ASTANA – Diners Club International and Kazakhstan’s largest private bank, Kazkommertsbank, are launching the Diners Club Card business in Kazakhstan, according to a press statement issued Sept. 15. The deal represents a step toward Kazakhstan’s global economic integration, the bank said.
“Our collaboration with Diners Club is another step toward the integration of Kazakhstan into the global economy, which increases the tourism potential in our country,” said Managing Director of Kazkommertsbank Nurlan Zhagiparov.
Diners Club International is a part of the Discover Global Network. Diners Club cards are accepted in more than 185 countries and territories via millions of merchant locations and at more than one million ATMs and cash access locations.
“In the near future, Kazakhstan will become more attractive to foreign visitors due to significant events such as the Universiade and EXPO 2017. Expecting a great inflow of foreign tourists and business travellers, we are trying to provide them with the comfort they are accustomed to in transactions. The additional benefit from collaboration with Diners Club is that the holders of cards issued for local payment systems in India, South Korea and certain other countries could be serviced via Discover Global Network, which means that in Kazakhstan, they would be able to use their cards,” he stated.
According to Managing Director of Discover in Europe, the Middle East and Africa Matt Sloan, Kazakhstan is in a prime location for facilitating trade among countries throughout Asia and Europe. It is “a pivotal country to help increase Diners Club’s presence in the region.”
“Working with Kazkommertsbank will not only expand our global footprint, it will also allow Discover Global Network cardholders to use their cards throughout the country,” he said.
Kazkommertsbank is the largest acquiring bank in Kazakhstan, as well one of the largest issuers of payment cards in the country. Now it will also be the exclusive acquirer of Diners Club cards in Kazakhstan, as well as all of cards issued by the Discover Global Network. According to the statement, this will enable card acceptance at more than 42,000 payment terminals at different locations and 2,266 ATMs.
Founded in 1950, Diners Club International introduced the world’s first credit charge card, which was the beginning of a financial revolution in how consumers and companies pay for products and services. Today, Diners Club is a famous brand that also offers access to VIP lounges in the airports throughout the world and provides corporations and small business owners with a range of cost management solutions.
