08/08/2026
IT Exporters & Freelancers: What to Do When Your Bank Delays Your Foreign Payment?
Bank delaying your IT export payment? Facing problems with your foreign currency account, corporate card, inward remittance or outward payment?
If you are a software house, IT/ITeS company, digital services exporter or freelancer in Pakistan, you do not necessarily have to keep visiting the bank branch or wait indefinitely for a resolution.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) have established different facilitation channels for IT exporters and freelancers to help resolve banking and industry-related problems.
This guide explains what you can do, where to complain, what information to provide and which channel to use.
First: What Kind of Problem Are You Facing?
Before making a complaint, identify the exact nature of your problem.
Common issues faced by IT exporters and freelancers include:
• Foreign client payment delayed by the bank
• Inward export remittance not credited
• Problems with export proceeds
• Delay in opening an IT/exporter bank account
• Problems with an Exporters' Special Foreign Currency Account (ESFCA)
• Problems with corporate debit cards
• Difficulty making permitted outward remittances
• Bank asking for repeated or unclear documentation
• IT export transaction being delayed or rejected
• Bank not following applicable SBP instructions
• Other banking or foreign-exchange-related issues
The first rule is simple: don't just complain verbally. Create a written record.
Step 1 – Complain to Your Bank First
If you are facing a banking problem, start with your bank.
Contact the relevant:
Branch → Relationship Manager → Foreign Exchange/Export Department → Bank Complaint Channel
Clearly explain:
1. What transaction or service is involved?
2. When did you submit the request?
3. What documents did you provide?
4. What response did the bank give?
5. What exactly are you asking the bank to do?
Example
Instead of writing:
"My payment is not coming. Please resolve."
Write:
"An inward export remittance of USD 5,000 against Invoice No. IT-102 dated 5 August 2026 was received from our foreign client. The required documents were submitted to the bank on 7 August 2026, but the amount has not yet been credited to our account. Kindly confirm the reason for the delay and process the transaction in accordance with applicable SBP regulations."
This creates a much stronger record.
Step 2 – Keep Evidence of Everything
This is one of the most important steps for IT exporters and freelancers.
Before escalating the matter, keep copies of all relevant documents.
Depending on your issue, these may include:
• Bank emails
• Bank rejection or delay messages
• Transaction/reference number
• Invoice
• Client agreement or contract
• Purchase order, where applicable
• Bank statement
• PRC or relevant remittance evidence
• Export documents
• Account details
• Screenshots of online banking
• Previous complaint/reference number
• Correspondence with the relationship manager
• Any documents submitted to the bank
Why is this important?
Because when you escalate a complaint, the regulator or facilitation body needs to understand:
What happened → When it happened → What you submitted → What the bank did → What remains unresolved
A properly documented complaint is much easier to understand and investigate.
Step 3 – Escalate IT Export Banking Issues to SBP
If you are an IT/ITeS exporter or freelancer and are facing a relevant banking or foreign-exchange issue, SBP provides a dedicated facilitation channel.
SBP IT Exporters Facilitation Email
[email protected]
This channel was established specifically to facilitate IT exporters and address banking-related issues and concerns.
What Should You Write in the Email?
Keep it short, factual and professional.
Include:
1. Your business/freelancer details
• Name
• Company name, if applicable
• PSEB registration details, if applicable
• Contact number
2. Bank details
• Bank name
• Branch
• City
• Relevant department/person, if known
3. Problem
Clearly explain what happened.
4. Transaction details
Where relevant:
• Amount
• Currency
• Date
• Invoice number
• Transaction/reference number
5. Action already taken
Mention when you contacted the bank and what response you received.
6. Supporting documents
Attach relevant evidence.
