Apple Pay and Google Pay have begun launching in Uzbekistan
Apple Pay was launched in Uzbekistan on October 27 — a list of eight local banks whose cards can be added to the service became available in Apple Wallet. Google announced the launch of Google Pay back on October 19, but users also began adding cards from Uzbek banks on October 27.
Apple Pay and Google Pay have begun connecting in Uzbekistan
On October 27, the first signs of Apple Pay's launch appeared in Uzbekistan: iPhone users gained access to a list of local banks whose cards can be added to Apple Wallet. The list included eight banks and fintech services. Google officially confirmed the launch of Google Pay back on October 19, but cards also began connecting to the service on October 27.
When attempting to add an ATTO transit card to the Apple Wallet app, a notification appeared regarding the possibility of connecting bank cards issued in Uzbekistan.
The Apple message lists the following banks and supported payment systems:
Apple clarifies that some banks may not support all types of cards. The list will be updated as new banks join. It is recommended to check with the card issuer regarding the ability to connect a specific card.
At the time of writing, Uzbekistan was still missing from the list of countries supporting Apple Pay published on Apple's website. The last update to that page was dated October 19.
On Google's official website, Uzbekistan is listed among the countries where the Google Wallet app, contactless payments, and the web version of the digital wallet are supported.
In particular, users have access to contactless payments using Android smartphones, smartwatches running Wear OS, and compatible Fitbit devices.
Google Wallet also allows users to store tickets, transit passes, loyalty cards, passes, and other digital documents. The availability of individual features depends on the country, device, and service partners.
To pay for purchases using a smartphone, you need to add a supported bank card to Google Wallet and fill in its details (card number, CVV code on the back of the card, bank address).
Correspondents of Gazeta managed to connect Visa bank cards to Apple and Android phones.
On October 19, Google Cloud representative Marcin Krasuski announced the launch of Google Pay in Uzbekistan at a digital technology event in Samarkand, which was held as part of the C5+1 format meetings between Central Asian countries and the US.
On October 22, the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan reported that Google Pay was already working in the country, and the launch of Apple Pay was expected in the coming days (the message was later deleted). According to the agency, technical integration of the service is being handled by the Central Bank, commercial banks, and the HUMO and Uzcard payment systems.
Earlier, the Spot publication, citing several sources, reported that October 27 was named as the tentative launch date for Apple Pay. It was assumed that the service would start working simultaneously across several banks.
Preparations for the launch of international payment services intensified following changes to personal data legislation.
On March 26, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law allowing, subject to certain conditions, the storage and processing of certain personal data of citizens of Uzbekistan abroad. Previously existing data localization requirements were one of the obstacles to Apple Pay and Google Pay entering the country's market.
At the same time, mandatory storage on the territory of Uzbekistan was retained for biometric and genetic data, as well as data of users of local telecommunications operator services.
In July, the Central Bank reported technical preparations for the launch of Apple Pay and Google Pay. Banks were also engaged in card tokenization to ensure the ability to connect not only international Visa and Mastercard cards to the services, but also national HUMO and Uzcard cards.