Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor shows Ramadan spending in Pakistan rose sharply this season, led by a striking 80% year‑over‑year increase in transactions on Visa premium consumer cards during the Feb 20–Mar 20, 2026 monitoring period. The jump was driven by stronger activity across travel, everyday retail and food categories, reflecting both inbound visitor activity and sustained local demand.
Inbound travel spend using Visa premium cards increased about 30% as visitors from Saudi Arabia, Canada, Ireland, Turkey and Italy spent more while in Pakistan. Outbound travel from Pakistan on premium cards rose roughly 35%, with a clear shift in booking patterns: around 70% of trips were booked within one month of departure and 65% of outbound spending went to longer getaways of more than three days. Spending to destinations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK rose around 55%.
Ramadan spending patterns combined pre‑month stock‑up with active in‑month retail activity. In the week before Ramadan (11–17 Feb) food and grocery purchases climbed 25% compared with the prior week. During Ramadan, retail and food and dining together accounted for a large share of in‑store spending, with food and dining up by 25% and retail contributing around 10% of in‑store activity. Consumer behaviour also shifted later into the day, with post‑Iftar evening purchases between 9pm and 11pm up about 30% and pre‑Sehri activity between midnight and 4am up roughly 85% versus non‑Ramadan weeks.
Spending peaked around Eid Al‑Fitr, where total spend during the Eid period (16–19 Mar) was about 10% higher than the days immediately before (12–15 Mar). During Eid, food and quick‑service restaurant spending rose about 15% while retail spending surged near 40%, underlining the seasonal uplift in gifting, apparel and celebration‑related purchases.
Umar S. Khan, Country Manager for Visa in Pakistan & Afghanistan, noted that the period showed elevated activity across travel and everyday retail categories, driven by both inbound visitors and sustained local spending. He said these shifts underline opportunities for businesses to offer more relevant and seamless commerce experiences during high‑demand seasonal moments.
The VCA Retail Spend Monitor from Visa Consulting & Analytics captures total retail, travel and experience‑related activity during the Ramadan and Eid Al‑Fitr period using a subset of VisaNet data complemented by survey‑based estimates for other payment methods. The analysis also highlights the role of premium cardholders, with premium Visa products such as Visa Signature and Visa Infinite mapping to the observed higher spend patterns.
For Pakistani issuers and merchants, the insights on Ramadan spending and associated travel trends point to clear tactical opportunities: tailor offers for late‑evening and early‑morning shopping behaviours, prepare inventory for Eid peaks, and adapt travel and merchant partnerships to capture both inbound visitor spend and the rising appetite for outbound trips booked close to travel dates.