A Simple Complaint Format for IT Exporters
You can use the following structure when contacting SBP:
Subject:
Banking Facilitation Request – IT Export Payment / [Your Issue]
Email:
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are an IT/ITeS exporter/freelancer based in Pakistan and are facing the following banking-related issue:
Bank: [Bank Name]
Branch: [Branch/City]
Transaction: [Brief details]
Amount: [Amount & Currency]
Date: [Date]
Invoice/Reference: [Number]
We approached the bank on [date] and submitted the required documents. However, the issue remains unresolved.
We request your assistance in facilitating the resolution of this matter.
Relevant correspondence and supporting documents are attached for reference.
Regards,
[Name]
[Company/Freelancer Name]
[Contact Number]
Step 4 – Use the SBP Sunwai Portal
Another important option is the SBP Sunwai Portal.
Sunwai is SBP's digital complaint management platform through which customers can lodge and track complaints relating to regulated financial institutions.
Open SBP Sunwai Portal
When Should You Use Sunwai?
Consider using the portal when:
• You have a banking complaint that remains unresolved
• You need to formally lodge a complaint
• You want a digital record of your complaint
• You want to track the progress of the complaint
• The matter concerns a regulated banking institution
Tip: Keep your bank complaint/reference number and supporting correspondence available when submitting your complaint.
Step 5 – PSEB MARKAZ: Your IT Industry Facilitation Channel
Not every problem is purely a banking problem.
Sometimes an IT company may have an issue involving:
• PSEB registration
• PSEB renewal
• Banking coordination
• SECP
• FBR
• ISP-related matters
• Other government or IT-industry facilitation issues
For such matters, IT companies and freelancers can also approach PSEB MARKAZ.
PSEB MARKAZ
Helpline: 0800-01010
Email: [email protected]
MARKAZ is intended to act as a one-window facilitation mechanism for Pakistan's IT industry.
Which Channel Should You Use?
This is the easiest way to decide:
Your Problem Where to Start
Bank account issue Your Bank
Delayed inward IT export payment Bank → SBP IT Exporters Facilitation
ESFCA issue Bank → SBP
Corporate card issue Bank → SBP IT Exporters Facilitation
Outward remittance issue Bank → SBP
Unresolved banking complaint SBP Sunwai
PSEB registration/renewal PSEB
FBR/SECP/industry facilitation issue PSEB MARKAZ
Multiple government/IT-sector issues PSEB MARKAZ
Remember:
Bank first → Escalate if unresolved → Use the appropriate SBP/PSEB channel
What Is an ESFCA and Why Should IT Exporters Care?
An Exporters' Special Foreign Currency Account (ESFCA) is an important facility within Pakistan's foreign exchange framework.
SBP has provided enhanced foreign exchange retention and utilization facilities for eligible IT and ITeS exporters and freelancers.
For eligible IT exporters, the ability to retain and utilize a portion of export proceeds in foreign currency can be important for international business operations.
This is why IT exporters should understand:
• How export proceeds are received
• How the transaction is classified
• Their bank's export procedures
• ESFCA requirements
• Permitted utilization of foreign currency
• Relevant documentation
Don't treat your foreign payment as just an ordinary bank transfer.
The correct banking treatment can matter for your foreign exchange compliance, tax records and accounting.
IT Export Payment: Keep the Complete Trail
One of the best practices for an IT exporter is to maintain a complete transaction trail.
For every significant foreign client, try to maintain:
Client Agreement
↓
Invoice
↓
Banking Transaction
↓
Foreign Remittance
↓
PRC / Relevant Banking Evidence
↓
Accounting Record
↓
Tax Return / Supporting Records
This documentation can become extremely valuable if the bank, FBR or any other authority later asks you to explain the source and nature of a receipt.
A Common Mistake Made by Freelancers
Many freelancers focus only on:
"Payment aa gayi hai."
But an IT freelancer should also ask:
Payment kis nature ki hai?
Bank mein kis purpose ke under receive hui?
Kya proper invoice/agreement available hai?
Kya remittance evidence maintain kiya hai?
Kya accounting records mein properly recorded hai?
Kya tax return mein correctly reported hai?
