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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA 2025 report said NADRA Technologies Limited and 1LINK had enabled customers to deposit cash into accounts at more than 50 banks through biometrically verified e-Sahulat franchises. The report cited more than 9,000 franchises. NADRA’s official site confirms that e-Sahulat provides biometric-verification services, but it does not currently publish a bank-by-bank list, universal fee schedule, transaction limits or nationwide availability for this deposit service. Confirm the participating bank, account eligibility, charges and outlet status before handing over cash.
What the e-Sahulat deposit service is
This is best understood as a biometrically enabled cash-in point, not a new bank. NADRA supplies identity and biometric-verification infrastructure. e-Sahulat is the physical franchise network where certain NADRA-enabled services are offered. 1LINK is the payment-system and switching partner named in the launch report, while the receiving bank remains responsible for its account rules, compliance checks and posting of funds.
The reported arrangement lets a customer make a deposit into an eligible participating bank account at an e-Sahulat outlet instead of travelling to that bank’s branch. TechJuice reported the “more than 50 banks” and “more than 9,000 franchises” figures in its coverage: Bank Deposits Made Easier with NADRA’s New e-Service. Those figures should be treated as reported launch information unless NADRA, 1LINK or the bank publishes a current confirmation.
NADRA separately describes e-Sahulat biometric verification as matching fingerprints and a photograph with CNIC information to produce an electronic result: NADRA verification services. That confirms the identity function, but not that every outlet supports every bank or account product.
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Who is most likely to benefit
- Customers who live a long distance from their bank branch.
- People earning or receiving cash who need a nearby deposit point.
- Branchless-banking and lower-income customers with limited access to apps or ATMs.
- Families receiving remittances or transfers that must be deposited locally.
- Customers whose regulated transaction requires biometric identity verification.
The available announcement concerns deposits into bank accounts. It does not establish that an e-Sahulat franchise can open every type of account or serve someone without an eligible account.
How a deposit is expected to work
- Find an outlet and verify participation. Ask whether the franchise is active for your bank and for the specific deposit transaction.
- Give the agent the destination details. Provide the bank name and account number or other identifier exactly as required by that bank.
- Present your identity document. The bank may accept an original CNIC, NICOP, POC or another approved document; confirm this before travelling.
- Complete biometric authentication. The outlet uses the approved identity-verification process to link the person making the transaction with the identity associated with the account.
- Pay the cash and any disclosed charge only after checking the details. The applicable fee and settlement time are not publicly standardised in the available material.
- Check the record before leaving. Verify the recipient name, account number, bank and amount on the receipt or electronic reference.
- Confirm credit. Use the bank’s SMS alert, app, helpline or statement, and retain the transaction reference until the money appears.
Only the outlet, account details, identity document and biometric steps are directly described by the available reporting and NADRA material. The later steps are prudent consumer-protection practice; your bank may use a different sequence or record format.
What to take and what to confirm first
Prepare these items
- Original CNIC, NICOP, POC or another document the receiving bank accepts.
- The destination bank name and complete account number or approved account identifier.
- The cash amount, counted before you hand it over.
- A working mobile number if the bank uses an OTP or sends transaction alerts.
- Time to complete biometric checks and wait for a receipt or reference.
Ask these questions before you travel
- Is this exact franchise currently enabled for my bank’s deposit service?
- Is my account type eligible—such as savings, current or branchless—and is my amount within its limit?
- What fee will the franchise or bank charge, and who pays it?
- Will the credit be immediate or posted after settlement?
- What document and receipt will prove the transaction?
NADRA’s payment page also lists e-Sahulat for selected Smart NIC and Family Registration Certificate payments, but that is a separate document-payment service, not evidence of the bank-deposit procedure: NADRA payment guidelines.
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Which banks and accounts are supported?
The launch report says more than 50 banks were covered, but it does not publish a complete list. Do not assume that every bank, every branchless-wallet product or every account category is included. Confirm participation directly with your bank or the outlet.
1LINK describes its member network and role as Pakistan’s licensed payment-system operator and payment-service provider at 1LINK FAQs. Membership alone does not prove that a particular institution supports this e-Sahulat deposit arrangement.
Ask specifically whether the service accepts deposits to your account type, whether it is cash-only, and how the bank handles settlement, reversals and complaints.
