Kazakhstan’s Interbank QR Payment System Set for Nationwide Launch in August

In 2024, the National Bank of Kazakhstan launched a pilot service enabling interbank QR payments as part of the National Payment System development under the NCFI. By August 2025, all second-tier banks are expected to be connected, Orda.kz reports.

The update was shared during a National Bank briefing. Once fully implemented, the unified QR code system will allow users to make instant transfers between accounts at different banks via phone number and QR code scanning.

The service will operate through a centralized interbank platform.

As of May 2025, the project’s status is as follows:

• Four banks are already in full operation
  
• Four more are in the testing phase
  
• Five are finalizing their integration

Under the new banking law, all banks will be required to connect to the system. The initiative is supported by the Open API platform and the Interbank Mobile Payment System, which together form the foundation of Kazakhstan’s digital payment ecosystem.

This includes services such as phone number-based transfers and support for the digital tenge.

The goal is to simplify and accelerate financial transactions, enabling users to pay for goods or transfer funds across different banks with a single scan, regardless of which institution holds their account.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov