Islamabad Expands Cashless Payments System to Hotels, Petrol Pumps, Restaurants

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to extend its cashless payments system to hotels, restaurants, petrol pumps and guest houses across the city, marking one of the biggest expansions of Islamabad’s digital economy drive so far. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, attended by senior officials and representatives of major commercial banks. Officials said the move aligns with the Prime Minister’s and Interior Minister’s vision of turning Islamabad into a fully cashless model city. Digital payments using QR codes have already been introduced in weekly markets, the CDA One Window Center, and on metro and electric buses. CDA officials said the system is now being rapidly rolled out to commercial centres, shopping malls and Class III markets. With the latest phase, hotels, guest houses, fuel stations and eateries will also be required to adopt cashless payments, allowing the federal capital to transition toward transparent and modern transaction methods. The CDA chairman directed banks to launch awareness campaigns to help merchants and citizens shift to digital payments. He urged traders and shopkeepers to offer discounts and incentives to customers who pay through QR codes to speed up adoption among the public. Muhammad Ali Randhawa added that related measures, including M Tag systems and digital parking solutions, are being introduced in parallel as Islamabad moves toward becoming a fully digital and technology-enabled city.