February 7, 2019, with the participation of the Kazakhstan Interbank Settlement Center and National Bank of Kazakhstan the system of instant payments using a mobile phone number «Sunqar» began to function.

«Sunqar» system enables instant payments and money transfers in Kazakhstan between customers of different banks participating in the system. In this case, for the transfer of money between individuals using a simple and user-friendly mobile phone identifier – phone number, which must be tied to any source of payment, payment card, current bank account, e-wallet.

Services in «Sunqar» system are provided by Kazakhstan banks through their mobile applications or internet banking systems. Currently, services of instant payment system are provided by JSC «Bank CenterCredit», JSC «Altyn Bank» (SB China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited) and JSC «Eurasian Bank».

During 2019 more than 10 second-tier banks are planning to connect to the system. The new service will appear in banks mobile applications and systems of data remote maintenance as improvements of their information systems in the framework of their internal plans.
Tariff policy for instant payments and transfers for customers is determined by banks independently.

At the first stage «Sunqar» system will be able to transfer money between individuals (P2P-transactions), and within their accounts in different participating banks (deposits, replenishment of the investment account with a broker and others).
With the development of services in the system, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs through their servicing banks will be able to ensure acceptance of instant payments for goods and services in their favor without installing special equipment to conduct instant payments to individuals.

In particular, through «Sunqar» system, by scanning QR codes, it will be possible to pay with a mobile phone in retail.
The introduction of instant payments in Kazakhstan aims to provide public and business stakeholders with universal platform to make payments anywhere, anytime through affordable payment tools and remote channels.

A meeting of representatives of the payment system for users of Kazakhstan was held, at which more than 70 specialists from 27 organizations participated.

The meeting discussed issues of ensuring the functioning of the Payment System of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

• The current situation, the results and analysis of payment and information systems of KISC. FASTI.
• The system of instant (mobile) payments – as a new trigger for development of payment systems in Kazakhstan.
• Implementation of ISO 20022international standard.
• The provision of new services for better interaction with customers.
• Prospects for the provision of services of KISC as a SWIFT service bureau.
• Implementation of remote identification mechanism for clients.

You can check presentation material here.