Kazakhstan can create a unified QR code for Central Asia

Kazakhstan is capable of creating a unified QR code system for Central Asia / Collage by Kursiv.media, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

According to Freedom Bank CEO Gulfairuz Akhmetova, Kazakhstan has the potential to develop a single QR code solution for all Central Asian countries — a move she says would benefit both tourists and entrepreneurs.

Speaking at the Central Asia Fintech Summit, where Kazakhstan officially launched its interbank unified QR code, Akhmetova noted that such systems are a global trend. Freedom Bank released its own QR service earlier this year.

«I think Kazakhstan is in a position to become the conductor and hub for a single QR code for all of Central Asia. Look at Southeast Asia, where Singapore and Thailand have led the market with unified QR codes since 2017 and 2018. Their systems now work seamlessly for all clients, and we can do the same. It’s extremely convenient for the domestic market, for people visiting our region, and for our tourists as well,» Akhmetova emphasized.

The CEO also highlighted that Central Asian nations share close cultural ties, making a common payment system not tied to a specific bank both logical and practical.

She added that a unified QR code could potentially be integrated with similar systems in China, where QR payments through WeChat and Alipay are already widespread.

«If we use a unified QR code across Central Asia and China, it would be very exciting and beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses — cafes, shops and coffee houses,» Akhmetova said.

She also noted that businesses are eager to adopt the system and will help spread the unified QR code nationwide.

«It’s much easier to have one payment method than several terminals from different banks. There’s no need to train staff to use multiple devices or decide which terminal to offer to customers with different bank cards,» she explained.

In early September, three Kazakhstani banks — Freedom Bank, Bank CenterCredit and Home Credit Bank — became the first to join the unified QR code system.

Three additional banks — Halyk Bank, Altyn Bank and Bank RBK — were officially connected on Nov. 13, and integration is still underway for Kaspi Bank. With the unified QR code, customers can easily pay for purchases, regardless of which bank’s application they use.