account is also very straightforward. If you own a mobile number in Pakistan with any network preferably Jazz (Mobilink) then you can proceed to create an account with JazzCash. Download the JazzCash app from the play store and create an account by following the screen options.
JazzCash and Payoneer partnered to provide freelancers with a simple way to receive their hard-earned income in Pakistan. The JazzCash app provides an option for Payoneer.
You can click on the Payoneer button to connect your Payoneer account to the JazzCash account. There is no withdrawal limit for Payoneer with JazzCash and they provide a very good exchange rate as well. However, the withdrawal fee of 2% is applicable here.
SadaPay
The list of the latest developments includes SadaPay, a branchless banking app, and a digital wallet. SadaPay was founded by Brandon Timinsky about 3 years ago raising a heavy toll of investment. SadaPay became operational with limitations a few months ago after receiving the license from the State Bank of Pakistan.
The UI and UX of the mobile application are off the charts. It is designed keeping in mind that most Pakistanis are still bankless due to the hefty paperwork of the Banks and height illiteracy rate. SadaPay doesn’t even ask for proof of income and the account opening is flawless. You can open your account in seconds sitting on your couch.
However, currently, SadaPay is providing limited accounts and putting new customers on a wait list as they are expanding their network and operations. You can easily create your SadaPay account by clicking this link: Create SadaPay Account. You can also use my referral code ‘WXLUG’ to sign up.
SadaPay can work with Payoneer, Transferwise, WorldRemit, MoneyGram, Remitly, or ACE to receive your freelancing income in Pakistan. SadaPay provides an international IBAN which you can use to provide on these platforms in order to receive your payments.
We will keep this discussion on for future posts. For now, this is it. Keep tuning in to get the best content. For more freelancing tips visit the freelancing category on the website.