Who Can Get Asaan Karobar Card in Punjab?
What is the Asaan Karobar Card?
- The Asaan Karobar Card 2026 is a Punjab Government scheme that gives small entrepreneurs an interest-free loan of up to PKR 1 million through a digital SME card.
- The money is meant for business use only, is spent through digital channels such as a mobile app and point-of-sale payments, and is repaid over a fixed term set out by the scheme.
What the card is not
- The card is not a cash grant or for personal spending.
- It is a credit facility for approved business purposes, repaid on the scheme’s schedule.
Quick facts
Maximum limit: PKR 1 million. End-user interest rate: 0%. Loan type: Revolving credit facility for 12 months. Tenure of loan: 3 years. Repayment term: 24 equal monthly instalments after the first year. Grace period: 3 months from card issuance for repayment commencement. Processing fee: PKR 500, non-refundable. Annual card fee: PKR 25,000 + FED, recovered from the approved limit. Cash withdrawal: Up to 25% of the limit, for business purposes. Official portal link given on the Punjab Portal page: https://akc.punjab.gov.pk/cmpunjabfinance. Helpline shown on the official page: 1786.
The table summarises the official page only. It states no deadline or round, because the official page text checked did not state one — confirm the latest status on the official portal before applying.
What Is the Asaan Karobar Card Age Limit?
What is the maximum limit?
- The maximum limit is PKR 1 million. That is a ceiling, not a promise that every applicant will receive the full amount.
- The amount actually offered will depend on the checks below, including your credit assessment and business verification.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility, as listed on the official Punjab Portal page, is as follows:
- You must be a small entrepreneur in Punjab.
- Your age must be between 21 and 57 years.
- You must be a Pakistani national and a resident of Punjab.
- You must hold a valid CNIC, and your mobile number must be registered in your own name.
- Your business must be existing or prospective, and it must be located in Punjab.
- You must have a clean credit history, with no overdue loans.
- You must pass a satisfactory credit and psychometric assessment.
- Only one application is allowed per individual and per business.
Can a new business apply?
- A new business is not automatically excluded, since the official wording covers existing and prospective businesses in Punjab.
- It must still pass the credit and psychometric assessment, meet the age, residency, CNIC and mobile conditions, and pass verification.
How is it different from Asaan Karobar Finance?
- This card is not the larger Asaan Karobar Finance facility, covered in a separate guide.
- If your need is much larger, compare the two before choosing.
Asaan Karobar Card Loan Processing Fee and Charges
Does interest-free mean charge-free?
- “Interest-free” does not mean free of all charges, and this is the part applicants most often misunderstand.
- The end-user interest rate is 0%, but the official page lists charges that still apply.
What charges apply?
Processing fee
- First, there is a non-refundable processing fee of PKR 500, payable when you apply digitally.
- Non-refundable means you do not get it back if your application is declined, so check your eligibility carefully before you pay it.
Annual card fee
- Second, there is an annual card fee of PKR 25,000 plus FED, recovered from your approved limit.
- In plain terms, that fee comes out of the money available to you, so the amount you can actually spend will be less than the headline limit by at least that fee.
- Do not plan purchases as if the full PKR 1 million were spendable on day one.
Other charges
- The scheme covers life assurance and card issuance and delivery charges.
- Late payment charges, if any, follow the bank’s policy; the official page publishes no single late-fee figure, so do not rely on a third-party number.
How to Apply for Asaan Karobar Card 2026
Where do applications go?
- Applications are submitted digitally through the PITB portal, according to the official Punjab Portal page, and the portal link given on that page is https://akc.punjab.gov.pk/cmpunjabfinance.
- Use that official link, or the link shown on the current Punjab Portal page, rather than a link forwarded on social media or a look-alike website.
- This guide is independent and does not collect applications.
What should you have ready?
- The official page publishes no fixed, itemised document checklist in the text checked, so this draft does not invent one.
- Have ready your CNIC details, a mobile number registered in your own name, and your business details and location in Punjab.
- Expect digital verification of CNIC, creditworthiness and business premises, plus physical premises verification by the Urban Unit within six months of approval and annually thereafter.
A sensible approach
- Check each eligibility point against your own situation, especially age, Punjab residency, CNIC validity, mobile registration and credit history.
- Have your business details ready, including whether it is existing or prospective and where it is located.
