Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At the beginning of October, the editorial staff of Uzdaily.uz visited a press tour organized by TBC Bank Uzbekistan and Payme. In just a few days, UzDaily staff were able to immerse themselves in the cultural and banking heritage of Georgia, get acquainted with the cutting-edge innovations presented in the spacious and impressive TBC Concept office, and also learn about the further development of the Payme payment system in Uzbekistan.

Opportunities for Humo card holders from TBC Bank Uzbekistan

The press tour to Tbilisi was dedicated to exploring the historical sights of the city. A walk through the Old Town, which has preserved its unique appearance, allowed to feel its original atmosphere. TBC Bank, whose branches are located throughout Georgia, fit harmoniously into this atmosphere. A pleasant surprise was that, being TBC UZ Humo card holders, all tour participants were able to pay for their purchases with a card or withdraw cash from an ATM. You can choose from Georgian laris or US dollars. This means that Uzbek citizens who have TBC UZ Humo cards do not need to look for exchange offices to exchange currency or apply for international Visa or MasterCard payment cards to pay for purchases in Georgia.

Getting to know the unique space of TBC Concept

The second part of the media tour was devoted to a visit to the head office of TBC Bank in Tbilisi. I was particularly impressed by TBC Concept, a unique space inside the TBC Bank head office. It combines a bank, coworking space, office building and art halls, where the visitors can visit exhibitions of local artists, enjoy the cozy atmosphere of a cafe or work in a cozy coworking space. According to Makuna Tavberidze, head of the marketing department of TBC Group, the place was created with the aim of providing clients not only with banking services, but also allowing them to enjoy cultural activities and communication with interesting people.

 Nika Kurdiani, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TBC Bank Uzbekistan and Payme, emphasized the importance of their ecosystem development, which means providing a wide range of services to customers.

He noted that the main idea is that customers can receive many different services in one system. It took the organizers thirty years to build such a system in Georgia. 

TBC Bank will retain the Payme brand

UzDaily found out that TBC Bank plans to maintain the Payme brand in Uzbekistan and direct investments into the development of the payment system.

In 2019, TBC Bank acquired 49% of Payme shares, and in May 2023 - 51%. The total transaction amount was US$10.8 million.

TBC will work to attract deposits and provide loans, while Payme will provide daily payment services. Payme recognition in Uzbekistan is 93%, in Tashkent - 89%. There are no plans to rebrand Payme.

The number of registered Payme users has exceeded 10 million people. The number of monthly active users is 3 million, and daily active users are 1 million. At the same time, more than 75.1 thousand partners receive payments using Payme. 

Nika Kurdiani noted that some services will also be introduced into Payme. Already now, system users can receive a loan from TBC.UZ through the application.

UzDaily talked with Nika Kurdiani and asked in more detail about how TBC entered the Uzbekistan market and how the development of the Payme payment system has progressed since its purchase.

- Uzbekistan is a country culturally close to us in Central Asia and the largest platform for growth, given its population. In May 2020, we received a license from the Central Bank. This gives us the right to say that TBC Bank is the first digital bank in Uzbekistan. Over the three years of existence in the Uzbekistan market, we have gained over three million clients.

If we talk about Payme, we entered into the company’s share in 2019, and in April of this year we bought it out completely.

- How is Payme developing now?

- Payme is growing at a breakneck pace: today we have over 10 million registered users. The system itself has the potential to become a lovemark in Uzbekistan. We are building a brand that people love and trust. We place special emphasis on the convenience of the application and its security. Our users know that their data is securely protected in all areas. In order to solve these problems, we attract experts from various fields, both local and foreign.

We are working to ensure that our users can pay for goods and services everywhere. Work is continuously underway to conclude partnership agreements, and the coverage area is growing.

- At the beginning of October, two major marketing and advertising festivals took place: Red Jolbors and TAF!23. CSR projects of Payme and TBC Bank Uzbekistan were awarded in several categories at once. Tell us more about the projects.

- CSR activity occupies a special place in our work. TBC Bank Uzbekistan actively participates in social initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in society: it promotes the development of projects in the field of culture and art, ecology, and also actively supports the running movement in Uzbekistan. The largest social project is TBC Ornaments, the goal of which was to create a full-fledged catalog of digitized ornaments of applied art and folk art of Uzbekistan, accessible to everyone. The bank supports young creators, works in collaboration with local illustrators and artists, and promotes the running movement in the country. TBC Bank also pays a lot of attention to expertise in the areas of financial literacy and ecology. Fin Edu is an educational project in the format of video and audio podcasts, where the presenter communicates in simple language with experts on topics of finance and working with a bank. Eco Edu is a project on Youtube, where, together with guests, eco-activists and eco-bloggers, they talk about supporting the environment and eco-habits that can be applied in everyday life.

As for Payme, understanding that the brand is a significant part of the lives of its users, we strive to implement the corporate citizen concept by taking a responsible part in the life of the country. Among the major social projects implemented by the company is the Payme Mahalla platform, launched in December 2022. Several thousand Payme users regularly take part in missions within the framework of Payme Mahalla: they buy computers, sports equipment, backpacks with school supplies for schools, and publish books in the Uzbek language.

The company supports education, gives people the opportunity to realize themselves (for example, through supporting women’s entrepreneurship within the framework of the “On the Side of Women’s Business” project, promoting young talents in the “Polygon” and GameDev Goethe projects), and also conducts master classes on financial literacy throughout Uzbekistan. Acts as a partner of the large-scale music festival WECOSMOS. Creates local colorful covers for virtual Payme VISA cards, which are so close to Uzbek citizens.