Over the past week, banks across Central Asia and the Caucasus released 31 updates to their mobile apps.
Trend of the week: Apple Pay integration, QR payment expansion, and broader cross-border transfer options.
🏆 Update of the week: Kyrgyzstan’s MBank launched Apple Pay and global MoneySend transfers.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
- Bereke Bank added phone number transfers to Russia, marking its fourth payment feature update this month.
- Eurasian Bank launched international SWIFT transfers in foreign currencies, continuing its push into cross-border services.
- ForteApp integrated unified QR payments into transaction histories and added PDF receipt sharing for Astana ERC.
- ForteBusiness enabled corporate clients to open savings deposits (salym) remotely within the mobile app.
- Freedom Business added tax payments for Form 910 (officially confirmed).
- Freedom SuperApp launched social card issuance for pensions, benefits, and alimony, maintaining a 4.90 rating across over 100,000 reviews.
- Home.kz added the premium Álem card, featuring 5% cashback and Visa Signature privileges.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
- Click SuperApp enabled direct sum top-ups for Visa and Mastercard from local Uzcard and HUMO accounts.
- TBC Bank Uzbekistan automated term deposit renewals and allowed partial withdrawals, its third deposit update in August.
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
- MBank officially launched Apple Pay for its cards and enabled global MoneySend transfers.
- Optima24 also integrated Apple Pay, allowing customers to make contactless payments in two clicks.
🇹🇯 Tajikistan
- Alif updated its built-in QR scanner to recognize and pay government service bills, continuing the bank’s series of summer product releases.
- Eskhata Online introduced remote client identification, allowing users to apply for banking products without visiting a branch.
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
- Birbank simplified receipt scanning for VAT refunds (“ƏDV geri al”) via the bank’s POS terminals.
- Leobank expanded its payment catalog, adding new options in the entertainment and sports categories.
- PASHA Bank allowed clients to remotely convert their payroll cards into premium Miles&Smiles PASHA Bank cards.
- UBank by Unibank moved cash loan issuance online with SİMA digital signatures and added a decision wait timer.