Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor for Feb 20 – Mar 20, 2026 shows a marked shift in Ramadan spending across Pakistan, with premium Visa consumer card activity rising sharply and in‑store behaviour changing according to time of day and occasion.
Spending on Visa premium consumer cards increased by 80% year‑over‑year, driven by higher outlays in travel, everyday retail and food categories. The trend reflected both greater inbound visitor activity and elevated domestic consumption ahead of and during Eid‑ul‑Fitr.
Inbound travel spending in Pakistan using premium Visa cards rose about 30%, led by visitors from Saudi Arabia, Canada, Ireland, Turkey and Italy. Outbound travel spending from Pakistan on premium cards climbed around 35%, with booking behaviour skewed toward shorter lead times as 70% of trips were booked within one month. Pakistani travellers allocated 65% of outbound travel spending to trips lasting more than three days, with destinations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK seeing a 55% increase in spend.
Ramadan spending patterns combined pre‑month stock‑up with sustained in‑month activity. In the week before Ramadan (11–17 Feb) food and grocery spend rose 25% compared to the prior week. During Ramadan, retail accounted for roughly 10% of in‑store spending while food and dining made up about 25% of in‑store activity. Consumers shifted purchase timing, with post‑Iftar evening spending (9pm–11pm) up 30% and pre‑Sehri spending (12am–4am) up 85% versus non‑Ramadan weeks.
Spending peaked around Eid‑ul‑Fitr, with total activity up 10% during the Eid period (16–19 Mar) compared with the preceding days (12–15 Mar). During Eid, food and quick‑service restaurant spend increased 15% and retail spending rose 40%, underscoring the seasonal uplift for merchants and foodservice outlets across major cities.
Umar S. Khan, Country Manager for Visa in Pakistan & Afghanistan, noted that the Ramadan and Eid period drove higher spending across travel and everyday retail categories and highlighted opportunities for businesses to deliver more relevant and seamless commerce experiences to consumers during these key seasonal moments.
The VCA Retail Spend Monitor, produced by Visa Consulting & Analytics, covered activity from Feb 20 to Mar 20, 2026 and is based on a subset of VisaNet data combined with survey‑based estimates for other payment methods. The analysis offers actionable insight for issuers, merchants and travel operators looking to respond to evolving Ramadan spending patterns in Pakistan.
