Apple Pay and Google Pay Launch in Uzbekistan After Data Reforms, With Domestic Cards Next

October 27 launch opens wallets to Uzbek bank cards

Apple Pay and Google Pay became available for eligible cards issued by Uzbek banks on October 27, 2026, bringing eight initial Apple Pay issuers and nine Google Wallet issuers into a market already handling hundreds of trillions of soums in annual terminal payments. Cards on the domestic Uzcard and HUMO networks are still awaiting integration.

The first figures from Uzum Bank show how quickly some customers responded. On October 29, its parent group said more than 142,000 customers had added cards to Apple Wallet during the first 24 hours. They made more than 60,000 payments worth 2.8 billion soums, approximately $235,000, with public transport, grocery stores, restaurants and cafes among the most popular places to pay.

Uzbekistan already had mobile payment services, including HUMO Pay, UZCARD PAY and payments using QR codes. The change gives eligible local cardholders access to Apple's and Google's international wallets, allowing them to pay with compatible phones and watches instead of presenting a physical card.

March amendments to personal data legislation helped make that possible by allowing more information to be processed outside Uzbekistan under specified conditions. The launch connects a practical change at the checkout with a broader decision about how the country participates in international digital finance.

For consumers, the immediate question is which particular card their bank supports. For banks and local payment companies, the larger contest is becoming the service customers choose for everyday purchases.

Which cards work at launch?

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan's initial Apple Pay list names eight issuers. Six support eligible Visa and Mastercard cards: the National Bank of Uzbekistan, known as NBU, Ipak Yuli Bank, Orient Finans Bank, Kapitalbank, TBC Bank and Octobank. Hamkorbank and Uzum Bank initially support eligible Visa cards only.

Google Wallet has a different list covering nine banks. Google Wallet is the application that holds the card, while Google Pay is the payment service used to make purchases. Eligibility varies by card network and by whether the card is a debit or credit product.

• Octobank, TBC Bank and Kapitalbank: eligible Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards.
• Aloqabank, Ipak Yuli Bank and NBU: eligible Visa credit and debit cards, plus Mastercard debit cards.
• Orient Finans Bank: eligible Visa debit cards and Mastercard credit cards.
• AVO Bank: eligible Mastercard debit cards.
• Uzum Bank: eligible Visa credit cards.

A debit card normally spends money already held in an account, while a credit card uses borrowing provided by the issuer. That difference matters here because a bank may support one category without supporting another. Customers should check their exact product with the bank before relying on it for a purchase.

Apple also advises that participation by a bank does not mean every card it issues can be added. The Central Bank says availability will expand in stages as banks and payment systems complete their technical preparations.

Domestic cards are the next major step

Uzcard and HUMO cards cannot yet be added to the services. The Central Bank says work is under way to connect the domestic networks, specifically describing Apple Pay support as coming soon, but it has given no exact date.

The scale of those networks makes their inclusion important. Banking expert Ismoil Turopov, editor in chief of Bankers.uz, put the number of cards in circulation at more than 77 million and said most were HUMO and Uzcard cards. The Central Bank's earlier figure was more than 68.2 million cards on January 1, 2026, compared with approximately 62 million at the beginning of 2025.

The two Central Bank figures represent an increase of about 6.2 million cards, or roughly 10%, in a year. They count cards rather than individual customers, since one person can hold several cards.

Until domestic network integration is complete, access to the new wallets depends on holding an eligible Visa or Mastercard. Ulugbek Tavakkalov, an adviser to the chairman of Universal Bank's supervisory board, expects international card issuance to benefit during this period. He pointed to more than 20 banks issuing Visa and Mastercard cards and the growing availability of virtual cards.

How the launch unfolded

Uzbekistan first promised the introduction of Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal in 2024. Requirements to keep personal data on servers inside the country delayed the wallet rollout. Legislative changes and discussions with technology companies followed before local card enrolment opened in October.

