How much money can banks debit from a citizen's card without their consent?

10 October 2026, 08:32·78·Uzbekistan

An important legal change aimed at protecting the financial rights of customers and consumers has been implemented in Uzbekistan's banking system. According to a new decision adopted by the Central Bank and registered by the Ministry of Justice, strict restrictions have been established on the authority of commercial banks to debit funds from cards without the citizen's consent (acceptance) for credit or guarantee debts.

From now on, even if there is a debt, banks cannot «zero out» and debit all the money from a citizen's plastic card.

What has changed: The «Inviolable Balance» requirement

With the document registered at the Ministry of Justice under No. 3030-13, an addition was made to the minimum requirements for the activities of commercial banks:

Mandatory balance criterion: When money is debited without the debtor's instruction (automatically) based on credit or guarantee agreements between the bank and the customer, an amount equal to at least half of the minimum wage (MHTEKM) must be retained across all of their card accounts;
Guarantee of primary needs: This requirement ensures that a guaranteed inviolable balance of at least 0.5 MHTEKM (around 680 thousand soums based on the current indicator) remains in the citizen's account for food, transport, and daily living expenses;
Ban on full debt write-off: Banks emptying a customer's account completely will be assessed as an unlawful action.

When does the new rule come into force?

A specific deadline has been set for the official entry into force of this decision by the Board of the Central Bank:

Implementation deadline: The decision will be fully implemented three months after the day of its official publication;
Preparation time for banks: During this three-month period, commercial banks must adapt their automated software and billing systems to the new requirement, meaning they must integrate the 0.5 MHTEKM balance restriction into their systems.

This decision is of great importance in strengthening the social protection of the population and protecting borrowers from unexpected financial distress and severe hardship.