Kazakhstan is working to connect its national interbank QR payment system with similar platforms in eight countries, including Azerbaijan, China, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates, Deputy Chairman of the National Bank Binur Zhalenov said.

The initiative also involves Kyrgyzstan, India, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia, as Kazakhstan seeks to expand cross-border digital payment opportunities, according to Qazinform News Agency.

Zhalenov said that integrating national payment systems will allow Kazakh citizens to pay for purchases abroad using their existing banking applications simply by scanning merchants' QR codes.

The system will also work in the opposite direction: foreign visitors to Kazakhstan will be able to make QR-code payments using banking applications from their home countries.

This would make cross-border payments more convenient by reducing the need for cash exchanges or additional payment applications.

Earlier, the central banks of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan agreed to develop a mechanism for connecting their national QR payment systems by the end of 2026.

The initiative is expected to strengthen regional financial connectivity and make digital payments easier across participating countries.

Kazakhstan's National Bank previously announced the launch of a unified interbank QR payment system, which is scheduled to become available to customers of the country's major banks on July 17.

The expansion of the system beyond Kazakhstan could mark another step toward building a more interconnected digital payment infrastructure across Central Asia and international partner markets.