More than 142,000 Uzum Bank customers added their cards to Apple Wallet in the first 24 hours after Apple Pay launched in Uzbekistan, Tashkent-based digital group Uzum said on October 29.

Uzum's offices in Tashkent. Source: Uzum

In the same period they made more than 60,000 Apple Pay transactions worth UZS2.8bn ($235,000). Repeat payments made up 48.3% of the total, and public transport, grocery stores, restaurants and cafes were the most popular places to pay, the company said. Uzum Bank is among the first banks to take part, with eligible Visa cards supported.

The take-up suggests strong demand for international mobile payments in Central Asia's most populous country. Uzbekistan first promised Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal in 2024, but rules forcing personal data to be stored on servers inside the country held the launch back until this year, and cards from Uzum and seven other local issuers only became available in Apple Wallet on October 27.

"What is particularly striking about the speed of adoption is what it tells us about the country's progress. This is already a highly connected market, where people are increasingly comfortable using digital financial services in their everyday lives," said Roman Lavrentyev, co-founder and chief operating officer of Uzum and CEO of Uzum Fintech.

Uzum, which spans e-commerce, banking and consumer lending, is valued at $2.3bn after a funding round led by Omani sovereign investors in March, and is weighing an international bond to fund its lending business ahead of a possible IPO. Fitch Ratings upgraded Uzum Holding to 'B+' in September.