Published
04/24/2026, 16:10Bai Tushum Bank has launched the BaiPay virtual card, developed in collaboration with UnionPay International, within the BTB mobile app. Now, users can open the card online in just a few minutes without visiting a branch and immediately use it for international payments and purchases on Chinese marketplaces.
A key feature of BaiPay is the ability to open an account in yuan, allowing users to pay directly in the merchant’s currency, thereby avoiding double conversion and the associated additional costs. For customers who regularly order goods from China, this can make purchases cheaper and more predictable in terms of cost.
As the bank notes, the ability to pay for purchases with the BaiPay card allows customers to avoid the 3% fee that may apply when shopping on Chinese online marketplaces. This further reduces transaction costs and expands the card’s usability within China’s digital payment infrastructure.
Remote card issuance adds to the convenience. Whereas previously you had to visit a bank branch to apply for a card, now all you need to do to open a virtual card is download the BTB app. The card is issued directly within the app and becomes available immediately after opening an account. In effect, the bank has transitioned the product to a fully digital format.
According to the bank’s fees, card issuance is free, as is the annual service fee, and the daily payment limit reaches 56,000 yuan (about $8,200). E-commerce purchases are supported by the card’s functionality.
The launch of the BaiPay virtual card comes amid the growth of cross-border e-commerce. According to E-Commerce Expo Central Asia, in the first half of 2025, approximately 1 million online transactions totaling $19.4 million were made in Kyrgyzstan, which is 56% more than a year earlier. The growth of trade with China remains an additional driver of demand. According to Chinese estimates, trade turnover between our countries exceeded $27 billion in 2025, setting a new record.
Against this backdrop, the demand for payment instruments for settlements in yuan appears to be a logical continuation of the growth in purchases on Chinese platforms and cross-border payments.
Security remains a key advantage of virtual cards. Unlike a primary bank card, a digital product can be used as a separate tool for online shopping, which helps better control spending and reduce risks associated with online payments.
Against the backdrop of the card market’s growth, such solutions are becoming part of a broader trend toward the digitalization of payments. According to the National Bank, by mid-2025, the number of bank payment cards in circulation in Kyrgyzstan reached 10.3 million, an increase of 28.8% year-over-year.
