BAKU,TurkicWorld Abdulhamid Hamid Al-Kba / Writer and researcher specializing in Central Asia and Azerbaijan affairs
Central Asia is witnessing a rapid digital transformation in its payment systems, shifting from traditional banking services to integrated ecosystems built on smartphones, QR codes, and artificial intelligence.
I believe this transformation is no longer a technological luxury; it has become a potential engine for economic growth and daily trade. The question that imposes itself is: Will the countries of the region succeed in turning this digital infrastructure into a genuine tool for regional integration and sustainable growth?
In Kazakhstan, the number of payment cards reached 83.6 million by July 2026. In June alone, card transactions totaled 19.8 trillion tenge, of which 17.4 trillion were non-cash payments. The number of non-cash transactions rose by 7.2% to 1.3 billion, with mobile banking applications dominating 79.5% of the volume and 90.2% of the value. In July, the country launched a nationwide unified QR payment system that processed around one million transactions in its first few weeks.
In Kyrgyzstan, the national ELQR system recorded transactions worth 908.6 billion som in 2025 — nearly a tenfold increase — with 525.1 million transactions. The number of electronic wallets exceeded 6.6 million, accompanied by the launch of Apple Pay and integration with Alipay+ for payments in more than 60 countries.
In Turkmenistan, online banking transactions rose by 106.9% in the first five months of 2026, while total non-cash payments reached 7.1 billion manat.
Banks in Uzbekistan have transformed into full digital ecosystems. TBC Uzbekistan reached 5.8 million monthly active users, while Uzcard posted a net profit of 1.1 trillion soum in the first half of 2026 — an increase of 84.2%. The bank is developing an AI banking assistant called “Lola,” which is expected to resolve 30% of customer inquiries by the end of the year.
In Tajikistan, Apple Pay was officially launched in July 2026, becoming available to customers of major banks — a step toward linking the country with global payment platforms.
The figures therefore show that Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are leading the race in adopting digital payments, while Uzbekistan is building integrated ecosystems, and Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are taking gradual steps. The unified QR systems in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reduce friction in daily transactions and open the door to cross-border payments.
I believe these developments carry significant potential to boost e-commerce, financial inclusion, and support for small businesses. Nevertheless, the greatest challenge remains achieving genuine regional integration. The clear differences in the pace of progress among countries, combined with the urgent need for common standards in cybersecurity and digital identity, may slow down integration and create operational gaps. The absence of real-time cross-border settlement mechanisms and the divergence in data-protection regulatory frameworks further increase transaction costs and reduce the confidence of small and medium-sized enterprises in fully relying on cross-border digital systems. Added to this is the shortage of specialized talent in cybersecurity and data analytics in some countries, making the construction of a coherent regional system dependent on deeper political and technical coordination than currently exists. I expect the coming years to witness faster growth in cross-border payments if the countries succeed in coordinating their systems — especially between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan — and gradually establish a shared framework that reduces friction and unifies protection standards.
Artificial intelligence stands out as a pivotal factor in accelerating this transformation. In Uzbekistan, the banking assistant “Lola” helps resolve routine inquiries with high accuracy, reducing costs and improving the customer experience. Intelligent technologies can also enhance fraud detection, credit-risk analysis, and the personalization of financial services. I expect the impact of artificial intelligence to extend to cross-border payment systems, where it can speed up transactions and increase security. However, this requires investment in data and skills, as well as strong guarantees of privacy, so that AI does not become a new source of risk instead of an engine of growth.
Digital transformation in Central Asia’s payments is no longer merely a technical upgrade; it has become part of a broader economic modernization strategy. The numbers are encouraging, and the infrastructure is expanding rapidly. Yet true success will be measured by the ability of these systems to connect regional markets and support sustainable growth in trade and business. The coming years will determine whether digital payments evolve into a shared engine of growth or remain fragmented national efforts.
