The Interbank Processing Center CJSC (IPC CJSC) has announced the discontinuation of servicing "Mir" bank cards in its infrastructure starting from April 5, 2024, as stated in a statement by the operator of Kyrgyzstan's national payment system "Elcart."
The decision to cease services is due to the termination of relations with the National Payment Card System JSC (NPCS JSC) to minimize the risk of secondary sanctions.
As a result of the mutual termination of card servicing in each other's payment systems, the services that will become unavailable to users include:
- Card servicing in POS terminals
- Cash withdrawals from ATMs
- Card-to-card transfers
- E-commerce transactions such as internet payments to merchant accounts
IPC CJSC is taking all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted operation and full security of the national payment system. Within the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, cards of the National Payment System "Elcart" will continue to be serviced in all banking devices without any restrictions, as stated in the announcement.
On February 23, 2024, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against the National Payment Card System JSC (NPCS JSC), the operator of the "Mir" payment system.
