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$197M: Pakistani freelance earnings in September 2026, a record month, up 49% on September 2025
LatestFreelancing

Pakistan's freelancers earned a record $197 million in September

ProPakistani reported on 18 October 2026 that freelancers brought in $197 million in September, the highest month on record, 11% above August and 49% above September 2025. The first quarter of the financial year (July to September) came to about $550 million, up 46% on a year earlier. The September figure was shared by Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the Finance Minister; the July figure of $175.44 million is State Bank of Pakistan data. IT exports were $435 million in September.

What it means for you. Money earned online and paid into Pakistani bank accounts keeps growing month after month. The chairman of the Pakistan Freelancers Association says limited local jobs are pushing more graduates into freelancing, so expect more competition for gigs and digital product listings and put your effort into a clear niche.

Source: ProPakistani
Pakistani IT firms in Saudi Arabia report paused projects after attacks on Riyadh airport
Freelancing

Pakistani IT firms working in Saudi Arabia say clients are pausing projects after the Riyadh airport attacks

Arab News Pakistan reported on 15 October 2026 that Pakistani technology firms serving Saudi clients are seeing projects paused, budgets under review and new work delayed after Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Two executives, from Jeddah-based Typical Solution and Riyadh-based Hexalyze, described the situation as unpredictable; neither gave a figure for losses. The report notes Pakistan's technology exports reached a record $4.6 billion in the year to June 2026, and that Pakistan received $899.1 million in remittances from Saudi Arabia in September alone.

What it means for you. If most of your freelance clients are in the Gulf, this is a good week to widen your client list: add one gig or product aimed at buyers in the US, UK or Europe, where Etsy and the big marketplaces sell. Do not drop Saudi clients; just avoid depending on one market.

Source: Arab News Pakistan
Etsy autumn and winter 2026 trends: searches for DIY activities up 8,500%
Etsy

Etsy's autumn and winter 2026 trend report: DIY activities up 8,500%, personalised friend gifts up 1,400%

Etsy published its Seller Trend Report for autumn and winter 2026 on 14 October. It names seven themes from Etsy search and sales data for the three months to 14 September, compared with a year earlier: Merrymaxxing (bold, bedazzled decor; bedazzled kits +218%), Mark of the Maker (hand-painted items +280%), Table Dressing (ruffle tablecloths +841%, custom napkins +33%), Craftmas (DIY activities +8,500%, beginner sewing patterns +125%), Operatic Drama (vintage jewellery +75%), Family Reimagined (personalised friend gifts +1,400%, pet gift searches doubled) and Freaky Festive Shoes. Some figures are US signed-in shoppers only.

What it means for you. Three themes suit digital products made in Pakistan: Craftmas (printable craft-night activities, beginner patterns), Table Dressing (printable place cards, menus and table signs) and Family Reimagined (editable friend-group and pet gift printables). Use the exact search words Etsy gives in your titles only when they truly describe your item.

Source: Etsy Seller Handbook
Amazon top searches, September 2026: 'notebook' at number 63 and 'rug' at number 70 are the handmade-friendly terms
Amazon

Amazon's September top searches are all electronics, but 'notebook' and 'rug' are where small sellers can still compete

eRank's Amazon keyword report for September 2026, published 13 October, lists laptop, monitor, keyboard, PS5 and headphones as the five biggest searches, with no iPhone model in the top 20. The same report flags handmade-friendly keywords with high click-through rates in the top 200: notebook (#63), rug (#70), wallet (#151), pillow (#135) and curtains (#179). eRank suggests hand-painted phone cases as a way to compete with mass-produced cases, with some handmade listings priced above $80.

What it means for you. If you are planning an Amazon Handmade or print-on-demand listing, do not chase the electronics keywords. Notebooks, personalised stationery and textile items are where a small seller's listing can still rank. For digital-only sellers Amazon remains the wrong first marketplace; Etsy's own top list is where 'digital products' sits at #3.

Source: eRank
Daraz 10.10: no dates announced for Pakistan as of 10 October 2026; 11.11 is next
Daraz

Daraz has still not announced 10.10 sale dates for Pakistan; sellers should plan for 11.11 instead

As of 10 October 2026, Daraz had published no 10.10 sale dates for Pakistan on daraz.pk or its newsroom, according to a check by Pakistan Era. The homepage carried brand-day and flash-sale banners and bank offers (Askari Bank flat 10% off, MCB up to 15% off on one brand day), but no 10.10 campaign. Press reports said last year's 10.10 ran 9 to 16 October with partner-bank discounts of up to 20%; Pakistan Era could not confirm that on a Daraz page. Daraz's 11.11 sale is its largest annual event.

