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.
