Today, small and medium-sized businesses need speed, flexibility, and access to resources that support growth. Entrepreneurs want to make payments in seconds, access financing without lengthy approval processes, and manage their businesses through a single platform.
That is why banks are increasingly adapting their services to meet the day-to-day needs of businesses.
Bank CenterCredit is developing a comprehensive suite of business solutions that help companies process transactions faster, access financing, manage their operations, and discover new opportunities for growth. In recognition of this approach, the bank was named “Most Innovative SME Bank – Kazakhstan 2026.”
Alexander Belov, Vice-President for Small Business Development at Bank CenterCredit, discusses how banking services for SMEs are evolving, which technologies and services are already available to entrepreneurs, and what the future holds for business banking.
Bank CenterCredit has received the Most Innovative SME Bank – Kazakhstan 2026 award. What does it mean to be an innovative bank for SMEs today? How is the approach to working with entrepreneurs evolving?
For us, innovation is not about individual digital products or technology for technology’s sake. Above all, it is about continuously simplifying the lives of entrepreneurs.
We are systematically digitising key processes, reducing the time it takes to complete them, and creating solutions that allow businesses to spend less time on banking operations, and more time focusing on growth and development.
Today, being an innovative bank for SMEs means combining technology, speed, and a deep understanding of our customers’ businesses. However, technology is not an end in itself. True innovation comes from making banking simpler, delivering solutions faster, and creating new opportunities for business growth.
Entrepreneurs themselves have also changed significantly in recent years. Businesses in Kazakhstan have become far more digital and increasingly demanding when it comes to speed and convenience. Customers expect the same intuitive and seamless experience from their bank that they have come to expect from other digital services. That is why we continue to expand our remote banking capabilities, automate key processes, and develop personalised solutions that integrate seamlessly into our customers’ day-to-day operations.
What do entrepreneurs expect from their bank today, beyond traditional banking products?
Modern entrepreneurs need to manage cash flows efficiently, accept payments, conduct foreign exchange transactions, secure financing for growth, and scale their businesses. That is why we strive to be a trusted financial partner at every stage of our customers’ growth journey, rather than simply a provider of individual banking products.
This approach is also reflected in the way we develop digital solutions for SMEs. Examples include the digital marketplace of banking products at online.bcc.kz, digital tenge settlements, the ability to open escrow accounts and exchange escrow receipts through the BCC Business mobile app, the Smart Refueling service that helps businesses control fuel expenses, and Business League, our loyalty programme for business customers.
Just a few years ago, many of these services either required a visit to the bank branch, or were not available in the market at all. Today, entrepreneurs can access them digitally through a mobile app.
To what extent can businesses manage their financial processes remotely today, and what role does the BCC Business mobile app play in this?
One of BCC’s key priorities is to minimise manual operations and move processes to digital channels, from account opening and product onboarding to everyday payments and foreign exchange transactions.
A particular focus is on serving customers engaged in foreign economic activity. BCC holds a leading position in the Kazakhstani market in serving such customers. Today, core FEA services are available online, while customers can also receive expert foreign exchange control consultations directly through BCC Business via video call.
Other processes are also becoming digital: issuing bank guarantees, applying for loans, and completing a wide range of day-to-day banking transactions can now be done in just a few taps.
Today, BCC Business is a single digital point of interaction with the bank, where customers can manage their accounts, payments, foreign exchange transactions, banking products, and non-financial services 24/7.
What financial needs does BCC currently address for businesses, and how do these needs evolve as a company grows?
We are developing all key areas of SME financing, including lending, leasing, payment guarantees, and bid bonds. At the same time, our goal is not simply to offer customers a financial product, but to provide solutions tailored to specific business needs, whether that involves working capital financing, investments, purchasing equipment, or participating in new projects.
In their day-to-day operations, entrepreneurs have strong demand for payments, business card transactions, foreign exchange services, merchant and Internet acquiring, a unified QR solution, invoicing, deposit products for surplus liquidity, and loan products.
Among small businesses, credit limits on the accounts and business credit cards are in particularly high demand. Larger companies are more likely to seek investment financing and leasing.
As businesses grow, their needs naturally evolve. In the early stages, entrepreneurs typically prioritise opening an account quickly, accepting payments, and managing their finances efficiently. As their businesses expand, new needs emerge, including working capital financing, foreign exchange transactions, obtaining bank guarantees, purchasing equipment, and implementing investment projects.
Our role is to support businesses throughout this journey and offer solutions that align with the company’s current scale and business objectives.
How does BCC develop solutions tailored to the specific needs of different businesses?
SMEs are far from a homogeneous segment. The needs of a small entrepreneur can differ significantly from those of a growing company. That is why we segment our customer base and tailor our offerings, customer journeys, and service model to the scale and nature of each business.
We also place special emphasis on dedicated financing initiatives. As part of our ESG agenda and partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), we are expanding financing programmes for women entrepreneurs, green financing initiatives, and support for young entrepreneurs. Government programmes aimed at financing sectors that are strategic to the country’s economy also play an important role.
At the same time, one of the key drivers of our product development is feedback from entrepreneurs themselves. We continuously analyse customer journeys and gather feedback to understand not only what products customers are looking for, but also the business challenges they are trying to address. This insight helps us enhance existing services and develop new solutions.
How do you see the next stage in the evolution of SME banking services?
Going forward, interactions with banks will become even simpler and more seamless. Standard banking transactions will be completed more quickly and conveniently, processes will be automated, and offers will be tailored to the specific context of each business.
At the same time, banks will shift from providing individual transactions to offering comprehensive support to entrepreneurs in managing and developing their companies. For BCC, this means further developing digital and non-financial services, while leveraging data and artificial intelligence to personalise and integrate financial instruments more deeply into day-to-day business processes.
For entrepreneurs, technology is not an end in itself. What matters is speed, simplicity, access to financing, and the tools needed to grow.