Starting January 25, 2027, all P2P transfers and payments in Uzbekistan will route through the Central Bank’s unified payment infrastructure instead of foreign processing centers. This was reported by podrobno.uz, citing an October 23, 2026 resolution by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan board that approved the unified payment switch regulations. The resolution text is not yet available on the regulator’s website, so details are based on the publication’s summary.
What changes and how the switch will work
Currently, foreign processing centers handle a portion of P2P transfers in Uzbekistan. The new system aims to consolidate various payment data channels into a single infrastructure managed by the Central Bank.
The switch will process transaction confirmation requests, payment messages, and interbank settlements in the national currency using bank cards and e-money. The system will operate 24/7.
According to the publication, one goal of the reform is to process a portion of international bank card transactions domestically, which currently route through foreign processors. The Central Bank expects this to make transfers more reliable and increase the national payment infrastructure’s stability.
Who can connect
The new rules restrict access to settlements. Only banks can conduct them directly. Payment organizations and payment system operators can connect to the switch, but they will need a servicing bank for actual settlements, meaning they will lack direct access to the settlement loop.
The regulation also limits system participants’ actions: changing payment order details on their own initiative is prohibited, as is conducting transactions without client consent. Participants must protect personal data and maintain payment information confidentiality.
The report does not specify how many banks and payment organizations are ready to connect or who will technically administer the switch.
Market context
The reform unfolds as international payment services expand in Uzbekistan. Apple Pay and Google Pay previously launched in the country, and Apple Wallet now supports cards from eight banks and financial services, including Uzum, Orient Finans Bank, National Bank, Kapitalbank, Hamkorbank, Ipak Yuli Bank, TBC Bank, and Octobank, podrobno.uz writes. The country is simultaneously opening up to global payment platforms and building its own P2P transaction processing loop.
According to the Central Bank, moving settlements to its own infrastructure should make P2P transfers more reliable and secure, while processing a portion of international card transactions domestically rather than through foreign processors.
Less than three months remain until the switch launches. It is not yet known which specific banks and payment organizations are testing connections or what the transition period will be for systems currently operating through foreign processing centers.
