Google Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy Doron Avni officially confirmed the launch of Google Pay in Uzbekistan. The global platform’s entry into the local market became possible after changes to personal data storage requirements.
Head of the Presidential Administration Saida Mirziyoyeva announced access to Google Pay and Apple Pay for Uzbekistan residents on October 27. Three days later, Doron Avni published an official comment on his LinkedIn page.
According to Euronews, Google Pay supports cards from nine local financial institutions at launch. The list includes AVO Bank, Octobank, Uzum Bank, TBC Bank, Aloqabank, Kapitalbank, Ipak Yuli Bank, NBU, and Orient Finans Bank.
Currently, the service works with international card systems. The Central Bank of Uzbekistan confirmed to the publication that work is underway to expand the service to cards from national payment systems Uzcard and HUMO. The regulator has not yet specified exact timelines for this integration.
How regulation opened the market
Doron Avni directly linked the service’s launch to the 2026 modernization of Uzbekistan’s personal data protection legislation. According to Daryo, the country abandoned strict requirements for mandatory data storage exclusively on its territory. Instead, the regulator implemented a flexible approach to information classification.
“Modern policy isn’t just written on paper—its impact is felt directly in people’s wallets,” the Google VP noted. He said that when a state introduces clear rules compatible with international standards, global technologies enter the market faster.
Competitive landscape
Before Apple Pay and Google Pay arrived, contactless smartphone payments in Uzbekistan developed through local solutions—HUMO Pay, Uzcard Pay, and QR payments in popular fintech apps like Payme and Click. The emergence of international platforms gives users another way to pay with their smartphones.
