Buying a prize bond in Pakistan takes about ten minutes at the counter — but a few small decisions you make there (which denomination, bearer or registered, and whether you record your numbers) decide whether you actually collect a prize later. This guide walks through the whole process.
Where you can buy prize bonds
Prize bonds are issued by the Government of Pakistan through the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS). You can buy them from three kinds of counters:
- National Savings Centres (NSC) — the main network, present in almost every city and large town.
- State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Banking Services Corporation field offices — the larger branches that also handle big prize payments.
- Authorised commercial bank branches — most major banks are designated to sell and encash prize bonds. Not every branch of a bank is authorised, so it is worth calling the branch first.
Bonds are sold at face value. A Rs. 750 bond costs exactly Rs. 750 — there is no commission, no service charge and no premium at the counter. If anyone asks for extra, you are not at an authorised counter.
Which denominations are still issued
Two families of bonds are currently in circulation:
- Bearer bonds — Rs. 100, Rs. 200, Rs. 750 and Rs. 1,500. Whoever physically holds the bond owns it. No CNIC is recorded against the bond number.
- Premium (registered) bonds — Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 40,000. These are registered in your name against your CNIC, and prizes are transferred to your bank account.
Several older bearer denominations (Rs. 7,500, Rs. 15,000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 40,000 bearer) were discontinued in phases and are no longer sold. If you are holding one of those, read our separate guide on discontinued bonds rather than taking it to a sales counter.
What you need to take with you
For bearer bonds you simply pay cash or present a cheque. For larger purchases the counter will normally ask for your CNIC for record-keeping under anti-money-laundering rules, even though the bond itself stays unregistered.
For premium bonds you must bring:
- Your original CNIC (and a photocopy)
- Your bank account details — the prize is credited there, so the account must be in your own name
- A completed purchase/registration form, which the counter provides
Before you leave the counter — check these four things
- The denomination printed on the bond matches what you paid for.
- The issue date stamped on the face of the bond. This matters more than people realise: a bond is only eligible for a draw that takes place after its issue date.
- The bond number and series are clearly printed and not smudged. A damaged number is the single most common reason a claim is delayed.
- The paper itself — genuine bonds are printed on security paper with a watermark and a security thread. Hold it up to the light before you walk away.
Record your numbers the same day
Almost every unclaimed prize in Pakistan has the same story behind it: the bond was bought, put in a drawer, and never checked. Photograph the bonds, and enter the numbers somewhere you will actually look — a notebook, a phone note, or a free wallet account on this site that checks every new draw for you automatically.
How much should you buy?
An ordinary bearer prize bond is not a savings scheme with a return; it is a lottery attached to a fully refundable deposit. Your capital is safe and can be encashed at any counter, but it earns nothing while it sits there. (Premium bonds are the exception — they carry a Government-notified periodic profit as well as the draws.) Most people treat prize bonds as the "fun" slice of savings and keep the bulk of their money in instruments that actually pay a profit. Buying more bonds of the same denomination increases your chances proportionally — buying one Rs. 40,000 premium bond and forty Rs. 1,000 worth of Rs. 100 bonds are very different bets, so decide which prize table you actually want to be in before you buy.
After you buy
Check the draw schedule for your denomination so you know when the next draw is due, and keep the bonds somewhere fireproof if you can. A bearer bond is like cash: if it is lost, it is gone.