Pakistan vs Argentina · Real-time payment systems compared
| Capability | Raast | SNP |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | — | ◐ |
| Wallet Support | — | ◐ |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | — | — |
| ISO 20022 | ✓ | — |
| Request to Pay | — | ✓ |
| Open API | ◐ | ◐ |
| Alias/Proxy | ✓ | ✓ |
Pakistan's instant payment system launched by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) as part of its Digital Pakistan vision. Raast (meaning "direct path" in Urdu) enables 24/7 real-time transfers between banks and fintech providers via IBAN, mobile number (Raast ID), or CNIC (national ID). Designed with ISO 20022 messaging from the ground up, Raast supports P2P, P2M, and bulk/salary disbursements. With Pakistan's 220M+ population and only ~30% banked, Raast is a critical financial inclusion tool. It also includes a request-to-pay feature and plans for QR-based merchant payments.
Argentina's Sistema Nacional de Pagos enables instant interbank transfers supporting both push (credit) and pull (debit) payments via CBU (bank account), CVU (virtual wallet), or alias (human-readable name). Operated by the BCRA, it connects traditional banks and the rapidly growing fintech/e-wallet ecosystem (Mercado Pago, Ualá, etc.). Transferencias 3.0 extended the system with interoperable QR codes for merchant payments, making it one of Latin America's most feature-rich instant payment platforms.