• March 26, 2026: legislation was signed allowing most categories of personal data to be stored and processed abroad under conditions.
• September 2026: the Central Bank approved the National Fintech Strategy for 2026–2030.
• September 23: Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the presidential administration, met Google Vice President Karan Bhatia in New York.
• October 19: Google Pay's introduction was announced at a digital technology event in Samarkand within the C5+1 framework.
• October 27: eligible cards from participating Uzbek banks became available in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and Mirziyoyeva announced the services' availability.
• October 29: Uzum published its figures for the first 24 hours of Apple Pay use.

The October 19 announcement and October 27 opening of local card support mark different stages of the rollout. Customers gained the ability to enrol participating Uzbek bank cards on the latter date, alongside the Central Bank's confirmation of Apple Pay's official launch.

The Samarkand announcement took place during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit for the C5+1 ministerial meeting, which brings together the United States and the five Central Asian countries. The technology discussions also covered cybersecurity, cloud computing and digital education.

Why changing data rules mattered

The legislation signed on March 26 replaced a broad requirement for local data storage with rules that distinguish between categories of information. Most personal data can now be stored and processed abroad under specified conditions. Biometric data, genetic data and information belonging to customers of Uzbek telecommunications operators must still be stored in Uzbekistan.

International technology services often need to process information across national borders. A requirement to keep that processing entirely inside one country can complicate the operation of platforms built to serve customers across many markets.

Mirziyoyeva linked the regulatory changes to international payments after her September meeting with Bhatia. Describing the opportunities created by the reforms, the head of the presidential administration said:

"As a result, broader opportunities are opening up for the unrestricted use of international payment systems in Uzbekistan," she said.

Doron Avni, Google's vice president for government affairs and public policy for emerging markets, also linked the launch to the updated framework. He described the change as a move from rigid local storage requirements toward a more flexible system for classifying data.

For Uzbekistan, that policy choice extends beyond payment apps. The same discussions with Google included artificial intelligence, cybersecurity training and support for the country's technology sector. The continuing local storage requirements for sensitive categories remain part of the country's approach to protecting information.

What Uzum's first day figures reveal

Uzum said repeat payments accounted for 48.3% of its Apple Pay transactions during the first 24 hours. Together with the concentration of purchases in transport, food shops and places to eat, the figures show customers using the service for routine spending soon after enrolment.

The company's figures describe activity among its own customers. Uzbekistan has not published a combined transaction total for all participating banks and both wallet services.

Roman Lavrentyev, Uzum's cofounder and chief operating officer and the chief executive of Uzum Fintech, said the response reflected an existing familiarity with digital finance:

"What is particularly striking about the speed of adoption is what it tells us about the country's progress. This is already a highly connected market, where people are increasingly comfortable using digital financial services in their everyday lives," said Roman Lavrentyev.

Uzum combines electronic commerce, banking and consumer lending. Its valuation reached $2.3 billion after a funding round led by Omani sovereign investors in March, and Fitch Ratings upgraded Uzum Holding to B+ in September. The group has also been considering an international bond to finance lending ahead of a possible stock market listing.

A large payments market already existed

Uzbekistan's payment terminals handled 460 trillion soums, approximately $38.3 billion, in 2025, according to Central Bank figures. That was an increase of around 41% from the previous year. The country had 430,762 point of sale terminals on January 1, 2026.

Aloqabank recorded 54 trillion soums in terminal transactions, followed by TBC Bank with 33 trillion and NBU with 30 trillion. Together, those three banks accounted for 117 trillion soums, approximately 25.4% of the national total of 460 trillion.

Contactless payments were growing before the international wallets arrived. The Central Bank's 2025 annual report put transactions using near field communication, or NFC, at 41.4 trillion soums in 2024, about 1.1 times the 2023 amount. NFC is the short distance wireless technology that lets a phone or card communicate with a payment terminal.

The new services therefore enter an established market rather than introducing digital payments for the first time. Their reach will depend on eligible cards, compatible devices and terminals that accept the relevant payment network.

Merchant acceptance and card enrolment are separate parts of that process. A business can accept Apple Pay through a supporting payment provider while a particular customer's card remains ineligible for the wallet. Visitors using eligible foreign cards may already have been able to pay at compatible terminals.

