The National Bank is working to expand QR payment access for Kazakhstanis in China, India, the UAE and several other countries by mid-2027.
According to National Bank Deputy Chairman Binur Zhalenov, who took part in the Central Asia Fintech Summit 2026, the regulator is continuing work to enable cross-border payments for Kazakhstanis through their banking apps.
Zhalenov said the National Bank has signed agreements with 11 countries — including China, India, the UAE, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan — to enable cross-border payments. He said the system is expected to be operational in China by the end of the year, with other countries following in phases starting mid-2027.
According to the official, the agreements will allow Kazakhstanis to pay for goods and services in other countries simply by scanning a QR code through their bank’s app. They can also generate their own code so residents of those countries can pay them.
The commission for such payments will be determined by the individual bank processing the transaction.
Meanwhile, not all retail outlets in Kazakhstan have yet updated their static QR code stickers to support the unified QR code. According to Zhalenov, if a terminal does not accept such payments, it constitutes a violation.
