Starting June 16, 2026, Kazakhstan’s Bank CenterCredit (BCC) will begin charging a fee when depositing cash Russian currency into individual accounts.
What happened
The bank is changing its foreign currency tariffs. As reported by the NBK Telegram channel, citing the credit institution’s data, clients will pay a 5% fee on the amount when depositing cash rubles.
The new terms apply to individuals. The fee will be applied when replenishing current and savings ruble accounts, including through the bank’s teller windows. Information about the tariff changes also appeared on BCC’s official website on June 1.
Country and market
Bank CenterCredit is one of Kazakhstan’s systemically important banks. The decision to limit cash acceptance was made amid a spring influx of physical Russian currency into the country. In April 2026, Archin Galimbayev, head of the Association of Exchange Offices of Kazakhstan, noted that clients were bringing rubles in “in sacks.”
Finteqstan previously reported that amid this influx, the bank had already introduced a 5% fee for cash ruble withdrawals for businesses. Now, the restrictions have affected the opposite direction—accepting cash from the public.
Why it matters
The bank has not publicly explained the motives for introducing the new fee, but the move looks like a classic prohibitive tariff.
The bank is likely building bilateral tariff barriers to reduce the volume of transactions with cash Russian currency and lower the costs of servicing it.
What’s next
The market will monitor the effect of the new tariffs. If Bank CenterCredit’s initiative significantly reduces the cash handling burden, it is possible that other major players may also consider similar fees for accepting cash rubles.
