Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan to develop cross-border payments using their national QR codes, as well as money transfers between users in the two countries, Kazinform reported.
A memorandum to that effect was signed by the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s HUMO payment system during the Central Asia FinTech Summit 2026 in Almaty.
A key area of cooperation will be the mutual acceptance, or acquiring, of the two countries’ national QR codes. Once implemented, the arrangement will allow Uzbek citizens to pay for goods and services in Kazakhstan using Kazakhstan’s national QR code, while Kazakh citizens will be able to make payments in Uzbekistan through the national UzQR system.
Another area of cooperation will be cross-border money transfers. The parties plan to develop a mechanism for sending funds through the mobile applications of banks in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to users’ bank cards in the other country.
Zhanar Samayeva, chairwoman of the board of the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan, said the close economic and humanitarian ties between the two countries were increasing demand for convenient cross-border payment and transfer mechanisms.
She said the memorandum would mark the first stage in the practical development of the relevant solutions.
Alexander Sotnikov, chairman of the board of HUMO, said mutual acquiring of the national QR codes would allow citizens of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to pay for purchases and services using methods familiar to them.
The agreement also provides for information and technology exchange, as well as the exploration of other areas of cooperation in payment technologies.
Earlier, Binur Zhalenov, deputy chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, said the country was working to develop cross-border payments with 11 countries, including China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The practical launch of the China-related initiative is expected by the end of 2026, while cooperation with other countries is planned to develop in stages.