Fees, limits and settlement: what is actually known
| Item | What is established | What you must confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Participating banks | A 2025 report said more than 50. | Current bank name and eligible account products. |
| Franchise reach | The same report said more than 9,000 e-Sahulat franchises. | Whether a nearby outlet is active and enabled for your bank. |
| Deposit fee | No universal amount is stated. | Franchise charge, bank charge and who pays. |
| Minimum or maximum deposit | Not publicly verified for this service. | Per-transaction, daily and monthly limits. |
| Posting time | Instant credit is not established. | Immediate posting, settlement window and reversal process. |
An older State Bank of Pakistan rule allowed certain branchless-banking level-0 customers to cash in up to Rs. 10,000 per month through biometrically verified merchants and referred to a Rs. 100,000 monthly ceiling for total cash deposits in merchant accounts. That framework is specific to the underlying account and merchant arrangement; it must not be treated as the limit for the newer e-Sahulat service: SBP circular letter BPRD-01 of 2020.
What biometric verification does—and does not—guarantee
Biometrics are intended to connect the person at the outlet with the identity recorded against the CNIC and bank relationship. They reduce reliance on paper identification, but they do not guarantee that a transaction will succeed or eliminate every fraud, data or connectivity risk.
NADRA also offers Verisys for electronic CNIC, NICOP and POC verification. Its newer Nishan Pakistan platform provides institutional identity services for regulated organisations including banks, microfinance banks, electronic-money institutions and non-bank financial institutions: Nishan Pakistan announcement. Those capabilities are infrastructure for institutions, not proof that every e-Sahulat counter offers facial recognition, Verisys or another alternative directly to consumers.
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If biometric verification fails
A failed scan does not by itself mean that you are fraudulent or permanently blocked. Common causes include worn fingerprints, a poor scanner, connectivity or system downtime, outdated identity data, a CNIC-to-account mismatch, or an outlet that is not enabled for the requested bank transaction.
- Ask the agent to retry using the approved procedure and check that your CNIC and account details were entered correctly.
- If the problem appears technical, try another authorised outlet or the bank’s branch.
- Ask the bank whether an approved alternative verification route, such as Verisys or a disability-related exception, is available. The exact alternative depends on bank procedure and regulation.
- Obtain a complaint or transaction reference. Never leave cash without a printed, SMS or otherwise verifiable record.
- If your account is debited but the recipient is not credited, contact the bank immediately and provide the reference, amount, date and outlet details.
SBP’s consolidated 2026 customer-onboarding framework recognises fingerprint or thumb, iris and facial recognition as possible biometric methods and provides alternative mechanisms in specified physical-disability situations: SBP Consolidated Customer Onboarding Framework. That framework does not set a single e-Sahulat deposit workflow for every bank.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What e-Sahulat is not
Nothing in the reported arrangement makes an e-Sahulat franchise a full-service bank branch. Do not assume it can open or upgrade an account, change ownership details, reset a PIN, unfreeze an account, process withdrawals or cheque deposits, accept foreign currency, or resolve complex compliance disputes. Those services remain subject to the bank’s own channels and checks.
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It is also not automatically the same as cashing in to Easypaisa or JazzCash, paying a NADRA application fee, making an app-based interbank transfer or paying a bill. Each service can have different rails, charges, settlement times, limits and customer protections.
Safety checklist before handing over cash
- Use an authorised, visibly active franchise and ask to see confirmation that your bank is supported.
- Check the account number and account-holder name before payment.
- Count your cash and ask for the complete fee disclosure.
- Never reveal an ATM PIN, online-banking password or OTP unless your bank’s official process explicitly requires it.
- Keep the receipt or transaction reference until the deposit is visible in the destination account.
- Do not accept “the system is down; we will enter it later” in exchange for unrecorded cash.
- Report suspicious charges, missing deposits or suspected unauthorised activity to the bank and the relevant NADRA/e-Sahulat support channel. NADRA lists helpline 1777 and contact options on its official site: NADRA.
Where the service fits in Pakistan’s financial system
The model combines NADRA’s identity infrastructure, e-Sahulat’s physical reach, 1LINK’s payment connectivity and each participating bank’s account controls. SBP’s customer-onboarding rules explain why regulated institutions use approved biometric or other identity checks, but they do not turn every franchise into a bank or establish one nationwide price and limit schedule.
For a customer, the practical test is simple: confirm the outlet, bank, account eligibility, fee, limit and receipt process before you travel. If any of those answers is unclear, use the bank’s branch or official support channel instead of handing over cash on a verbal promise.
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