Kazakhstani payment service Wooppay has added the ability to top up Russian MIR cards both by card number and phone number via the Faster Payments System (SBP). The company announced this on December 25, 2025.
What is Available to Users
The service supports all MIR cards with no commission and at a favorable exchange rate. Phone number top-ups work via SBP, meaning that to send funds, it is enough to know the recipient’s phone number without entering bank details.
In addition to Russia, the Wooppay app offers card top-ups for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia. All transactions are performed directly in the app without additional confirmations.
Why This Matters for Kazakhstan
For the Kazakhstani market, this solution addresses an important need for simple transfers to CIS countries, especially Russia. Many families in Kazakhstan have relatives in other countries of the region, and labor migrants regularly send money home.
Wooppay becomes one of the few services in Kazakhstan offering direct transfers to Russia via SBP—this is simpler and faster than traditional bank transfers. Integration with the Russian Faster Payments System allows users to send money by phone number, which is particularly convenient for elderly recipients.
Competitive Advantages
SBP operates around the clock and processes transfers instantly, unlike regular bank transfers that can take several days. The absence of a commission makes the service attractive for regular transfers.
Supporting five CIS countries in a single app is a competitive advantage in the Kazakhstani market, where most services are limited to one or two destinations.
What’s Next
Wooppay announces plans to expand the list of available destinations for international transfers. This could strengthen the service’s position as a universal solution for money transfers in the region.
The main signal here is that Kazakhstani fintechs are actively developing cross-border payments using integrations with the national payment systems of neighboring countries. This approach could become a trend for other market participants.