PTA proposes ending prepaid balance expiry

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has proposed abolishing the expiry of unused prepaid mobile balance, stating that advance payments made by subscribers should remain valid for the entire active life of their SIM cards.

The proposal, issued through a consultation paper, invites public and industry feedback by March 16, 2026. The move could affect Pakistan’s prepaid-dominated mobile market, where nearly 97 percent of subscribers use prepaid services.

At present, many Cellular Mobile Operators forfeit unused balance once the validity period linked to a recharge expires. These periods range from 30 days to 365 days, depending on the recharge amount. The regulator noted that the practice has led to consumer complaints, particularly from users who maintain low balances, use secondary SIMs, travel abroad, or temporarily suspend usage.

PTA stated that prepaid balance represents money paid in advance by consumers and should be treated as the subscriber’s own funds rather than operator revenue.

Under the proposed framework, prepaid balance would remain valid for the entire active life of the SIM, as defined under PTA’s standard operating procedures on SIM sale and activation. The balance would also be linked to the subscriber’s Computerised National Identity Card.

If a SIM is deactivated and no other SIM exists on the same network under the same CNIC, the remaining balance could either be restored upon issuance of a new SIM on that network or refunded through a bank transfer or mobile wallet, subject to CNIC verification and know-your-customer requirements.

The authority has invited comments from stakeholders before finalising its decision.