How to Pay PTA Tax Online with Your PSID
To pay PTA tax online, first apply on the DIRBS website (dirbs.pta.gov.pk) or dial *8484# to get a PSID, the FBR payment slip ID with your tax amount. Then pay that PSID within 7 days, at any commercial bank or through a bank app or wallet that accepts FBR PSID payments. Once FBR confirms the payment, DIRBS changes your status from Pending to Approved and the phone works with any Pakistani SIM.
Updated 24 October 2026
PTA tax payment method in short
Paying PTA tax is a two-part job. You cannot pay first and register later: - Step 1: Apply for registration on DIRBS or with *8484#. This creates the PSID and a tracking ID. - Step 2: Pay the PSID amount through a bank branch, a bank app or a wallet. - Step 3: Wait for FBR to confirm the payment, then check the status on 8484.
The PSID carries the exact amount FBR has set for your phone. It depends on the phone's value in US dollars and on whether you register on CNIC or passport. Rates change through budgets and FBR notices, so treat any figure you read online as a guide only. The PSID amount is the one that counts. Our guide on PTA tax on mobile phones (PTA Tax on Mobile Phones: How It Is Calculated and Paid) explains how the tax is worked out.
Last checked: October 2026.
How to generate a PSID for PTA tax
You can generate the PSID in two ways: - DIRBS website: open dirbs.pta.gov.pk, go to the Device Registration System (DRS), sign up with your email and a Pakistani number in your name, choose CNIC or passport registration and enter every IMEI of the phone (dial *#06# to see them). - *8484#: dial it from a SIM registered in your name, choose registration and follow the menu.
Either way, you get an SMS from 8484 with the PSID, the amount and a tracking ID. The same details show in your DRS account. Check that the IMEIs are typed correctly before you submit. A wrong digit means you pay tax on an IMEI that is not your phone's.
The full registration steps are in how to register a mobile with PTA (How to Register Your Mobile with PTA (DIRBS Guide)).
Paying through a bank app: HBL, Meezan, Alfa and others
Most big banks let you pay FBR PSIDs in their mobile apps. The menu name varies, but the steps are much the same: - Open the app and look for Bill Payment, Government Payments, FBR, Tax or 1Bill - Choose FBR or Customs PSID (sometimes called 'FBR IRIS / Customs') - Enter the PSID number exactly as it appears in the 8484 SMS - Check the name and amount the app shows, then confirm - Save the receipt or screenshot
People often search how to pay PTA tax through the HBL app, the Meezan Bank app or the Alfa app. All three are large banks, and these steps are the usual route in their apps. Menus change after app updates, though. If you cannot find the FBR option, call the bank's helpline or pay at a branch. The DIRBS FAQs say any commercial bank in Pakistan can take the payment over the counter, and the money reaches FBR through 1-Link.
Paying through Easypaisa or JazzCash
Easypaisa and JazzCash are connected to 1-Link's bill system, and many users pay government PSIDs through them. The flow is usually: - Open the app and go to Bill Payments or Government Payments - Pick FBR, Customs or 1Bill Invoice - Type the PSID and check the amount shown - Pay from your wallet balance and keep the transaction ID
Wallets have daily and monthly limits. PTA tax on a costly phone, such as a flagship iPhone, can be more than your wallet allows in one go. In that case, use a bank app or a branch. If the app does not show your PSID, or shows a different amount, do not pay until you have checked the SMS and your DRS account.
PTA tax kaise pay kare online (Roman Urdu)
Simple tareeqa: - Phone par *#06# dial karke IMEI note karein - dirbs.pta.gov.pk par account banayein ya *8484# dial karein - IMEI aur CNIC/passport daal kar apply karein. 8484 se PSID aur amount ka SMS aa jayega - PSID 7 din ke andar bank app, Easypaisa, JazzCash ya bank branch se jama karein - Payment ke baad IMEI 8484 par SMS karke status check karein
PTA tax kaise jama kare, is ka jawab bas yahi hai: pehle PSID banwayein, phir PSID ki payment karein. Bina PSID ke koi bank PTA tax nahi le sakta.
After paying: PTA tax payment check and PSID tracking
Once your payment goes through, FBR sends a confirmation to DIRBS and your application changes from Pending to Approved. The DIRBS FAQs do not give a fixed time. They say registered IMEIs are sent to the mobile operators for unblocking every hour. To check: - SMS each IMEI to 8484 and wait for a 'compliant' or registered reply - Log in to your DRS account and look at the application status against your tracking ID - Restart the phone once the status shows Approved
For PSID tracking, use the tracking ID from the first SMS. It is the reference PTA asks for if you ever need to complain. How to check PTA status (How to Check PTA Status of Any Mobile Phone) explains what each 8484 reply means.
Common PSID problems and fixes
Most payment problems come from a handful of causes: - PSID expired: a PSID is valid for 7 days. After that the application is deleted and the bank or app will reject it. Apply again for a new PSID. - Typing error: one wrong digit gives 'invalid PSID' or someone else's bill. Copy it straight from the SMS. - Amount mismatch: if the bank shows a different amount from your SMS, stop. The FAQs say errors of this kind go to the nearest FBR Custom House. - App outage: 1-Link or a bank app can be down for a few hours. Try later or use a branch. - Paid but status still Pending: give it time, then check with your bank that the payment reached FBR. If it is stuck, complain to PTA with the receipt.
PTA does not refund money paid against the wrong PSID. It asks you to take that up with FBR, so check carefully before you press Pay.
Buying Non PTA? Plan the tax before you pay for the phone
Many buyers choose a Non PTA or Non Custom box pack phone because the price is lower, and then decide whether to pay the PTA tax. A few tips: - Generate the PSID first if you can. It shows the real tax for your model before you commit. - Remember that a genuine Non PTA phone works on a Pakistani SIM for 60 days from first use. After that it needs registration or Wi-Fi only use. - Registering on passport costs differently from CNIC. Check which route you qualify for. - Keep the box. The IMEI on the label helps if any question comes up.
Our phones are Non Custom (box pack, except our iPhone 11 to 15 series, which are used units), factory unlocked and carry their original IMEIs, so you can register them through DIRBS like any other phone. See Non PTA mobiles (Imported Mobiles) for current models; live prices are on each model page.
