How to Start an Online Store in Pakistan and Accept Payments

Pakistan’s online shopping market is growing fast. It’s going to grow to about $5.5 billion by 2028.

More people are buying clothes, electronics, and household items online every year.

The good news is that starting an online store in Pakistan does not require a big budget or technical skills. 

You can launch a working store for less than Rs. 12,000 per year.

Today, I am going to show you how to start an online store in Pakistan and accept payments. 

From choosing what to sell to accepting payments through JazzCash and Easypaisa.

What You Need Before You Start

Here is a quick list of what every Pakistani online store needs:

• A product or service to sell
• A domain name: your website address, for example, yourstore.com.pk
• Web hosting: the server where your website lives
• A website: built on WooCommerce or Shopify
• Payment options: JazzCash, Easypaisa, Cash on Delivery, or bank transfer
• A delivery method: a courier like TCS, Leopards, or Trax

Step 1: Decide What You Will Sell

The first step is picking a clear product category. 

Trying to sell everything at once is one of the most common mistakes new Pakistani store owners make.

Here is what is actually selling well in Pakistan right now:

• Electronics and accessories (23.9% of online revenue)
• Hobby and leisure products (21.7%)
• Fashion and clothing (18.9%)
• Furniture and home items (12.1%)

Pick one category and focus on it. A focused store is easier to market, easier to manage, and easier for customers to trust.

Quick tip: Check Daraz.pk bestsellers to see which products are in demand right now before you decide what to sell.

Step 2: Choose Your Platform

You have three main options for building your store. Each one suits a different type of seller.

Platform	Best For	Control	Payment Options	Technical Skill
WooCommerce	Full ownership, most flexibility	High	JazzCash, Easypaisa, COD, Bank	Medium
Shopify	Quick setup, clean design,	Medium	JazzCash, Easypaisa, Bank (no Shopify Pay)	Low
Daraz	Fastest start, big audience	Low	Daraz handles it	Very Low

WooCommerce is the most recommended

WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin. 

It gives you full control over your store, your data, and your payment options.

It also  supports JazzCash and Easypaisa directly through plugins.

Most Pakistani web hosting companies support it with a one-click install.

This guide focuses on WooCommerce because it is the most flexible and affordable option for Pakistani sellers.

Shopify

Shopify is easy to set up, but it has an important limitation in Pakistan: 

Shopify Payments is unavailable there. 

You also cannot use PayPal in Pakistan. 

You will need to connect JazzCash or Easypaisa as a third-party gateway, which takes extra steps.

Daraz or Other Marketplaces

Selling on Daraz gets you in front of a large audience quickly.

But you do not own your store, you pay commission on every sale. Also, you have no control over your customer experience.

It is a good place to start testing your product, not a long-term foundation.

Step 3: Get a Domain and Hosting

Choosing a Domain Name

Your domain name is the address of your online store. Keep it short, easy to spell, and related to what you sell.

• .pk domains (like yourstore.pk) signal to Pakistani buyers that your store is local and trustworthy. 

• .com domains are fine too, and give you a more international feel. Both work well.

Choosing Web Hosting in Pakistan

Your hosting provider is where your website actually lives. A slow or unreliable host means a slow store, and slow stores lose customers.

For a WooCommerce store in Pakistan, your hosting should include:

• Enough speed to load pages quickly on mobile connections
• One-click WordPress install
• Free SSL certificate
• cPanel access for easy management
• Support that responds when something goes wrong

At Truehost, we offer hosting plans built for WooCommerce stores, with free SSL, cPanel, and support available when you need it. 

Plans start at an affordable price for Pakistani sellers.

Step 4: Build Your Store

Once your hosting is set up, installing WooCommerce takes about five minutes.

• Log in to your cPanel and use the one-click WordPress installer

• Once WordPress is installed, go to Plugins and search for WooCommerce

• Click Install and then Activate

• Follow the setup wizard to enter your store name, currency (PKR), and location

• Add your products with clear photos, descriptions, and prices

A few things to keep in mind when building your store:

• Design for mobile. Over 70% of Pakistani online shoppers browse and buy on their phones. Pick a mobile-friendly theme.

