myABL

Getting Started with myABL: First Impressions and Setup

I installed myABL after hearing friends say it cuts down branch visits for Allied Bank customers. The initial registration took about five minutes—linked my CNIC, set a PIN, and activated biometric login. A small but welcome touch: the app immediately asked if I wanted to enable two-factor authentication, which is often buried in settings elsewhere. No SMS delays; verification codes appeared in under ten seconds. For anyone in Pakistan who already has an ABL account, the onboarding feels genuinely streamlined.

What surprised me is how the app handles dormant account activation without a branch visit. A colleague of mine had an old savings account he hadn’t touched in months—he tapped a button inside myABL, verified his identity via a short video call, and his account was live again within an hour. That kind of remote reactivation is rare among local banking apps and saved him a half-day trip to the bank.

Day-to-Day Banking: The Features That Actually Get Used

After a month of daily use, three workflows stood out. First, RAAST transfers via the app feel faster than initiating the same payment through a web portal. I sent money to a friend’s RAAST ID at 11:05 PM on a Friday; the funds landed by 11:07. Second, the QR payment option at a local grocery store worked even when the store’s scanner had low contrast—the app’s camera read the code on a scratched screen. Third, the PayDay loan (advance salary) feature for salaried ABL customers does exactly what it promises: zero markup, instant approval within the app. You see the exact amount you can withdraw, and the deduction plan appears before you confirm.

However, not everything is friction-free. The bill payment interface lists payees alphabetically but doesn’t allow searching by partial name—if you have fifteen utility accounts, you scroll manually. Also, withholding tax certificate downloads only work if your account is flagged as tax-filer in the bank’s system; a non-filer friend got an error with no explanation.

Limitations and Considerations You Should Know

Realistic usability depends on your network connection. In areas with weak mobile data (like basements or rural stops), the app times out during transfers and doesn’t automatically retry—you have to start the transaction again. The myABL Coins loyalty program requires you to manually opt in for each card transaction; it’s not automatic, and the redemption marketplace had only four merchants during my use. Also, the temporary limit enhancement option for ATM withdrawals resets every 24 hours, which is fine for emergencies but annoying if you regularly need higher daily limits.

Another limitation: the app doesn’t support international IBAN transfers yet, only local ones. For overseas remittances you still need a separate service. And while the chequebook request feature works smoothly, you can’t choose which cheque numbers to cancel—only a full stop-payment on a range.

On the positive side, the branch and ATM locator includes real-time operational status (open/closed, cash available), which saved me a wasted trip when a nearby ATM was under maintenance. That kind of practical data is rare in Pakistani banking apps.