What it means for you. Do not hold stock or ad budget for a 10.10 spike that may not come. If you sell printed versions of your designs on Daraz (planners, wall art, Ramadan sets), get the listings approved and priced now so they are ready for 11.11 campaign registration, which opens in Seller Center in the weeks before the event.

Source: Pakistan Era
Etsy on AI: the standard is human creativity, and Etsy says it has more work to do on enforcement
Etsy

Etsy says its standard is 'human creativity' after artists report AI copies of their work

ABC News (Australia) reported on 9 October 2026 that artists are complaining Etsy is crowded with AI-generated and copied products. In one case a crochet artist's beanie went viral and buyers then found an AI-made copy listed on Etsy. Etsy's vice-president of customer operations, James Ossman, said the company's standard is centred on human creativity: sellers may use AI as a tool, but not to deceive buyers, misrepresent an item or copy someone else's work. He admitted enforcement at Etsy's scale is complex and that the company 'has more work to do' on identifying and removing listings that do not belong. Etsy's existing policy already requires AI use to be disclosed in the listing, and does not allow the sale of AI prompt bundles.

What it means for you. Expect more AI-related takedowns and appeals this quarter. Three things protect a Pakistani seller: a visible AI-disclosure line in every listing that used AI tools, a design you actually changed (colours, layout, words, your own mockups), and never feeding someone else's viral design into an AI tool to make a 'version'. Every HunarWireDrop kit page has the disclosure line ready to copy and a checklist of what to change before you list.

Source: ABC News
AI agents blocked: Amazon blocks Meta's Muse; eBay restricts unauthorised agents
AI & E-commerce

AI shopping agents run into blocks on Amazon, eBay and other big sites

TechCrunch reports that personal AI agents, such as Meta's Muse, are being shut out of many websites. Amazon has deliberately blocked Muse from browsing and buying on its store. eBay says it does not block every shopping agent, but it does restrict unauthorized agents and automated scraping. A group of companies, including Meta, Walmart and Stripe, has started work on an open standard for how AI agents should identify themselves and deal with businesses.

What it means for you. Buyers who send an AI assistant to shop for them may not reach your Amazon or eBay listings yet, so for now your sales still depend on ordinary marketplace search and good listings. Watch which platforms open up to agents: that decides where AI-driven shoppers can actually buy.

Source: TechCrunch
'Digital products' rose from number 84 to number 5 in Etsy US searches between Q3 2025 and Q3 2026
Etsy

'Digital products' climbed from #84 to #5 on Etsy in a year; 'png' from #133 to #16

eRank's Q3 2026 ranking of the top 250 US Etsy searches (5 October 2026) puts 'digital products' at #5 for July to September, up from #84 in Q3 2025. 'png' rose from #133 to #16 and 'christmas' from #41 to #9. In the September-only report (4 October) 'digital products' is #3, behind only halloween and shirt, with 'png' #13, 'christmas' #4, 'christmas ornament' #20 (up from #114), 'digital planner' #28 and 'svg bundle' #30.

What it means for you. Buyers are typing 'digital products' and 'png' into Etsy search as a category, not just as an afterthought. Put the phrase 'digital download' in your title and 'digital products' in your tags where it fits honestly. Christmas terms are already climbing in September, so Christmas printables listed in October have the best chance of ranking by December.

Source: eRank
Payoneer: 29.95 dollars a year for accounts that receive under 6,000 dollars in 12 months
Freelancing

Payoneer now charges $29.95 a year to accounts that receive under $6,000 in 12 months

Since 23 February 2026 Payoneer charges an annual fee of $29.95 to any account that receives less than $6,000 in a 12-month period, according to a fee check published by Pakistan Era on 28 September 2026. Before that date the fee only applied to accounts with no transactions for 12 months. Other fees for Pakistani users: 1% to receive a bank transfer into a USD, EUR or GBP receiving account ($1 minimum), up to 3.99% + $0.49 to receive a card payment, and roughly 2% plus a 2% to 3.5% currency margin to withdraw to a Pakistani bank. On a $1,000 bank transfer about $970 reaches your bank.