• Write in simple Urdu or English. Use the language your target customers speak. Many successful Pakistani stores mix both.

• Add these pages: Home, Shop, About Us, Contact, and Return Policy. Customers check these before they buy.

Step 5: Set Up Payments (The Most Important Step)

It is the section most guides skip or get wrong. 

Read it carefully because your payment setup will decide whether customers actually complete their purchases.

Before we go into the options, two things every Pakistani store owner needs to know:

Important: PayPal does not work in Pakistan. Shopify Payments does not work in Pakistan. 

Many tutorials online assume both are available. They are not. Use the options listed below instead.

Here are the five payment methods that actually work for Pakistani online stores, followed by how to set up the two most important ones.

Method	Who Uses It	Setup	Transaction Fee	COD Risk
Cash on Delivery	All buyers, especially new	Easy	0% (you carry risk)	High
JazzCash	Urban, mobile wallet users	Medium	~2 to 3%	None
Easypaisa	All cities, Telenor users	Medium	~2 to 3%	None
Bank Transfer	Older buyers, large orders	Easy	0%	Medium
RAAST	Banked customers	Medium	0% (varies)	None

Option 1: Cash on Delivery (COD)

COD is still the most used payment method in Pakistan because buyers trust it. They pay only when the product arrives. It removes any fear of online fraud.

How to add COD in WooCommerce:

• Go to WooCommerce in your WordPress dashboard

• Click Settings, then Payments

• Find Cash on Delivery and click Enable

• Set your instructions, for example: Pay the delivery rider when your order arrives

The downside of COD: a buyer can refuse the package upon delivery.

It means you pay for shipping and return shipping with no sale. Limit COD to buyers in cities you can verify, or require a deposit for large orders.

Option 2: JazzCash

JazzCash is Pakistan’s most popular mobile wallet. It has millions of active users, especially in cities. 

Research shows that over 60% of Pakistani online shoppers prefer mobile wallets over credit cards.

How to Get a JazzCash Merchant Account

• Go to jazzcash.com.pk and click on Business

• Fill in your business details, CNIC, and bank account information

• Submit and wait for approval. It is usually a few business days.

• Once approved, you will receive your Merchant ID, Password, and Integrity Salt

How to Add JazzCash to WooCommerce

• Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and click Add New

• Search for jazz-cash in the search bar

• Install and activate the JazzCash plugin

• Go to WooCommerce, then Settings, then Payments

• Find JazzCash and click Enable

• Enter your Merchant ID, Password, Integrity Salt, and Return URL

• Save changes and test a small payment to confirm it works

Transaction fee: JazzCash charges 2-3% per transaction. There are no monthly fees.

Option 3: Easypaisa

Telenor Pakistan operates Easypaisa and has a strong presence in smaller cities and rural areas. 

Many Pakistani buyers who do not use JazzCash use Easypaisa. Offering both covers the widest possible audience.

How to Get an Easypaisa Merchant Account

• Go to easypaisa.com.pk and look for the merchant or business section

• Fill in your personal details, CNIC, and business information

• Submit your application and wait for approval

• Once approved, you will get your merchant credentials for integration

How to Add Easypaisa to WooCommerce

• Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and click Add New

• Search for WP EASYPAY PK

• Install and activate the plugin

• Go to WooCommerce, then Settings, then Payments

• Enable the Easypaisa payment method

• Add your Title, Description, and Order ID from your merchant account

• Save and run a test transaction

Offer both: Offering JazzCash AND Easypaisa means almost every mobile wallet user in Pakistan can pay you. Missing either one leaves money on the table.

Option 4: Bank Transfer

Bank transfer works well for customers who do not use mobile wallets or for large orders where buyers feel safer paying bank to bank. 

You set it up as a manual payment method in WooCommerce.

In WooCommerce Settings under Payments, enable Direct Bank Transfer and add your bank account details. 

Customers will see your account number at checkout and transfer the amount before you ship.

Option 5: RAAST

RAAST is Pakistan’s government-backed instant payment system. 

