In the first four months of 2026, the volume of cash withdrawals from Kazakhstani cards decreased by 3.5%. Unlike in 2020, when the drop was caused by lockdowns, the current trend is occurring amid a stable economy and the growth of cashless payments.
What happened
According to Ranking.kz, in January–April 2026, Kazakhstanis withdrew 8.1 trillion tenge from payment cards. A year earlier, this figure stood at a record 8.4 trillion tenge.
This is the first reduction in cash withdrawal volumes in the last five years. Concurrently, the volume of cashless payments over the same period grew by 4.4%. As a result, the share of cash in total card turnover dropped to a historic low of 12.1%. For comparison, ten years ago, cash withdrawals accounted for over 85% of all card transactions.
Country and market
Statistics show a shift in the balance of power between payment systems. The bulk of cash withdrawals still goes through international networks, but their share is shrinking. Over the year, withdrawal volumes through Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay decreased by 8.3% to 5.6 trillion tenge.
At the same time, withdrawal volumes through local payment systems are growing. Over the year, this indicator increased by 9.7%, reaching 2.5 trillion tenge. Notably, the specific names of local operators are not disclosed in the publication's review. Nevertheless, statistics show that this segment has grown 38-fold over six years.
Why it matters
The reduced need for paper money indicates the maturity of the payment infrastructure. People no longer need to convert their digital salaries into a physical format for everyday purchases.
The share of local systems continues to grow, pointing to a gradual shift in focus from international networks to domestic infrastructure.
What's next
Absolute cash withdrawal figures remain high, so ATM networks will continue to operate. However, statistics confirm that cards are increasingly being used directly to pay for goods and services, rather than as a transit tool for withdrawing money.