What it means for you. A new Etsy seller making a few hundred dollars a year will pay the $29.95 fee. It is still cheaper than losing a payout, but it changes the maths on small shops: ask clients and marketplaces to pay by bank transfer, not card, and withdraw in larger, less frequent batches. Use the fee calculator on this site to see what a $5 listing nets after Etsy and Payoneer fees.

Source: Pakistan Era
Freelancers brought 176.7 million dollars into Pakistan in August 2026
Freelancing

Freelancers brought $176.7 million into Pakistan in August; State Bank allows freelancer foreign currency accounts

State Bank of Pakistan provisional figures reported by Pakistan Era on 27 September 2026 show IT and IT-enabled exports of $394.6 million in August 2026, up 17.1% on August 2025. Freelance computer and information services made $106.0 million and 'other freelance services' (non-IT work such as design, writing and digital products) $70.7 million, up from $32.8 million a year earlier. July and August together reached $812 million. Separately, on 25 September 2026 the State Bank said IT companies and freelancers may open foreign currency accounts and keep their export earnings in them.

What it means for you. The non-IT freelance line, which is where design and digital-product income sits, more than doubled in a year. The foreign currency account rule means you can hold dollars in a Pakistani bank instead of converting on arrival; ask your bank for the freelancer or IT-exporter FC account and bring a Payoneer or marketplace statement as proof of source.

Source: Pakistan Era (SBP data)
Etsy shared access: up to 5 team members help run a shop without the owner's password
Etsy

Etsy lets shop owners add up to five team members, each with their own login

Etsy's Seller Handbook (22 September 2026) explains shared access: from Shop Manager > Settings > Shared access, an owner can invite up to five team members aged 18 or over. Each signs in with their own Etsy account and must turn on two-factor authentication. Team members can manage orders, create and edit listings and answer buyer messages, but cannot see finances or bank details, refund or cancel orders, delete listings, or open stats and settings. The owner can download an activity log and remove access at any time, and stays responsible for anything a team member does.

What it means for you. If a family member or helper signs in with your password, from another city or device, that can look like someone else taking over your account. Give them shared access instead, and never hand out your own password.

Source: Etsy Seller Handbook
Seller Assistant: Always-on workflows for pricing and restocking, every action logged
AI & E-commerce

Amazon upgrades its AI Seller Assistant and links seller data to Claude and Quick

At its Accelerate 2026 event, Amazon announced that Seller Assistant in Seller Central now remembers each seller's business. It can also run always-on workflows for jobs like pricing and restocking, and sellers choose whether each workflow only suggests or also acts. Every action is logged. A new selling partner plugin connects listings, inventory and sales data to Amazon Quick and, in beta, to Anthropic's Claude. Primary account holders can claim a free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription by 31 December 2026.

What it means for you. If you are moving from Etsy to Amazon, Seller Central now gives you free AI help with routine work like price monitoring and account health alerts. The Claude plugin is a US-store beta for now, but any primary account holder, including sellers in Pakistan, can claim the free Quick Plus year before the end of 2026.

Source: About Amazon
$352M: Freelance earnings in Jul–Aug, up 44% from $244M
Freelancing

Pakistan's freelancers earned $352 million in July and August

Freelancers brought in $352 million in the first two months of the financial year, up 44% from $244 million a year earlier, according to State Bank of Pakistan figures reported by Bloom Pakistan. IT services made up $212 million and other freelance work $139 million.

What it means for you. Money earned online and brought home through banks is growing fast, and non-IT work such as design and selling digital products is a large part of it.

Source: Bloom Pakistan
Etsy adds Remitly as a second payout provider, next to Payoneer, for new sellers in 15 countries
Payments

Etsy adds Remitly as a payout option for new sellers in 15 countries; Pakistan is not confirmed

Remitly announced that it is joining Etsy Payments as an additional payout provider, next to Payoneer, for new sellers in 15 countries, starting in autumn 2026. Sellers who pick it while opening a shop can hold earnings in US dollars, convert to local currency when they choose, and send the money to a bank account or mobile wallet. The announcement does not name the 15 countries, and existing shops are not said to be able to switch.

What it means for you. Nothing changes yet for sellers in Pakistan: Etsy pays here through Payoneer. If you are opening a new shop this autumn, look at the payout step during sign-up; if Remitly is offered, compare its fees with Payoneer's before you choose.

