HBL international money transfer: Your full guide

Habib Bank Limited (HBL) is the largest bank in Pakistan and is serving 27 million people around the world.¹

HBL offers remittance transfers services if you need to send money from abroad to Pakistan. Learn how HBL remittance transfers work and what you can expect the next time you send money home.

Send money to Pakistan with the real exchange rate and low fees with Wise Web/Android/ iOS app

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How to remit money to Pakistan with HBL

HBL offers 3 different ways to send money to Pakistan from overseas:

• Konnect Home Remittance Amount
• HBL Direct Credit
• HBL Cash over Counter

HBL Direct Credit and Cash over the Counter are HBL FastTransfer services. Both let you send money to Pakistan online quickly. The money can be received in an HBL account in Pakistan, another bank account, or picked up as cash.²

Overall, HBL transfer services are for sending money to Pakistan for family support, education, gifts, and other personal expenses.

HBL does offer one other account, called the eBanc Roshan Digital Account, which is a Shariah-compliant account for Non-Resident Pakistanis to send remittances for investments in Pakistan. These investments include CDC, Government issued bonds, and real estate investments.

To send or remit money using HBL, you will need to go to an HBL overseas branch to sign up or have an existing HBL overseas account. If you have an existing account, you can go to a branch or use phone or digital banking to send your remittance.

HBL Konnect Home Remittance Account

The HBL Konnect Home Remittance Account lets overseas senders transfer money directly to a mobile account in Pakistan. Konnect makes it easier to send money because the sender does not need the recipient’s bank account number. Instead, you can transfer the money to the recipient’s registered Konnect mobile number in Pakistan.

Senders need to have an HBL account and visit an international HBL branch partner to get started. Your recipient will need to be signed up for Konnect in Pakistan and you will need the registered mobile number.

HBL Direct Credit

HBL Direct Credit lets overseas senders send money to any HBL account or other bank account in Pakistan. It is a digital money transfer so the money gets deposited right into a local Pakistani bank account. Receivers can find this convenient since it does not require going to a bank.

HBL Direct Credit instantly credits HBL accounts in Pakistan and is free to use. If the transfer is to another bank in Pakistan, the service is still free and the local bank account will get the money within the same day.

To send to either account, you will need the full International Bank Account Number (IBAN) and the recipient’s valid mobile number for SMS confirmation.

HBL Cash over Counter

HBL Cash over Counter lets overseas senders transfer money to an HBL branch in Pakistan. The recipient can then pick up the money in cash from any HBL branch in the country. This method is helpful if cash is required or the recipient does not have a bank account. HBL also has 1600 branches across Pakistan and the money can be picked up from the recipient’s local HBL branch.

The service is available to the sender for free. But you will either have to have an existing HBL account or visit an international HBL branch to complete the transaction. Once the transfer is complete, send your recipient the remittance reference number so they can pick up the cash in Pakistan.

Receiving money internationally with HBL

Residents of Pakistan can receive money from overseas senders with HBL. Here are the different ways to receive the funds. But make sure you have confirmed how the sender is transferring the money so you can take the right steps to receive it.

HBL Konnect Home Remittance Account

You will need to be registered for Konnect services to receive money from abroad through the HBL Konnect Home Remittance service. Here are the steps:³

1. Find your closest Konnect agent
2. Signup with your information biometric details
3. Register your mobile number
4. Receive SMS confirmation of your registration
5. Give your sender your registered Konnect mobile number
6. Receive notification by SMS when the money arrives

Once you receive the money, you can decide whether to keep it in your account or withdraw it. You will need to go to a Konnect agent branch to withdraw the money, and biometric verification may be required before getting the cash. Konnect also has a fee for cash withdrawal from the agent that is between Rs. 7- Rs. 680 based on the amount.⁴

HBL Direct Credit

HBL Direct Credit is a simple way for recipients to get a money transfer. The money from overseas is converted and deposited directly into the recipient’s local Pakistani bank account. The recipient will be notified by SMS when the money has been deposited and cleared to use. Direct credit does not require going to a bank, but the recipient will need to make sure the sender has the exact account and bank details correct before sending the money.⁵

HBL Cash over Counter

HBL Cash over Counter lets recipients pick up money transfers in cash from any HBL branch in Pakistan. This is best for a person without a bank account or if Rupees in cash are needed.

To pick up the cash, a recipient will need to bring the following documents to the HBL bank branch in Pakistan to verify their identity and the transfer:⁶

• The remittance reference number.
• A valid CNIC
• A registered mobile phone number starting with 923

HBL international money transfer charges

HBL has a transaction fee to transfer money from abroad to Pakistan, but it depends on how much you send. For example, HBL UK has a fee of £10 when sending any amount below £15 0. But the fee goes to £0 if the amount is above £150. With a £0 fee, HBL can often be cheaper than alternatives.

HBL also has a fee in the exchange rate on international transfers. For every pound or dollar that is converted, there is a small fee tucked into the exchange rate from HBL. This is because HBL’s exchange rate is lower than the mid-market rate you see on Google.

This can seem like a small fee, but it can cost more when sending money to Pakistan.

Wise uses the real exchange rate without an extra fee which means more money gets to your recipient in Pakistan. Wise is fully online so you can make transfers to Pakistan right from your home on your computer or mobile. Wise does have a small fee when making transfers.

Many of HBL’s transfer options require going to an international bank branch to do the transfer. And that can cost money and time.

Send money to Pakistan with Wise

Wise uses smart technology to make transfers smooth and low-cost. Wise can send money to your loved ones back home directly to their bank account. And on popular routes, the money can arrive within a few seconds.

Here are the steps to get started on your first transfer:

1. Head to the Wise website or download the Android/ iOS app
2. Click on Sign up to register
3. Input your details, or sign up easily with your Google or Facebook account
4. Once registered, use the Wise calculator to input how much you want to send
5. Review the amount in Rupees, the fee, and the delivery date
6. Provide additional details and who you are sending the money to
7. Input your recipient’s bank details
8. Review your transfer
9. Pay for your transfer with a credit or debit card, or bank transfer
10. Complete your transfer

Wise will let you know when your transfer is done and sent. Your recipient will receive the money right into their bank account in Pakistan.

Time it takes to receive money with HBL

The time it takes to receive money depends on how the sender has done the transfer. HBL Direct Credit will be completed instantly if it is to another HBL account, or within the same day to another bank in Pakistan.

HBL ensures a fast transfer but does not say how long Cash over Counter or Konnect Home Remittance take. An HBL representative can give you an approximation at the bank branch.

HBL remittance limit

There is no limit on HBL Direct Credit deposits to a Pakistani bank account.

The maximum a recipient can pick up for Cash over Counter is Rs. 500,000.

The Konnect Home Remittance Account has withdrawal and balance limits: