Apple Pay and Google Pay go live in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country, has begun offering Apple Pay and Google Pay for locally issued bank cards after regulatory changes. The central bank is working to extend them to Uzcard and HUMO domestic network cards, with no timetable given.
Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country, has made the international mobile payment services Apple Pay and Google Pay available to customers holding eligible cards issued by local banks. The launch follows regulatory reforms intended to open the financial services market to international technology providers. Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration, announced on 27 October that the services were available.
In written responses to Euronews, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan confirmed that work is underway to extend the services to cards issued through the country's domestic payment networks, Uzcard and HUMO. No timetable has been given.
Which cards are supported
Mobile and contactless payments were already possible in Uzbekistan through domestic services such as HUMO Pay and UZCARD PAY, as well as QR code systems. The new services let customers use international platforms instead of relying only on those domestic solutions.
Apple Pay currently supports Visa and Mastercard cards from eight local banks and financial institutions: Uzum Bank, Orient Finans Bank, the National Bank of Uzbekistan, Kapitalbank, Hamkorbank, Ipak Yuli Bank, TBC Bank and Octobank. Uzum Bank and Hamkorbank support Visa cards only for now.
Google Pay supports cards from nine banks: AVO Bank, Octobank, Uzum Bank, TBC Bank, Aloqabank, Kapitalbank, Ipak Yuli Bank, the National Bank and Orient Finans Bank. Customers are advised to check with their bank which cards qualify. The central bank says both services protect card details during transactions, while cashback and other benefits depend on each bank's conditions.
Regulatory changes
The rollout comes after amendments to Uzbekistan's personal data law in March 2026, which eased restrictions on processing and storing certain categories of personal information abroad. At a September meeting in New York with Google Vice President Karan Bhatia, Mirziyoyeva explicitly linked those changes to bringing in international payment systems. The talks also covered cooperation on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity training and support for the technology sector.
The developments coincide with the National Fintech Strategy for 2026–2030, which the Central Bank approved in September. It envisages attracting investment, developing cross-border payments, introducing Open Banking and improving connectivity between financial systems.
