Kazakhstan is actively modernizing its payment infrastructure: a unified interbank QR code has been launched, crypto payments via QR are being tested in the National Bank's sandbox, and the digital tenge and National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NDFI) are being developed. These changes simplify payment acceptance, reduce terminal costs, and open up new channels (crypto, P2P), but require merchants to upgrade their equipment, integrations, and compliance. Below are the key innovations and what businesses need to do right now.
Unified Interbank QR Code: One Code for All Banks
Since November 2025, a unified QR system has been in operation through the National Payment Corporation: customers of any connected bank scan a single QR code at a terminal and pay instantly. Freedom Bank, Bank CenterCredit, Home Credit Bank, Halyk Bank, Altyn Bank, and RBK have already been integrated; full coverage of all banks is planned for 2026.
Competition between banks is shifting to service: now, QR compatibility is no longer important, but app convenience, payment speed, security, and customer support are.
What merchants should do:
Competition between banks is shifting to service: now, QR compatibility is no longer important, but app convenience, payment speed, security, and customer support are.
What merchants should do:
- Check terminals for support of National Payment Corporation standards.
- Update acquirer software for interbank routing – reduces costs for multiple terminals.
- Integrate QR generation into the website/app via the National Payment Corporation API for online payments.
Crypto Payments via QR Code: Bybit's Pilot and the National Bank's Sandbox
Bybit Kazakhstan is testing QR code payments for cryptocurrency in the regulatory sandbox of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBRK): the client scans the QR code, pays from a crypto wallet, and the transaction is converted into tenge through local partners. The demo was conducted at Digital Bridge 2025, and full integration into the National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NDFI) is expected in 2026, with auditing, KYC, and risk limits. The AIFC regulates crypto exchange and payment acceptance with AML/CFT.
What merchants should do:
What merchants should do:
- Prepare standard QR codes (POS/online) for compatibility with Bybit Pay and future providers.
- Implement KYC/AML for crypto transactions (ID verification).
- Monitor the NBRK register of approved crypto partners to avoid blocking risks.
NDFI and the transition from separate instruments to a single SupTech/RegTech platform
The session "Digital Regulator: From Point Solutions to a Unified Supervisory Platform" at the Central Asia Fintech Summit 2025 discussed how the regulatory approach to Kazakhstan's financial and digital ecosystem is changing in the context of large-scale digitalization. Regulators (primarily the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market) announced a commitment to integrating all existing digital oversight tools into a single technological platform.
Why this is important: Such a platform makes the regulator "data-centric"—it will manage risks not manually, but based on aggregated data in real time, increasing the accuracy and speed of decision-making.
- Currently, many mechanisms—risk monitoring, anti-fraud analytics, AML control—function as separate modules. However, in the new architecture, they will be integrated into a single digital supervisory framework.
Why this is important: Such a platform makes the regulator "data-centric"—it will manage risks not manually, but based on aggregated data in real time, increasing the accuracy and speed of decision-making.
Digital tenge
The transition to retail and wholesale models of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) is becoming one of the key drivers of the transformation of Kazakhstan's fintech ecosystem.
Key development factors include the integration of the digital tenge with banking and non-banking platforms, the implementation of programmable payments and smart contracts, and the expansion of offline payment capabilities, which is particularly important for increasing financial inclusion in the regions.
The development of the digital tenge opens up new market opportunities.
Key development factors include the integration of the digital tenge with banking and non-banking platforms, the implementation of programmable payments and smart contracts, and the expansion of offline payment capabilities, which is particularly important for increasing financial inclusion in the regions.
- Of particular importance is the integration of the CBDC into international payment channels through pilot projects with partners from the EAEU, the UAE, and China.
The development of the digital tenge opens up new market opportunities.
- These include the formation of a P2P economy with automated settlements, the emergence of more accurate RegTech and AML tools, and the launch of regulatory sandboxes for tokenized deposits and DeFi solutions under the supervision of the AIFC.