Central Bank of Uzbekistan: Minors to Be Able to Fully Use Bank Cards via Mobile Apps

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has issued an official statement in response to social media reports about difficulties faced by minors during biometric identification when opening bank cards and linking them to mobile banking and payment applications.

According to amendments to the Instruction on the Procedure for Opening, Maintaining, and Closing Bank Accounts, approved by the Central Bank’s Board, citizens aged 14 to 18 are now permitted to independently open bank accounts.

To prevent fraud, the Central Bank has instructed commercial banks and payment organizations to implement biometric identification (Face ID) in their mobile applications at the stages of “New Registration,” “Password Recovery,” and “Login from Another Device.”

Considering the current situation, the Central Bank has directed banks and payment organizations to ensure that minors can access electronic payment services through mobile apps under risk management policies. Additional identification mechanisms will continue to apply for higher-risk operations.

The Central Bank emphasizes that minors will soon be able to fully use their bank cards through mobile banking and payment applications.