Receiving money is only one part of compliance.
Proper documentation and correct classification are equally important.
Don't Wait Until There Is a Problem
If you are regularly receiving international payments, establish your documentation system from day one.
Maintain a folder for each major client containing:
📁 Client Agreement
📁 Invoices
📁 Payment confirmations
📁 Bank statements
📁 PRCs/remittance evidence
📁 Correspondence
📁 Tax records
📁 Accounting records
For larger IT companies, maintain a proper monthly reconciliation between:
Invoices → Bank Receipts → PRCs → Accounts → Tax Records
This can save significant time when a transaction needs to be explained later.
What If the Bank Keeps Asking for Documents?
This is a common frustration for exporters.
Instead of repeatedly submitting documents without understanding the requirement, ask the bank to clearly communicate:
"Please provide the specific regulatory/documentary requirement applicable to this transaction."
Then ask for the request in writing where practical.
This helps you understand whether the issue is:
• Missing documentation
• Incorrect documentation
• Internal bank approval
• Foreign exchange compliance
• Transaction classification
• KYC/AML requirements
• A technical issue
• Another regulatory requirement
Once the actual reason is known, the problem becomes much easier to address.
What IT Exporters Should NOT Do
❌ Don't ignore bank correspondence
A delayed response can make a simple issue more complicated.
❌ Don't rely only on telephone calls
Keep written evidence wherever possible.
❌ Don't submit incomplete information
A complaint without transaction details may result in additional correspondence and delay.
❌ Don't mix personal and business transactions unnecessarily
Maintain clear records for business/export receipts.
❌ Don't treat tax and banking as separate worlds
Your bank records, invoices, accounting records and tax return should tell the same story.
Quick Checklist Before Contacting SBP
Before sending your complaint, ask yourself:
☐ Have I contacted my bank first?
☐ Do I have the bank's response?
☐ Do I know the exact transaction/reference number?
☐ Do I have the invoice?
☐ Do I have the client agreement/contract where relevant?
☐ Do I have supporting banking documents?
☐ Have I clearly explained what happened?
☐ Have I clearly stated what resolution I want?
☐ Have I attached relevant evidence?
If the answer is YES, your complaint is likely to be much clearer and easier to process.
Important Contacts for IT Exporters & Freelancers
State Bank of Pakistan – IT Exporter Facilitation
Email:
[email protected]
SBP Sunwai
Submit or Track a Banking Complaint on Sunwai
PSEB MARKAZ
Helpline: 0800-01010
Email: [email protected]
PSEB
Pakistan Software Export Board
Final Advice from Dawar's Associates
For IT companies and freelancers, foreign payments are not simply about receiving money in your bank account.
A successful IT export setup should connect:
Client Contract + Invoice + Banking + Foreign Exchange Compliance + Accounting + Tax Compliance
If one part is weak, problems can arise later.
Therefore, if you are an IT exporter or freelancer receiving international payments, make sure your banking, accounting, tax and corporate records are properly aligned.
And if your bank is delaying or refusing a legitimate IT-export-related transaction, don't just keep waiting.
Document the issue.
Approach the bank.
Escalate where appropriate.
Use SBP's facilitation channels.
Use Sunwai where applicable.
And contact PSEB MARKAZ for broader IT-sector facilitation.
Need Help With IT Exporter Compliance?
Dawar's Associates – Tax & Corporate Consultants
We assist businesses and IT professionals with areas including:
• Income Tax Compliance
• Corporate Tax
• IT/ITeS Exporter Tax Matters
• Accounting & Bookkeeping
• Corporate Compliance
• FBR Compliance
• SECP Compliance
• Foreign Remittance & Documentation Guidance
• Business Structuring
Don't wait for a notice or banking problem to organize your compliance.
Get your banking, accounting, tax and corporate records aligned from the beginning.
Dawar's Associates
Tax & Corporate Consultants – Islamabad, Pakistan