Source: The Paypers
5 custom fields: Collect text, choices and files from the buyer at checkout
Etsy

Etsy adds custom option fields for personalised orders

Etsy announced new custom option fields: a seller can add up to five fields to a listing to collect text, choices and file uploads from the buyer at checkout.

What it means for you. If you sell editable or personalised templates, you can now ask for the buyer's names, dates or photo on the listing itself instead of by message.

Source: Etsy Community announcements
15 Oct – 14 Jan: Holiday peak fee, about $0.32 a unit above normal on average
Amazon

Amazon's holiday peak fulfilment fee runs from 15 October to 14 January

Amazon's 2026 holiday peak fee on FBA orders applies from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027 and averages about $0.32 a unit above normal rates. The 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge added in April applies on top.

What it means for you. If you sell through FBA, check your prices before 15 October: the fee comes out of every unit shipped in the busiest months.

Source: Ordoro
+7% fees: Below Standard for 4+ months in a row, from 1 July 2026
eBay

eBay changes selling fees on several marketplaces from 1 July

From 1 July 2026 eBay changed selling fees on selected marketplaces, including the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy and Australia. Sellers rated Below Standard for four or more months in a row pay an extra 7% on final value fees until their rating recovers.

What it means for you. The changes differ by marketplace, so read the fee page of the eBay site you sell on, and keep your seller rating up.

Source: eBay Export
Up to 20% off: UnionPay card discounts to move buyers off cash on delivery
Daraz

Daraz and UnionPay partner to move buyers off cash on delivery

Daraz Pakistan and UnionPay announced a year-long partnership for 2026 to 2027. UnionPay cardholders get discounts on Daraz, including 15% during big sale campaigns and 20% for first-time users, to encourage prepaid orders.

What it means for you. More prepaid orders mean fewer refused parcels for Daraz sellers. Expect card discounts to pull buyers during the big sales.

Source: The Nation
Etsy Regulatory Operating Fee: UK rate 0.32% to 0.48% from 22 June 2026
Etsy

Etsy's Regulatory Operating Fee changed in seven countries from 22 June; listing and transaction fees unchanged

Etsy's Regulatory Operating Fee, charged on top of the transaction fee in some countries, changed on 22 June 2026 in seven markets; the UK rate rose from 0.32% to 0.48% and France, Italy, Spain and Hungary were also affected, according to seller bookkeeping guides that track Etsy's fee pages. The $0.20 listing fee and the 6.5% transaction fee did not change in 2026. Etsy's next quarterly results are expected on 4 November 2026.

What it means for you. This fee is charged by the shop's country, not the buyer's, so a shop registered in Pakistan is not affected. If a relative abroad runs the shop for you from the UK or EU, the extra 0.16% applies to every sale from that shop. Watch the 4 November results for any new fee announcements for 2027.

Source: Beancount seller guide

19 stories · newest 18 Oct 2026 · sources last checked 22 Oct 2026 · check the source before you act

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Guide 13 Oct 2026· 4 min readPayoneer fees in 2026: what a $100 Etsy sale actually nets after withdrawalPayoneer's new $29.95 annual fee, its receiving and withdrawal charges, and the State Bank's new foreign currency account rule, worked through on a real digital-product sale.Guide 13 Oct 2026· 4 min readEtsy's AI rules in October 2026: what a seller must change before listingEtsy has restated that its standard is human creativity and admitted it has more enforcement work to do. Here is exactly what to change in a starter kit, and the disclosure line to use, so your listing survives a review.Guide 4 Oct 2026· 3 min readPayoneer to your local bank: how to withdraw, fees and how long it takesHow to move money from Payoneer to your bank account in your own currency, what it costs, how long it takes and why the amount is lower than you expected.

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My Fiverr gigs suddenly stopped getting orders. What should I check first?General HunarWireDrop team · Starter question · 16 Oct 20261 answerWhen is the Daraz 11.11 sale in 2026, and should a small seller join?General HunarWireDrop team · Starter question · 16 Oct 20261 answereBay restricted my new account. Why, and how do I fix it?eBay HunarWireDrop team · Starter question · 16 Oct 20261 answerMy Amazon seller account was deactivated during verification. What now?Amazon HunarWireDrop team · Starter question · 16 Oct 20261 answer