BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 22. Kyrgyzstan's Bakai
Bank has integrated the Visa Direct to Account international
transfer service for individuals into its mobile banking
application, Trend
reports via the bank.
The financial institution became the first in Kyrgyzstan to roll
out this cross-border payment solution in a fully digital format,
receiving an award from Visa international payment system.
Unlike traditional card-to-card transfers, the new service
operates on an account-to-account model. This mechanism expands the
geographic reach of transactions by reducing reliance on the
recipient's card infrastructure. The service covers destinations
including mainland China and Hong Kong, the US, the UAE, Türkiye,
Singapore, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, and several South Asian
markets. For transfers to China, the system supports direct
remittances to Alipay and WeChat wallets.
The bank also intends to scale this functionality to the
corporate segment. Access to the Visa Direct to Account service is
scheduled to be launched for legal entities and entrepreneurs via
the Bakai Business digital platform in the near future.
Founded in 1998, Bakai Bank is one of the largest privately
owned universal commercial banks in Kyrgyzstan. Headquartered in
Bishkek, it provides retail, SME, and corporate banking services.
It is notable for holding 100% Kyrgyz capital, offering pioneering
Islamic finance, and earning a "B/B" rating from S&P
Global.
