What we compared
We used the default spending profile in the KonsaCard tool, which adds up to Rs 108,000 a month: food Rs 40,000, grocery Rs 30,000, shopping Rs 15,000, health Rs 8,000, self care Rs 6,000, online Rs 5,000 and entertainment Rs 4,000. Yearly saving is monthly spend times 12, times the saving rate, times coverage, added up across categories. The saving rate is the average discount at a merchant the card covers, as a share of that category's typical bill. Coverage is the share of merchants in the category where the card has an offer. The methodology page has the full model.
The savings data covers 248 card listings with a modelled saving: 195 debit, 48 credit and five that are neither (business, charge, prepaid and QR cards). Fees come from the Jul to Dec 2026 schedules in our card requirements data, which has 212 cards.
Yearly savings by card type
| Card type | Cards | Median yearly saving | Mean yearly saving | Highest |
|---|
| Debit | 195 | Rs 14,464 | Rs 15,881 | Rs 69,365 |
| Credit | 48 | Rs 16,652 | Rs 22,078 | Rs 67,711 |
The median credit card saves Rs 16,652 a year against Rs 14,464 for the median debit card, a gap of Rs 2,188. The means are further apart because a few credit cards sit at the top: Askari World (Rs 67,711) and Bank Alfalah Premier Visa Infinite (Rs 54,137). Even so, 28 of the 48 credit cards beat the median debit card, which leaves 20 that do not. Credit cards are 19% of the listings and 8 of the top 20.
The best debit card in this data, Askari's Visa Signature debit, models at Rs 69,365 a year and is ahead of every credit card. It is free only for Priority Banking customers.
Same tier, different type
Comparing within a tier removes most of the fee difference. Credit cards come out ahead on median saving at every tier, and the platinum gap is the widest.
| Tier | Cards (debit / credit) | Median yearly saving (debit / credit) | Median annual fee (debit / credit) | Saving minus fee (debit / credit) |
|---|
| Classic | 30 / 6 | Rs 11,541 / Rs 13,335 | Rs 3,000 / Rs 6,000 | Rs 8,541 / Rs 7,335 |
| Gold | 31 / 13 | Rs 9,975 / Rs 13,968 | Rs 4,000 / Rs 11,500 | Rs 5,975 / Rs 2,468 |
| Platinum | 22 / 12 | Rs 17,065 / Rs 33,852 | Rs 8,750 / Rs 20,000 | Rs 8,315 / Rs 13,852 |
| World, Signature, Infinite | 27 / 7 | Rs 35,927 / Rs 44,828 | Rs 23,000 / Rs 25,000 | Rs 12,927 / Rs 19,828 |
The last column subtracts each group's median annual fee (counting only cards that charge one) from its median saving. The two medians come from different sets of cards, so read it as a rough guide. At Classic and Gold, debit cards keep more of what they save. At Platinum and above, credit cards come out ahead even after their larger fees. Gold is the weakest tier for credit: the median Gold credit card costs Rs 11,500 and saves Rs 13,968.
Credit card fees are usually reversible with spending, which can erase most of the fee at the Classic and Gold tiers. Debit card fees usually depend on balances.
Why the percentages barely differ
The discount at a covered merchant is almost the same on both card types. Where they differ is how many merchants each card covers.
| Category | Median saving rate, debit | Median saving rate, credit | Median coverage, debit | Median coverage, credit |
|---|
| Food | 17.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 8.9% |
| Health | 23.1% | 23.1% | 13.4% | 9.6% |
| Self care | 24.4% | 24.3% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Shopping | 16.7% | 16.8% | 7.9% | 9.1% |
| Entertainment | 24.0% | 23.7% | 7.0% | 10.5% |
| Grocery | 10.0% | 10.0% | 6.7% | 6.7% |
In food, the median credit card covers 8.9% of restaurants against 6.2% for debit, while the saving rate is 17.7% against 17.5%. Debit cards do better in health, where the median debit card covers 13.4% of providers against 9.6% for credit. The saving rate in grocery is 10.0% on both. Coverage depends on which merchants each bank has signed up for each card, which varies by bank and tier. The tier guide goes into that effect.
What carrying a balance costs
Debit cards charge no interest. Credit cards do, and the rate is large compared with the saving. Askari's July 2026 schedule of charges lists 3.5% a month (42% a year) on its Classic, Gold and Platinum credit cards and 3.7% a month (44.40% a year) on its World card. We don't hold other banks' rates yet, so read the APR line in your own bank's key fact statement.
As an illustration, carrying Rs 100,000 for three months at 3.7% a month costs about Rs 11,100 in simple interest. At Askari's 3.5% a month on Classic, Gold and Platinum it costs Rs 10,500. Either amount is more than half of the median credit card's yearly saving of Rs 16,652. A card that saves you money when you pay in full can lose money if you carry a balance for a few months.
Which type fits you
- If you pay your credit card bill in full every month and spend near Rs 100,000 or more, a Platinum or higher credit card has the better modelled result. The premium card guide shows which ones clear their fees.
- If you carry a balance, or you want a Classic or Gold tier, a debit card keeps more of its saving after fees.
- If you already keep a large relationship balance with a bank, its premium debit card may be free. Askari, Allied and UBL list Rs 0 or waived fees for their top debit cards in that case.
Your own result depends on your spend mix. In KonsaCard, set your monthly spend in each category on the Overall tab, filter by card type, and compare yearly saving minus annual fee. Open the tool to run it.
Frequently asked questions
Do credit cards get higher discounts than debit cards in Pakistan?
Not at the same merchant. The median saving rate is 17.7% for credit cards and 17.5% for debit cards in food, and identical in grocery. Credit cards save more in total mainly because the higher tiers cover more merchants.
Is a credit card worth it just for the discounts?
At Gold tier, usually not. The median Gold credit card in our data saves Rs 13,968 a year and costs Rs 11,500, while the median Gold debit card saves Rs 9,975 and costs Rs 4,000. At Platinum and above, credit cards come out ahead.
What interest do Pakistani credit cards charge?
Askari lists 3.7% a month, or 44.40% a year, on its World card in the July 2026 addendum. Other banks publish their own rates in their key fact statements, and we have not recorded them, so check the APR line before you carry a balance.
Do restaurant and shopping offers work on debit cards?
Yes. Of the 251 card listings in our savings data, 198 are debit cards. Offers are attached to the card programme, and the merchant's terms say which cards qualify.