Acquiring: What It Is, How It Works, and What Benefits It Offers

According to the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in May 2025 alone, 1.3 billion transactions were made using bank cards worth more than 18.1 trillion tenge. In total, 81.2 million cards were in circulation in Kazakhstan as of June 2025.
However, for a business to accept such payments, it must connect to a banking service known as acquiring.

What Is Bank Acquiring?

Simply put, acquiring allows customers to pay for goods and services using a bank card. Payments can be made not only with a physical card, but also via a smartphone or smartwatch with a connected payment service app.

The service is relevant for businesses of various sizes and industries — from small coffee shops and retail stores to gas stations, restaurants, and medical centers.

Types of Acquiring

There are three types of acquiring, allowing you to choose the best solution for your business based on its specifics:

1. Merchant Acquiring

This is the classic form of acquiring, where payments are made by card through a POS terminal (Point of Sale). Terminals are in demand in places where customers must be physically present to purchase goods or pay for services: supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, and offices.

2. Mobile Acquiring

In this case, payments are also processed through a mobile terminal, which is optimal for courier services, delivery services, and taxis. Such terminals are often connected directly to a smartphone or tablet via a dedicated app.

3. Online Acquiring

With this type of acquiring, payments are made directly on the website. This service is commonly used by online stores. To complete a payment, the customer is redirected to a secure page, enters their card details, and receives a receipt via email.

How Does Card Payment Work?

Let’s say a customer visits a coffee shop and wants to buy a latte using a bank card:

1. The customer taps their card on the terminal. If the card supports contactless payment — which most cards do today — there’s no need to insert it into the reader.

2. The payment information is sent to the customer’s issuing bank. The bank checks whether there are sufficient funds for the purchase. If the funds are insufficient, the transaction is declined.

3. If there are enough funds, the bank debits the card and sends the payment to the acquiring bank — the one that provides acquiring services to the business. The POS terminal prints a receipt as confirmation of a successful transaction.

4. The acquiring bank transfers the funds to the business’s account, minus the commission fee for its services.

Interbank transfers are usually processed quickly — they typically take about one day, but may take up to three days in some cases.

Benefits of Acquiring for Businesses

• Increased sales. People prefer to pay for goods and services by card — it's fast, convenient, and secure. For example, with cashless payments, there's no need to wait for change, which significantly speeds up the purchasing process.
• Expanded customer base. The number of customers grows not only due to those who are used to paying by card. Card payments are also convenient for foreigners: they simply tap their card on the terminal, and the currency is automatically converted at the current exchange rate — no need to find an exchange office. Many banks offer cashback and loyalty programs, which further encourage card usage.
• Increased payment security. Since cashiers don't handle physical money, the risks of theft and fraud are reduced. There's no chance of receiving counterfeit bills or giving incorrect change. Entrepreneurs no longer have to deal with cash-related issues such as ensuring safe storage, transporting it to the bank, checking for worn or fake bills, or handling coins.
• Lower costs. Funds are credited directly to the account, eliminating the need to pay for cash collection services. It also minimizes the risk of cashier errors during transactions.

Online Acquiring from Bank CenterCredit

Acquiring is convenient and beneficial not only for sellers but also for customers. There is no need to carry large amounts of cash, and payments take just a couple of seconds. In addition, many cards offer increased cashback for payments in certain categories — the money saved can be spent on another purchase.

Bank CenterCredit became the first bank in Kazakhstan to offer the market a solution to this problem — online acquiring via a payment link. We were the first to give entrepreneurs without websites access to full-fledged contactless payments, turning an ordinary link into a mobile terminal.

How does it work in practice?

You generate a personal link in the BCC Business app and send it to your customer via WhatsApp or Instagram → the customer pays in one click using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or a card issued by any bank in Kazakhstan → the money is credited to your account as early as the next day.

Digitalization 24/7

The service is completely free to activate and fully automated — 46% of our customers have already activated online acquiring outside business hours. No office visits, paper documents, or lengthy forms are required.

The process is simple: you see a valuable offer → sign the agreement via SMS → start accepting payments. Incidentally, the latest activation recently took place at 2:59 a.m.

Key benefits for small businesses:

● Affordability: the fee for individual entrepreneurs is just 1.2%, with a minimum fee of ₸25; for other local legal entities, it is 1.8%, with a minimum fee of ₸25.

● Trust: having an official payment form significantly increases the seller’s credibility in the eyes of customers.

● Versatility: ideal for selling clothing, cosmetics, handmade products, as well as for beauty professionals, tutors, and many other businesses.

Online acquiring in the bcc business app removes unnecessary steps between the seller and the customer. You gain legal business status and increased sales, while your customer gets a safe and convenient way to pay in just a couple of seconds.

This article has been translated from its original language using neural network-based translation technology.