TBC Bank Uzbekistan has introduced Apple Pay, enabling its cardholders to make contactless and online payments via Apple devices.
The rollout gives customers of TBC Bank Uzbekistan (TBC UZ) access to Apple Pay across iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac. TBC UZ operates within the TBC Uzbekistan digital financial ecosystem, which is part of the UK-listed TBC Bank Group. According to the bank, the service allows customers to pay without handing over a physical card, pressing buttons on a terminal, or exchanging cash, relying instead on the security features built into Apple devices.
How the service works for TBC UZ cardholders
At physical points of sale, customers initiate a contactless transaction by holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal. The bank notes that Apple Pay is accepted across a range of merchant categories, including grocery stores, pharmacies, taxis, restaurants, coffee shops, and retail outlets.
The service also extends to digital channels. Cardholders can use Apple Pay on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to complete purchases within apps or on the web through the Safari browser, without creating merchant accounts or re-entering shipping and billing details each time. TBC UZ lists food and grocery delivery, online shopping, transport, and parking among the main use cases. Apple Watch users can additionally pay within apps on the device.
Onboarding takes place in the Wallet app on iPhone, where customers add their TBC UZ credit or debit cards. Once a card has been added to a given device, it can be used for payments on that device immediately. The rewards and benefits attached to TBC UZ cards continue to apply to transactions made via Apple Pay.
Authentication and card data protection
Each Apple Pay transaction is authenticated through Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode, and is accompanied by a one-time, dynamic security code. This combination of biometric or passcode verification with a single-use code forms the basis of the service’s security model.
Card credentials are handled separately from the payment flow. When a credit or debit card is added to Apple Pay, the actual card number is stored neither on the device nor on Apple’s servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and kept in the Secure Element, a certified, industry-standard chip designed to hold payment information on the device.
Part of a wider digital ecosystem
The Apple Pay launch sits within TBC Uzbekistan’s broader strategy of building a digital financial ecosystem in Central Asia. On the consumer side, the group combines TBC UZ’s digital banking offering with the scale and reach of Payme, while its business banking activities are delivered through TBC Business and BILLZ.
The company states that its growth has been supported by a proprietary AI stack, which includes the AI assistant Lola, and that it has reached nearly six million monthly active users.
