The unified QR is the showcase of the Interbank Mobile Payments System, which the National Bank of Kazakhstan launched through its operator, the National Payment Corporation. From 19 July 2026, connecting to the system became mandatory for banks: a shopper can scan a QR code at the checkout using any bank's app, and businesses no longer need a separate terminal for each ecosystem. The reform grew out of a dispute over market concentration — Kaspi and Halyk accounted for the overwhelming share of cashless payments — and its goal is to make the payment infrastructure shared and to lower the barriers to competition. This hub gathers material on the launch, participants, tariffs, regulation and consequences of the unified QR for the country's payment market.
The unified QR is an interbank mobile payments system: payment by QR code through any bank's app, transfers by phone number and shared infrastructure instead of the closed ecosystems of individual banks.
The reform abolishes the "war of terminals" and dilutes the concentration under which the two largest ecosystems controlled most cashless payments. For businesses it means one tool for accepting payment instead of several; for shoppers it means the freedom to choose their bank.
The timelines and mandatory nature of banks' connection, acquiring tariffs and fees, transfer limits, anti-fraud rules, the regulator's stance and how the overhaul affects the share of Kaspi, Halyk and new players.
The page automatically pulls in published material on Kazakhstan where the QR-payments agenda appears and links it to the market's payment and regulatory feed.
Legislative norms establishing the legal status of the third form of the national currency come into force on July 18.
Digital ID and eGov in a bank app provide the strongest trust. Two fears interfere: account blockage and doubts that documents are up to date.
Paying the fare via QR is easy, but planning a trip is not: you have to jump between the bank app, maps, and ride-hailing.
QR codes and instant transfers have become the norm. Now, Kazakhstanis value not a set of features, but a short path without ads and a clear status for every payment.
The share of cashless payments in the country has stabilized at 87.6%, with preparation for the launch of a unified interbank QR code becoming the main market driver.
Customers can pay with digital assets via QR code, while merchants instantly receive tenge. The project operates within the National Bank’s regulatory sandbox.
How “interbank blindness” and capital fragmentation hinder Kazakhstanis from managing their money.
Total loan volume approached 44 trillion tenge. The top ten players account for over 92% of the market while maintaining a consistently low delinquency rate.