Central Bank approves rules for the national payment switch: from 25 January 2027 interbank card payments will be processed inside the country

The Central Bank has approved a regulation on retail payments through the national payment switch. This is a single infrastructure that will carry interbank payments in soums made with bank cards and e-money. The system will launch in January 2027 and run around the clock, with no days off.

The regulation was approved by a resolution of the Central Bank Board of 23 October 2026 and published in the National Legislation Database. It will apply from 25 January 2027.

What a payment switch is

The switch merges separate channels for exchanging payment data into one. It will carry:

• payment authorisation requests;
• payment messages;
• clearing and interbank settlement in national currency for cards and e-money within the country.

Some transactions on international cards are currently processed by foreign processing centres. Once the switch launches, that processing moves to Uzbekistan, which should make payments more resilient and secure.

Who connects and on what terms

• only banks can be direct settlement participants;
• payment organisations and payment system operators may connect to the switch directly but must settle through a servicing bank;
• participants may not change payment order details on their own initiative or carry out operations without the client's consent;
• participants must keep payment information confidential and protect personal data.

Why it matters

In summer 2026 the Central Bank said the project was on schedule: the regulatory framework was being prepared in 2026, with technical implementation planned for 2027. The approved regulation completes the legal part of the preparations.

What this means in practice. For cardholders, nothing changes in how they pay: transfers and purchases in soums will simply be processed inside the country. Banks, payment organisations and payment system operators need to prepare their connection to the switch by 25 January 2027, and non-bank participants need to arrange a settlement bank.

Photo: European Commission, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)