UzLiDeP Proposes Phasing Out SMS Bank Alerts

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s UzLiDeP political party has proposed gradually phasing out SMS notifications in the banking sector and transitioning to more advanced digital communication channels, according to a statement published on its official Telegram channel.

The party noted that over the past three years, the cost of SMS notifications in Uzbekistan has doubled from 84.2 to 168.4 soums per message.

At the same time, it argued that the effectiveness of SMS as a communication channel is declining, citing delays in delivery, limited message capacity and concerns over cybersecurity standards.

UzLiDeP referred to international practices, where banks and payment systems are increasingly moving away from SMS toward alternative solutions, including push notifications, in-app messages, and alerts via messaging platforms and email.

Examples cited include European banks such as Revolut, N26 and BNP Paribas, which активно use push notifications for transaction confirmations and customer updates. According to the party, such approaches reduce the risk of code interception and enhance transaction security.

The statement also highlights the use of messaging platforms across Europe, Asia and Latin America, as well as the introduction of digital soft tokens in Singapore, allowing users to confirm transactions directly through banking applications without relying on SMS or mobile networks.

According to estimates cited in the statement, transitioning to alternative notification systems could reduce banks’ operational costs by 50–70% compared to SMS-based services.

In this context, UzLiDeP proposed introducing requirements for banks and payment systems to adopt more efficient and secure notification channels, abandon the monopoly use of SMS, and provide customers with the right to choose their preferred method of receiving transaction alerts.