# Azerbaijan — payment codes and schemes

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AZ
> extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

## Summary

- **AniPay** is the central QR code payment system
- **IPS** (Instant Payment System) since October 2020
- **5-20 seconds** settlement time
- **1.88 million** QR metro users (H1 2024)
- **Financial Sector Development Strategy 2024-2026**

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBAR)
- **Website:** https://www.cbar.az/
- **Role:** Monetary policy, IPS operation

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|------|-----------|------|------------------|
| 1 | International Bank of Azerbaijan | State | ABB Mobile |
| 2 | PASHA Bank | Private | PASHA Mobile |
| 3 | Kapital Bank | Private | BirBank |
| 4 | AccessBank | Private | AccessBank App |
| 5 | Rabitabank | Private | Rabitabank Mobile |

### Market Structure
- **CBAR:** Operates IPS and AniPay
- **27% growth:** Card transactions (2024 vs 2023)
- **AZN 126 billion:** Card transactions (2024)
- **Open Banking:** Platform development underway

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| IPS | CBAR | Instant payment | Active (2020) |
| AniPay | CBAR | QR payments | Active |
| AZIPS | CBAR | Interbank | Active |
| HÖP | CBAR | Low-value clearing | Active |

### IPS Statistics
- **Launched:** October 1, 2020
- **Settlement:** 5-20 seconds
- **Availability:** 24/7/365
- **Limit:** AZN 40,000 per transaction

### IPS Features
- Instant payments between individuals
- Business-to-business payments
- Government payments
- Phone number/email identifiers

---

## QR code standards

### AniPay QR

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Operator** | Central Bank of Azerbaijan |
| **System** | Instant Payment System |
| **Features** | QR code payments |
| **Access** | Bank apps + AniPay portal |

### AniPay Features
- Central QR payment platform
- In-store QR payments
- Payments within seconds
- Any time, any place

### QR Adoption (2024)
- **1.88 million** QR metro ticket users (H1 2024)
- **69% growth** in July 2024 usage
- Metro QR payments popular
- Retail QR expanding

### Payment Identifiers
- Phone number
- Email address
- QR code scanning
- IBAN (traditional)

---

## Mobile payment apps

| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|-----|----------|-------|----------|
| AniPay | CBAR | Yes | Central platform |
| BirBank | Kapital Bank | Yes | Mobile banking |
| ABB Mobile | IBA | Yes | Banking |
| PASHA Mobile | PASHA Bank | Yes | Banking |
| Epoint | Epoint | Yes | mPOS |

### AniPay Portal
- Central Bank operated
- IPS integration
- QR code payments
- Simple identifiers

### 2024 Innovations
- **tap Xphone (July 2024):** PASHA Bank NFC smartphone payments
- **Epoint mPOS (Dec 2024):** Smartphone payment acceptance
- Apple Pay/Google Pay support
- Contactless payments growth

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [AniPay](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AZ/anipay) | QR Platform | CBAR | Active | [`anipay`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/anipay) |
| [IPS](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AZ/ips) | Instant | CBAR | All banks | — |
| [AZIPS](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AZ/azips) | Interbank | CBAR | Active | — |

## Sources

- [MENAFN - Azerbaijan IPS QR Launch](https://menafn.com/1099691842/Azerbaijan-to-launch-instant-payment-QR-code-payment-systems)
- [Transfi - Azerbaijan Payment Rails](https://www.transfi.com/blog/azerbaijans-payment-rails-how-they-work---azips-hop-mobile-wallets)
- [GlobalData - Azerbaijan Cards](https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/azerbaijan-cards-and-payments-market-analysis/)
- [Payment Yearbooks - Azerbaijan 2025](https://www.paymentyearbooks.com/reports/azerbaijan-2025/)
- [EzeePayment - Mobile Payment Apps](https://ezeepayment.com/mobile-payment-apps-in-azerbaijan/)
- [CBAR - IPS Launch](https://e-cbar.az/News/Info/3953247?culture=en)
- [Caliber - Digital Breakthrough](https://caliber.az/en/post/azerbaijan-accelerates-digital-breakthrough)
- [Lightspark - Azerbaijan Instant Payments](https://www.lightspark.com/knowledge/azerbaijan-instant-payments)
- [EPC - QR Standardisation](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/sites/default/files/kb/file/2024-06/EPC024-22v2.10%20Standardisation%20of%20QR-codes%20for%20MSCTs.pdf)
- [ARKA - ArcaQR (Regional Reference)](https://arka.am/en/news/business/payments-directly-from-bank-accounts-ameriabank-joins-arcaqr/)

## Full country report

[AZ-azerbaijan.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AZ)