Transition to Cashless Payments in Uzbekistan: What Will Happen with Large Card Transactions

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Starting from 1 April 2026, a number of payments in Uzbekistan will transition to cashless form, leading to a significant increase in card-based transactions. This has raised questions among many residents about whether cards could be blocked when making large transactions.

Experts emphasize that no new restrictions are being introduced. Existing internal banking rules aimed at preventing money laundering, terrorism financing, and managing financial risks will remain in effect.

The move to cashless payments only increases the number of transactions subject to automatic monitoring.

According to internal bank regulations, a transaction may be considered suspicious if, within 30 days, a client transfers or receives amounts exceeding 500 times the basic calculation unit (approximately 206 million soums) to other bank cards or electronic wallets.

Transactions involving multiple cards or wallets—more than five within a short period—also fall under heightened scrutiny. In such cases, information about the transaction is automatically sent to the Department for Combating Economic Crimes in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 402 dated 29 June 2021.

It is important to note that banks do not block cards automatically. Transactions are first analyzed, and if necessary, clients may be asked to provide documents confirming the source of funds. If the transaction is legitimate, no restrictions are applied.

However, if suspicious transactions are repeated systematically, the client may be classified as high-risk, granting the bank the right to verify the legality of operations. Refusal to provide the required information may result in the bank unilaterally terminating the service agreement.

The transition to cashless payments is intended to increase transparency of financial flows and reduce the risk of economic violations, while ensuring that lawful transactions of citizens remain fully protected.