On 31 October, Kaspi.kz introduced a new payment method — Kaspi Alaqan, which allows payments to be made by holding your palm up to a terminal. A similar technology with a similar name was developed by Alaqan Group and brought to the Kazakh market earlier. Both sides have presented their view of the situation.
According to Forbes.kz, the founder of Alaqan Group, Berik Nurymbetov, stated that the banks' interest in the technology arose after a visit by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov to Astana Hub in April 2024. According to Nurymbetov, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Digitalisation to arrange a meeting for them with representatives from the banks.
"I was able to present the solution to all second-tier banks: many were interested, others replied that they were building an ecosystem around QR payments and at that time did not see any interest for themselves in such technology," said Nurymbetov.
In the spring of this year, employees of the biometric systems development department at Kaspi invited the Alaqan team to a meeting in Almaty.
"I went there assuming that a preliminary level of trust was sufficient. An NDA (non-disclosure agreement - editor's note) was not signed between us. I proceeded on the basis that we were acquainted and working together on the development of technology in Kazakhstan. So I spoke openly and in detail about our product," he recalls.
According to Nurymbetov, representatives of Kaspi later told him that the company was working on its own development of a similar technology. He suggests that Kaspi's interest may have been sparked by his presentation, but emphasises that the key issue concerns the name.
"Why was the same brand used, one in which my team and I have been investing efforts and resources for many years, developing this field not only in the country but also abroad?" Nurymbetov questions.
Representatives of Kaspi confirmed the meeting with Nurymbetov took place.
"Our team regularly holds such meetings with various companies. The meeting was of an introductory nature," the statement said.
The company stressed that Kaspi Alaqan is an independent development with its own engineering principles and security architecture. According to the company, various options were considered when choosing the name.
"But 'alaqan' is a commonly used Kazakh word meaning 'palm'. It is important for us that the name is understandable to every customer — just as 'Kaspi QR' clearly describes the QR payment service," the response stated.
The bank also claims that before registering the Kaspi Alaqan trademark, they conducted a legal check for trademark conflicts. The application was submitted on 2 September 2025, and registration was received on 1 December.
The public register of Qazpatent does indeed reflect the execution of these applications: Kaspi Alaqan is registered under classes 36 and 39 (financial services, transport and rental), while Alaqan Group received registration of its trademark on 11 August 2025 under classes 09 and 42 (biometrics).
Nurymbetov sought legal clarification regarding the legality of using the name registered by Alaqan Group. According to lawyers, the use of a designation similar to the point of confusion in relation to identical or similar goods or services could be seen as misleading consumers and as a potential infringement of exclusive trademark rights.
The lawyers explained that generic and descriptive words in Kazakhstan are, in principle, not subject to registration without distinctive character. However, the word can be used if it is employed in a figurative sense, relates to a different category of goods, or has acquired secondary meaning, becoming a recognisable brand.
According to the lawyers, in the case of Alaqan, it may specifically refer to a secondary meaning — formed through many years of use and market recognition. They stress, however, that only the authorised body can give a final decision on the legality of using a particular designation, and therefore Alaqan Group has sent an official request to Qazpatent.