Apple Pay and Google Pay are now usable in Uzbekistan for locally issued cards, the head of the Presidential Administration, Saida Mirziyoyeva, announced on 27 October. The move follows regulatory reforms intended to open the country’s financial services market to international technology providers.
What is available so far
At launch, cards from eight local issuers, including banks and financial institutions, support Apple Pay through Visa and Mastercard. Google Pay works with nine banks. Two banks, Uzum Bank and Hamkorbank, support Apple Pay for Visa cards only.
Mobile, contactless and QR payments were already available in the country. Domestic services HUMO Pay and UZCARD PAY also predate the launch.
Domestic networks still outside the scheme
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan said in written replies to Euronews that work is under way to extend the services to cards issued through the domestic networks Uzcard and HUMO. It gave no timeline. Cashback and other benefits depend on the terms set by each bank.
Mirziyoyeva met Google Vice President Karan Bhatia in New York a month before the announcement to discuss conditions for international payment services. In September she again linked the regulatory changes to the introduction of international payment systems.
Broader policy backdrop
In March the country amended its personal data legislation, loosening restrictions on cross-border processing and storage of certain categories of personal data. The Central Bank approved a National Fintech Strategy for 2026-2030 in September, covering investment, cross-border payments, open banking and interconnection of the financial system.
Source: Central Bank of Uzbekistan
