The key facts
- The task of fee-free transfers between one's own cards was set by the head of state on May 5, 2026
- The document on the service was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers roughly 11–12 days into the allotted two weeks
- The exact launch date of free transfers has not been announced
Round table at the Central Bank
On October 15, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan held a round table on the topic 'Fees in financial services: costs, competition and consumer interests'. It was attended by representatives of commercial banks, payment systems, payment organizations and the media. In addition to discussions about fees, the meeting covered reducing customer lock-in to a single bank, the development of alternative ways to transfer money, and the timelines for launching new services.
Free transfers between one's own cards
Economist Otabek Bakirov recalled that a task has been set to provide individuals with fee-free money transfers between their own bank cards. According to him, this instruction from the head of state was issued on May 5, 2026: transfers between the cards of a single individual must be carried out without fees within the fast payment system. Bakirov considers such a measure important, as it will strengthen competition between banks and payment organizations. In his view, if a customer can transfer funds between banks without additional costs, it will be easier for banks with reliable and convenient terms to attract resources, while other participants will have to improve their service conditions to retain customers.
Launch timelines not yet named
The Central Bank, in response to a question, said that the relevant document on the 'me-to-me' service has already been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers — according to a representative of the regulator, this was done roughly 11 or 12 days into the allotted two weeks. However, the exact date on which the service will become available to customers was not named at the round table. Bakirov also drew attention to the infrastructure of the new service and spoke in favor of organizing transfers between one's own cards using the Central Bank's infrastructure.
