Azerbaijan-based Bir has partnered with UnionPay International to expand acceptance of UnionPay cards across the country.
The Bir ecosystem, described as the first fully integrated banking, payments and ecommerce ecosystem in the Caucasus region, has entered into a strategic partnership with UnionPay International, a subsidiary of China's UnionPay. The agreement extends UnionPay card acceptance within Azerbaijan and forms part of broader efforts to connect the country to international payment networks.
First phase completed
Following completion of the first phase of the rollout, UnionPay cardholders can now make online purchases at more than 1,000 merchants and withdraw cash at nearly 1,300 ATMs operated by Birbank, the banking arm of the Bir ecosystem. The Bir ecosystem also includes the Birmarket ecommerce platform, the Milliön payment terminal network and the m10 e-wallet application.
Over the coming months, Birbank plans to extend UnionPay acceptance across its point-of-sale acquiring network, allowing cardholders to make contactless and chip payments at physical merchant locations throughout Azerbaijan. Birbank customers will also gain the ability to transfer funds directly to UnionPay cards. Once this second phase is complete, Bir will support UnionPay across all major acquiring channels, including ATMs, ecommerce, POS terminals, and mobile POS devices.
Positioning within regional trade flows
The partnership takes place as Azerbaijan continues to develop its position as a trade, tourism, and business link between Europe and Asia. Expanding acceptance of UnionPay, one of the payment networks used internationally, is intended to make it easier for visitors carrying UnionPay cards to transact within the country, while allowing Azerbaijani merchants to serve international customers without additional integration work.
Jalal Orujov, CEO of Payments at Bir, said the company is investing in payments infrastructure that connects Azerbaijan with international payment ecosystems, and described the UnionPay partnership as a further step in that strategy. Wang Lixin, CEO of UnionPay International, said the collaboration strengthens payment connectivity between Azerbaijan and Asia and is intended to support cross-border travel, trade and commercial activity.
Ecosystem reach
The Bir ecosystem, launched in 2025, states it serves more than five million users across its banking, payments and ecommerce services. The company has also established partnerships with the Trendyol marketplace and the BakıKart transportation payment solution. According to the companies, the UnionPay agreement is part of a wider strategy to integrate everyday shopping and banking activities within a single ecosystem.
Bir has not disclosed a specific completion date for the second phase of the UnionPay rollout, which will extend acceptance to point-of-sale and mobile POS channels nationwide.
