A steady-state model describing photofacilitated transport in liquid membranes is used to consider photoactive carriers with a wide range of thermodynamic and kinetic properties in order to investigate active transport against a concentration gradient (photopumping). Most experimental and theoretical studies have focused on systems in which strongly binding forms of the carrier and carrier-solute complex absorb light to convert to weakly binding forms. For such systems, absorption of light can result in transport against a concentration gradient greater than a factor of 5. However, the maximum photoefficiencies are less than 0.01%. Membranes containing carriers in which the weak forms of the carrier and complex are photoactive exhibit similar photopumping performance with an order of magnitude higher photoefficiencies. This study provides guidelines for the selection of carriers for future experimental investgations of photofacilitated liquid membranes.