1Link Explained

1Link is a consortium of major banks that own and operate the largest representative interbank network in Pakistan and is incorporated under the Company Law, Section 42 by Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

History

Timeline

• Year 1999: ABN AMRO and Askari Bank connected their ATM network to provide expanded services to their customers.^[1]
• Year 2002: SBP circular for the mandatory connectivity of either of the two switches (1LINK or MNET).^[2]
• Year 2003: 1LINK formed with a consortium of eleven founder banks.
• Year 2004: SBP instructed 1LINK and MNET to interconnect with each other.^[1]
• Year 2005: 1LINK partnership with Visa International using cutting edge technology
• Year 2006: 1LINK launched Inter Bank Funds Transfer Service (IBFT)
• Year 2007: 1LINK launched Utility Bill Payment Service (UBPS)

1LINK was converted to a Private Limited Company under section 49 of Companies Act 2017 on July 5, 2018.

1LINK is owned by the consortium of eleven major banks of the country and operates through a chief executive officer. The company Board consists of eleven directors, one from each founder member bank.

1LINK Members

The number of 1LINK member banks has increased rapidly since the inception of the company in 2004.

1LINK is the largest banking consortium in Pakistan. The State Bank of Pakistan has mandated that all commercial banks in Pakistan, both foreign and domestic, become members of 1LINK. Additionally, the four switches have been interconnected since 2006, which means that a consumer holding an ATM or debit card issued by any bank in Pakistan may use any ATM located throughout the country.

• Member Banks - 37
• Affiliates Members - 06
• White Label ATMs - 01
• Billers - 730
• Exchange Companies -04^[3]

PayPak - Domestic Payment Scheme

See main article: PayPak. In line with State Bank of Pakistan vision 2020 to enhance and promote financial inclusion, 1LINK launched Pakistan’s first domestic payment scheme – PayPak in April, 2016.^[4]

PayPak has 10% of market share in terms of volume of cards in the market.^[5]

While Visa has 40%, Mastercard and UnionPay have 25% each of market share.

See also

• Raast

Notes and References

1. Web site: State Bank of Pakistan. 2021-01-25. www.sbp.org.pk.
2. Web site: State Bank of Pakistan. 2021-01-25. www.sbp.org.pk.
3. Web site: 1Link -Business Partners. 2021-01-25. 2021-02-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210201220927/https://1link.net.pk/buisness-partners/. dead.
4. Web site: 1Link -PayPak. 2021-01-25. 2019-07-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20190723211858/https://1link.net.pk/pay-pak/. dead.
5. Web site: 2021-01-24. SBP wants the cheap PayPak to be the default debit card; the banks don't. 2021-02-19. Profit by Pakistan Today. en-US.