More than 40 million users of the Uzbek HUMO card will be able to pay for purchases as if they were at home

The national payment system Elkart has completed its inter-system integration with the Uzbek HUMO, launching full mutual acquiring between the two countries. This means that terminals and ATMs of Kyrgyz banks operating within the Elkart infrastructure now accept HUMO cards, and Kyrgyz citizens can use Elkart cards in Uzbekistan without any additional conditions.

"Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring Uzbekistan are striving for the same thing: convenient, fast and secure digital payments. This is especially important for residents of border areas. Previously, transfers or payments between the two countries were inconvenient, but now this problem no longer exists. The integration is now complete," emphasised Altymysh Turatbekov, Chairman of the Board of the Interbank Processing Centre, in his speech.

For Elkart, this is one of the most significant projects in recent years — technologically complex, but strategically important. The integration took almost a year to prepare, and now the Kyrgyz system provides a direct link to a major foreign national payment system serving tens of millions of cardholders for the first time.

"This opens up new opportunities for business. On the HUMO side, we have ensured that Elkart cards are accepted at all terminals and ATMs in the country. To date, more than 40 million HUMO cards have been issued, half of which are active. All global payment systems are also serviced, and now Elkart is added to them. The second and third stages of integration are ahead, which will only strengthen cashless payments," added Maksud Mukhitdinov, first deputy chairman of the board of the Humo payment system.

From a technical point of view, Ayil Bank played a key role in the launch, becoming the project's settlement bank. The first test transactions were carried out through its terminals, including payment with a real HUMO salary card in Bishkek. In the coming weeks, several more commercial banks are planning to connect to the system, expanding coverage throughout the country.

"This is a complex technical project, but its significance is at the state level. All 3.6 million Elkart users will be able to pay without hindrance in Uzbekistan, and 40 million HUMO users in Kyrgyzstan. They will not need to look for exchange offices or apply for international cards — their national cards will suffice," said Tilik Alimjanov, head of the bank.

The integration of HUMO and Elkart was the first stage of broader cooperation between the payment systems of the two countries. The launch of direct cross-border card-to-card transfers is already in preparation, followed by the integration of QR infrastructure. QR payments are growing rapidly in Kyrgyzstan, and their synchronisation with the Uzbek system will be a logical continuation of digital integration.

According to industry estimates, the launch of mutual acquiring makes Elkart a key player in the regional financial network of Central Asia. The project simplifies life for citizens and strengthens Kyrgyzstan's role as a digital partner capable of building modern and convenient financial solutions at the intergovernmental level.