# Bosnia and Herzegovina — payment codes and schemes

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

## Summary

- **Cross-border instant payments** agreement signed January 2025
- **QR code-based instant payments** in development via World Bank project
- **UniCredit** dominates with 25.17% market share
- **Currency board:** BAM fixed to EUR
- **22 commercial banks** as of September 2024

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH)
- **Website:** https://www.cbbh.ba/
- **Role:** Currency board, monetary stability (no lending)

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Total Assets (BAM M) | Market Share | Owner |
|------|-----------|---------------------|--------------|-------|
| 1 | UniCredit Bank d.d. Mostar | 8,072 | 25.17% | UniCredit (Italy) |
| 2 | Raiffeisen Bank d.d. BiH | 5,673 | 17.69% | Raiffeisen (Austria) |
| 3 | ASA Banka d.d. Sarajevo | 3,348 | 10.44% | Private (BiH) |
| 4 | Intesa Sanpaolo Banka | 2,952 | 9.21% | Intesa (Italy) |
| 5 | NLB Banka d.d. Sarajevo | ~2,000 | ~6% | NLB (Slovenia) |

### Market Structure
- **Foreign Dominance:** UniCredit, Raiffeisen, Intesa, NLB
- **22 Banks Licensed:** September 2024
- **Two Entities:** Federation BiH and Republika Srpska
- **ASA Banka:** Largest domestic private bank

### Entity Banking Structure
- Federation of BiH: Most major banks
- Republika Srpska: Separate banking licenses
- Unified central bank (CBBH)

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| CBBH RTGS | CBBH | Real-time gross | Active |
| Card Networks | Various | Card payments | Active |
| Instant Payments | Developing | World Bank project | 2025-2026 |

### Currency Board Arrangement
- BAM pegged to EUR at 1.95583:1
- No monetary policy flexibility
- Ensures macro-financial stability
- Full foreign exchange backing

### World Bank Payment Modernization
- Part of Western Balkans initiative
- Fast Payment Systems with QR codes
- Cross-border interoperability goal
- EU standards alignment

---

## QR code standards

### No Established National QR Standard

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not yet have a country-specific QR payment standard. Current status:

| Feature | Type | Status |
|---------|------|--------|
| National QR Standard | Not established | Developing |
| Instant Payments | World Bank project | 2025-2026 |
| Bank-specific QR | Limited | Some banks |
| Card payments | Primary | Dominant |

### Cross-Border Instant Payments Agreement (January 2025)

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Signed** | January 10, 2025 (Rome) |
| **Parties** | Albania, BiH, Kosovo, N. Macedonia, Montenegro |
| **Timeline** | 18 months from signing |
| **Features** | QR codes, instant transfers |

### World Bank Initiative
- Fast Payment Systems development
- 24/7 instant fund transfers
- QR code functionality
- Cross-border trade facilitation
- Reduced costs for businesses

### Mobile Banking QR
- Some banks offer QR login authentication
- Limited payment QR features
- Digital banking growing rapidly

---

## Mobile payment apps

| App Name | Bank | Mobile Banking | QR | Digital Focus |
|----------|------|----------------|-------|---------------|
| UniCredit mBanking | UniCredit | Yes | Limited | Strong |
| Raiffeisen mBanking | Raiffeisen | Yes | Limited | Best 2024 |
| ASA Banka Mobile | ASA Banka | Yes | Limited | Growing |
| Intesa Mobi | Intesa | Yes | Limited | Active |

### Raiffeisen Digital Leadership
- Best digital bank in BiH 2024
- Modern mobile banking
- Growing digital adoption

### Digital Banking Growth
- All major banks offer mobile apps
- Online banking standard
- Digital transformation ongoing
- COVID accelerated adoption

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Cross-border IPS](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BA/cross-border-ips) | Instant (planned) | QR Code | 2025-2026 | — |
| [Card Payments](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BA/card-payments) | Cards | EMV | Dominant | — |

## Sources

- [World Bank - Western Balkans Payment Modernization](https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/eca/brief/advancing-the-modernization-and-integration-of-payment-systems-in-the-western-balkans)
- [Central Banking - West Balkan Instant Payments](https://www.centralbanking.com/central-banks/payments/7963622/west-balkan-central-banks-to-create-instant-payments-system)
- [TheBanks.eu - Bosnia Major Banks](https://thebanks.eu/countries/Bosnia-and-Herzegovina/major_banks)
- [Elevate Pay - Banks in BiH](https://www.elevatepay.co/blog/banks-in-bosnia-and-herzegovina)
- [TheBanks.eu - UniCredit BiH](https://thebanks.eu/banks/19326)
- [TheBanks.eu - Raiffeisen BiH](https://thebanks.eu/banks/19322)
- [FasterCapital - Banking in BiH](https://fastercapital.com/content/Banking-in-Bosnia-Herzegovina--Managing-Your-BAM-Accounts.html)
- [Global Finance - Best Banks CEE 2024](https://gfmag.com/award/award-winners/worlds-best-banks-2024-central-eastern-europe/)
- [Wikipedia - List of Banks in BiH](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banks_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina)
- [Trade.gov - BiH Trade Financing](https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/bosnia-and-herzegovina-trade-financing)

## Full country report

[BA-bosnia-herzegovina.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BA)