How customers enrol and protect their cards

Apple Pay requires a compatible device with current software, an Apple Account signed in, a supported card and device protection such as Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. On an iPhone, customers add the card in Wallet and complete any verification required by their bank.

Google Wallet users add a payment card in the application, scan it or enter its details, and complete the issuer's verification. Some banks also provide an option to add the card directly from their own app. An Android phone needs NFC and appropriate screen protection for payments at terminals.

Both services use tokenisation to protect card details. In simple terms, a token is a digital substitute for sensitive card information. Mastercard describes its technology as replacing those details with a unique digital identifier. Apple says its payments use a number specific to the device and a unique transaction code, rather than passing the actual card number to the merchant.

An iPhone or Apple Watch can make a purchase at a terminal without mobile data or Wi-Fi because the device communicates through NFC. Apple does not charge users a separate fee for paying with Apple Pay, although the issuer's usual charges, including currency conversion or overseas charges where applicable, still apply. Cashback and other benefits depend on the bank's terms.

Customers should protect bank verification codes as carefully as their cards. Local specialists have identified fraud involving SMS codes as a continuing risk. If an Apple device is lost, payments can be suspended through Lost Mode in Find My; customers can also contact their bank to restrict the card.

Banks and local apps compete for everyday spending

Click has added Apple Pay to its payment page for online shops. A customer choosing Click at checkout can pay with an eligible Visa or Mastercard already stored in Apple Wallet, reducing the need to enter card details again.

Naima Mirzaeva, a member of Click's supervisory board, sees simpler checkout as an opportunity for electronic commerce. She also identified practical responsibilities for banks and payment companies: reliable integration, protection of customer information and management of dependence on international platforms and their technical requirements.

Turopov expects banks to compete for the position of default card in a customer's wallet. The bank whose card is selected for routine purchases receives more of that spending activity. Banks can respond through convenient enrolment, cashback, card limits and other account features managed in their own apps.

Local services such as Click, Payme and Paynet also handle utility bills, mobile phone payments, transfers between individuals, loan repayments and connections to domestic service providers. Those functions give them a continuing role alongside wallets focused on purchases.

Tavakkalov expects competition between QR payments and payments made by tapping a card or device to intensify. He forecast that their shares could become roughly comparable after about six months. That is his market expectation, while the speed of adoption will depend on customer habits, card availability and merchant equipment.

A broader financial reform programme

The National Fintech Strategy for 2026–2030, approved by the Central Bank in September, places the wallet launches within a larger programme. Its priorities include attracting investment, developing payments across borders, introducing open banking and improving connections between financial systems.

Open banking allows approved services to connect with banking information or functions through standard technical channels, subject to permission and applicable rules. Interoperability means different systems can work together. Both can reduce the need for customers and businesses to remain inside a single provider's network.

Mastercard has also linked the rollout to the Digital Uzbekistan–2030 strategy. Its launch work with Aloqabank brings eligible Mastercard holders on Android devices into the service, adding another route for banks to connect customers with international payment technology.

The next practical milestone is support for Uzcard and HUMO, alongside expansion of eligible bank products. For shoppers, the benefits are immediate where their card and device already qualify. For the wider financial system, the launch increases the importance of making domestic networks, international cards and local payment services work smoothly together.

Key Points

• Eligible Uzbek bank cards became available in Apple Pay and Google Wallet on October 27, 2026.
• Apple Pay initially covers eight issuers; Google Wallet lists nine, with eligibility varying by card product.
• Uzcard and HUMO integration is under way, with no exact launch date announced.
• March data legislation allowed most personal information to be processed abroad under conditions while retaining local storage rules for sensitive categories.
• Uzum reported more than 142,000 customers adding cards and more than 60,000 payments during the first 24 hours.
• Uzbekistan already had a substantial digital payments market, including 460 trillion soums in terminal payments during 2025.
• Bank fees, cashback and card eligibility remain subject to each issuer's terms.