Kazakhstan’s Freedom Bank has integrated payments via the Tajik unified QR code. Clients can now pay with their smartphones at local merchants in Tajikistan, the bank announced on June 2.
What happened
The payment process is built around automatic conversion. The client scans the merchant’s QR code through the Freedom SuperApp and enters the amount in Tajik somoni (TJS). The system immediately calculates the cost in tenge at the current commercial exchange rate.
The user sees the final debit amount before confirming the transaction. This makes the mechanics of cross-currency settlements transparent for the client.
Country and market
At the time of the announcement’s publication, payment is available at 31,051 retail locations throughout Tajikistan.
However, the bank does not specify who acts as the operator of the unified QR code on the neighboring country’s side. The official release also does not disclose potential cross-border payment fees or transaction limits.
Why it matters
Direct integration saves tourists from having to look for exchange offices or withdraw cash. The bank takes on the entire technical side of the settlements. Previously, Finteqstan wrote about the development of the Freedom SuperApp ecosystem in the domestic market; now the application is expanding beyond the country within everyday scenarios.
It seems direct integration with foreign payment systems is becoming a way for banks to maintain clients’ transactional activity outside their home market.
