Card Machine There, But Cash Only for Vaccine?
Journalist A. Waheed Murad says staff at Chughtai Lab’s Blue Area vaccination centre declined card payment for a reported Rs3,300 vaccination fee and directed him to withdraw cash from a nearby ATM; the claim has not yet been independently verified.
ISLAMABAD: A journalist has raised questions over payment practices at a private vaccination centre in Islamabad’s Blue Area after alleging that staff refused to accept payment by card for a vaccination despite having a card-payment facility at the premises.
Journalist Alleges Card Payment Was Refused
In a social-media post, journalist A. Waheed Murad said he visited Chughtai Lab’s vaccination centre in Blue Area, where he was reportedly asked to pay Rs3,300 for a vaccination.
According to Murad, staff declined to take the amount through his bank card and instead directed him to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash.
Murad further claimed that when he questioned why the card machine could not be used, he was told that the facility was available for payments relating to laboratory tests but vaccination charges had to be paid in cash.
Chughtai Lab Location Confirmed
Islamabad Tribune independently confirmed through Chughtai Lab’s official website that the organisation lists a Blue Area Vaccination Center at East 101, Old Stock Exchange Building, Fazal-e-Haq Road, Islamabad.
However, Islamabad Tribune could not independently verify the alleged Rs3,300 transaction, the conversation reportedly held with staff, or whether a cash-only policy currently applies to vaccination services at the centre.
No publicly available statement from Chughtai Lab explaining the specific incident was located during our review.
Questions Over Digital Payment Practices
The allegation also raises a broader question about electronic-payment practices.
FBR’s published POS legal material states that the Board may require an integrated person to provide debit/credit card, QR-code or other digital transaction facilities at sale points and says sales through such means should not ordinarily be refused.
Whether those provisions specifically apply to this vaccination transaction or the establishment concerned would require determination by FBR.
FBR also says electronic invoicing is mandatory for notified registered corporate and non-corporate persons under the applicable framework, while its POS system provides consumers mechanisms to verify invoices issued by integrated retailers.
Murad tagged the FBR spokesperson in his post and sought clarification on the matter.
Clarification From Company, FBR Awaited
The issue is significant because FBR has itself described greater use of digital payments as part of the government’s objective of encouraging a cashless economy and discouraging cash-based transactions.
A response from Chughtai Lab and clarification from FBR regarding the specific circumstances of the reported transaction would help establish whether the alleged cash-only requirement was a company policy, an operational issue at the branch, or subject to any applicable regulatory requirements.
