UnionPay and Halyk Bank Forge QR Payment Link, a Central Asian First

In a move that quietly reshapes the payments landscape across Central Asia, UnionPay International announced this month that Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank has officially launched its QR code payment service. Halyk becomes the first financial institution in the region to offer the feature, expanding UnionPay's digital footprint along the modern Silk Road and deepening a partnership now entering its third decade.

For millions of Halyk customers, the change is immediate and practical. Through the bank's mobile app, users can now scan UnionPay QR codes at millions of merchants worldwide. More strikingly, the same app also recognizes WeChat Pay collection codes inside China — meaning a traveler from Almaty can pay for a coffee in Shanghai or a train ticket to Xi’an with the same familiar interface they use at home. UnionPay calls this a “one-code pass” for inbound and cross-border payments, eliminating the need to juggle multiple payment tools.

A Two-Decade Partnership Bearing Fruit

This year marks the 20th anniversary of cooperation between UnionPay and Halyk Bank — a relationship that has steadily evolved from traditional card acceptance to full-spectrum digital interoperability. The results are tangible:

“This is not just a technical upgrade — it is a strategic bridge for trade and people-to-people exchanges between China and Kazakhstan,” a UnionPay International spokesperson said.

Central Asia: A Rising Frontier for UnionPay

Kazakhstan is only the beginning. Central Asia has become one of UnionPay’s key markets for international expansion, driven by surging demand for both local and cross-border digital payments.

2025 issuance surge: UnionPay card issuance in the region grew over 70% year-on-year.

Multiple countries onboard: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and others have launched local UnionPay card programs

Inter-network partnerships: In November 2025, UnionPay signed memorandums of understanding with local switching networks in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, laying the groundwork for payment interoperability across borders

In January 2026, UnionPay went a step further, signing a strategic cooperation memorandum with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan. The two sides agreed to jointly build a local QR code system, promoting mutual acceptance of QR payments between China and Azerbaijan.

Why QR Codes Are Reshaping Cross-Border Payments

Globally, QR code payments have emerged as a low-cost, easy-to-deploy alternative to traditional card terminals. Unlike legacy systems that require expensive hardware, QR works on any smartphone. This has led to rapid adoption driven by central banks and national payment councils:

UnionPay's strategy aligns with this global trend. By adopting open, interoperable QR standards, the company aims to break down payment barriers — not just for large enterprises, but for millions of micro- and small merchants who can now access Chinese and global purchasing power with near-zero friction.

A Two-Way Cross-Border Network

UnionPay has now reached or advanced QR interconnectivity cooperation in about 50 countries and regions. The network works in both directions:

Chinese wallets going out

In 2025 alone, UnionPay launched cross-network QR partnerships in seven overseas markets, allowing domestic Chinese payment tools to work smoothly abroad.

Overseas wallets coming in

Over 200 overseas wallet institutions have established QR payment cooperation with UnionPay, enabling international visitors to use their home wallets while traveling in China.

As Dong Junfeng, chairman of China UnionPay, put it: “As payment barriers are gradually broken down, tens of millions of micro-, small, and medium-sized merchants worldwide can access the massive purchasing power of China and the world with zero threshold through the inclusive and ubiquitous UnionPay global payment network. This not only solves the difficulty of cross-border payments but also injects vitality into the recovery and development of the global economy.”