It lets customers transfer money between bank accounts instantly at no cost.

It is gaining popularity, especially among banked customers.

Ask your bank about enabling RAAST payments for your business account.

Step 6: Set Up Delivery

Payment and Delivery go together. If you accept digital payments but cannot deliver reliably, customers will not return.

The most used couriers for Pakistani online stores are:

• TCS: Wide coverage, trusted brand, good for high-value items
• Leopards Courier: Strong national network, popular with ecommerce sellers
• Trax: Built for e-commerce, COD collection included
• M&P (Motorcycle and Pick-up): Good for same-city deliveries

If you offer COD, choose a courier that collects payment on your behalf and transfers it to your account. Trax and Leopards both do this for e-commerce sellers.

Step 7: Help Customers Find Your Store

A store with no visitors makes no sales. These three channels drive the most traffic for Pakistani online stores:

• WhatsApp: Share your store link in your status and with existing contacts. Many Pakistani buyers place orders directly through WhatsApp before visiting a website.

• Facebook and Instagram: Run targeted ads to reach buyers in specific cities. Facebook is still very strong for reaching Pakistani shoppers in the 25-45 age group.

• Google search: Write product descriptions that include words people search for. For example, a customer finds a product called Ladies Lawn Suit Lahore more easily than one called Lawn Suit.

How Much Does It Cost to Start an Online Store in Pakistan?

Most guides avoid this question. Here is an honest breakdown in Pakistani Rupees:

What You Need	Estimated Cost (PKR)	Notes
Domain (.com or .pk)	Rs. 2,500 to 4,000/yr	Pick .pk for local trust
Web Hosting	Rs. 3,000 to 8,000/yr.	Shared hosting is fine to start
WooCommerce	is  free	open-source, no-license-fee
An SSL Certificate	is free	good hosting
JazzCash Merchant Account	Free to apply	~2 to 3% per transaction
Easypaisa Merchant Account	Free to apply	~2 to 3% per transaction
Total to launch (estimate)	Rs. 6,000 to 12,000/yr, excluding product costs

You can launch a clean, working WooCommerce store for under Rs. 12,000 per year. 

Most of that cost is for the domain and hosting. 

WooCommerce itself is free, and both JazzCash and Easypaisa merchant accounts are free to set up.

FAQs

1. Can I start an online store in Pakistan without registering a business?

Yes. You can start selling online as an individual without formal business registration. However, to apply for a JazzCash or Easypaisa merchant account, you will need your CNIC and a bank account. If your store grows, registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) gives you more credibility and access to business banking.

2. Is Shopify available in Pakistan?

Shopify is available in Pakistan, and you can use it to build your store. However, Shopify Payments is not available in Pakistan. You will need to connect JazzCash or Easypaisa as your payment method through a third-party app or manual payment setup.

3. Which payment method is best for a new Pakistani online store?

Start with Cash on Delivery to build customer trust early. Then add JazzCash and Easypaisa as soon as your merchant accounts are approved. Offering all three from the beginning gives every type of buyer a way to pay you.

4. Do I need a merchant account to accept JazzCash and Easypaisa?

Yes. Both JazzCash and Easypaisa require you to apply for a merchant account before you can accept payments through your website. The application is free. You will need your CNIC and business details. Approval usually takes a few business days.

5. What is the best hosting for a WooCommerce store in Pakistan?

Look for a hosting provider that offers a one-click WordPress installer, free SSL, cPanel access, and reliable support. 

At Truehost, we design our plans for exactly this. 

Our plans work well for WooCommerce stores starting in the Pakistani market.

Final Thoughts

Starting an online store in Pakistan is more achievable now than ever before. 

The market is growing, mobile payments are becoming normal, and the tools you need are affordable.

The most important step is getting your payments right. 

Set up JazzCash and Easypaisa alongside Cash on Delivery, and you will be ready to serve almost every type of Pakistani online buyer from day one.

Start with your domain and hosting. Everything else, your store, your products, and your payment setup, builds from that foundation.
Get your hosting set up today with Truehost Pakistan and have your WooCommerce store ready to take orders this week.