- Go to the official portal link above and follow the steps shown on the portal itself on that day, rather than following screenshots from an old guide.
- Pay the PKR 500 processing fee only through the official portal process, and keep your payment reference.
- Keep a copy of what you submitted, and note any reference number the portal gives you.
If the portal differs from this guide, follow the portal and helpline (1786).
How Much Interest Does AKC Card Charge?
What can the money be used for?
- Once approved, the money is restricted to business-related purposes.
- The official page lists vendor and supplier payments, utility bills, government fees and taxes, and digital transactions through point-of-sale and the mobile app.
- Cash withdrawal is allowed up to 25% of the limit for miscellaneous business purposes.
- Non-essential transactions, such as personal consumption and entertainment, are blocked.
How are the funds released and repaid?
First 50% of the limit
- The first 50% of the limit is available for use within the first six months.
- There is a grace period of three months after card issuance before repayment commences.
- After those three months, you start paying monthly instalments, with a minimum monthly payment of 5% of the outstanding loan balance (principal portion only).
Second 50% of the limit
- The second 50% is released only when your usage has been satisfactory, your repayments have been regular, and you have registered with PRA/FBR.
- Registration with PRA/FBR is mandatory within six months of card issuance.
Repayment after the first year
- After the first year, the remaining balance is repaid over two years in equal instalments, giving the three-year tenure in the table.
- Your first six months matter twice over: you use the first half, and you build the record that unlocks the second half.
Why Is Asaan Karobar Card Application Pending?
Why might an application stay pending?
- The most likely reasons are the checks themselves: CNIC or mobile verification, credit assessment, psychometric assessment, or business-premises verification.
- The official page does not publish a processing-time promise, so this draft does not give one.
- A pending status is not the same as a rejection, and it is not a reason to submit a second application — only one application is allowed per individual and business, so a duplicate can create a new problem instead of solving the old one.
What if your details change?
- If something in your application changes, such as your mobile number or business address, do not guess how to update it.
- Use the official portal and helpline on 1786.
- If a verification visit is arranged, make sure someone who can answer business questions is present.
Where can new businesses find help?
- For new businesses, feasibility studies are available on the PSIC and Bank of Punjab websites, according to the official page.
Beware of scams
- Only apply through the official portal link above.
- No genuine officer will ask for your OTP, password, or a payment to a personal account to “release” your card.
Frequently asked questions
Is the card loan interest-free? Yes, according to the official Punjab Portal page, the end-user interest rate is 0%. That does not remove the PKR 500 processing fee or the annual card fee of PKR 25,000 plus FED.
What fees still apply? The processing fee is PKR 500 and is non-refundable. The annual card fee is PKR 25,000 plus FED, recovered from your approved limit. Life assurance and card issuance and delivery charges are covered by the scheme. Late payment charges, if any, follow the bank’s policy.
Can a startup apply? The official eligibility wording covers existing or prospective businesses located in Punjab, so a new business is not excluded on that ground alone. You must still meet the age, residency, CNIC, mobile, credit-history and assessment conditions, and pass verification.
How much can I borrow? The maximum limit is PKR 1 million, subject to the scheme’s checks. The first 50% is available within six months; the second 50% follows only on satisfactory usage, regular repayments and PRA/FBR registration.
Why is my application pending? Usually a verification or assessment step is still in progress. Do not submit a duplicate application; check the portal and call 1786 for case-specific help.
What is the Asaan Karobar helpline? The helpline shown on the official Punjab Portal page is 1786. Use it for case-specific questions, and use the official portal for applications and status checks.
Disclaimer
My Punjab Scheme is an independent information website and is not affiliated with the Government of Punjab. Apply only through official government portals. This guide explains the scheme in general terms; it does not accept applications, does not promise approval, and does not ask for your CNIC, OTP, password, or bank details. Always confirm the current terms, fees, and application steps on the official portal before you apply or pay anything.
Official sources
Punjab Portal — CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Card: https://punjab.gov.pk/asaan-karobar-card (checked 27 Oct 2026; this is the source for the limit, tenure, repayment pattern, eligibility, fees, usage rules, security, and helpline in this draft)
Official portal link given on that page: https://akc.punjab.gov.pk/cmpunjabfinance
Entities named in the Excel research and on the official page: Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC), Bank of Punjab, Government of Punjab, PITB, FBR, PRA, NADRA, Urban Unit
Last verified: 27 Oct 2026.