The key facts
- The Central Bank of Uzbekistan officially announced the launch of Apple Pay in the country
- At launch, Visa and Mastercard cards from eight banks are supported, including the National Bank of Uzbekistan, Kapitalbank and TBC Bank Uzbekistan
- Support for the national cards Uzcard and Humo is promised in the near future
Official launch following morning reports from users
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan announced the official launch of the international payment service Apple Pay in the country, the agency's press service reported. The availability of Apple Pay and Google Pay became known on the morning of October 27, when users began adding cards from local banks to their digital wallets; Spot correspondents were also able to link their cards to the services.
Which cards are supported and what is promised next
At the first stage, Apple Pay works with Visa and Mastercard cards from eight banks: the National Bank of Uzbekistan, Ipak Yuli Bank, Orient Finans Bank, Kapitalbank, TBC Bank Uzbekistan and Octobank, as well as Visa cards from Hamkorbank and Uzum Bank. Users can add cards to Apple Wallet and pay for purchases using iPhone, Apple Watch and other compatible devices.
Practical significance of the launch
Until now, holders of cards from Uzbek banks could not use Apple Pay, and the launch changes the usual way of paying for holders of cards from the eight listed banks — purchases can now be paid with an iPhone or Apple Watch without a physical card. However, the launch is not yet complete: cards of the national payment systems Uzcard and Humo, used by a significant part of the population, are not yet supported. The Central Bank stated that work is underway to connect them and that support will appear in the near future, with the service's availability expanding gradually as banks and payment systems become technically ready. The regulator also noted that the service uses special technologies to protect card data and ensure transaction security.
