Kazakhstan has introduced cross-border QR code payment acceptance through a collaboration between Alipay+ and local super app Kaspi.kz.
Visitors from 12 international payment services linked to Alipay+ can now use their mobile wallets to pay via Kaspi QR, which is available at a wide range of merchants nationwide, from shopping centres and restaurants to healthcare providers and small businesses in rural areas.
The arrangement marks the first time an Alipay+ service is accepted in a Central Asian country. The development coincides with a rise in foreign arrivals to Kazakhstan, which recorded 7.5 million international visitors in the first half of 2025. Travellers from China, Germany and South Korea are among the largest visitor groups and will now be able to make payments in their home currency through supported wallets.
Expansion of existing cooperation
Alipay+ and Kaspi.kz have previously worked together to facilitate mobile payments by Kazakhstani users abroad. According to Kaspi.kz officials, residents have already been using the app to make purchases in destinations such as China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia and several European countries.
Representatives from Ant International said the new service would connect international payment partners to local merchants and build on Kaspi QR’s domestic network. The company also noted that the initiative is aimed at improving convenience for travellers and supporting the tourism sector’s expansion.
Kaspi.kz, which has been listed on Nasdaq since early 2024, operates consumer and merchant super apps in Kazakhstan. In January 2025, the company acquired a majority stake in Turkish e-commerce firm Hepsiburada.
Alipay+ connects 1.7 billion user accounts from 36 global payment partners to over 100 million merchants in 70 markets.
