Uzbekistan's Central Bank: a 'successful' ATM transaction doesn't prove cash was dispensed

The Central Bank has told commercial banks and payment organizations how to handle customer complaints about ATMs. The trigger: cases where a card was charged but the customer got no cash. The regulator said that if an ATM malfunction prevented dispensing, a record of a "successful" transaction does not by itself prove the service was provided. The customer's violated property rights must be restored, and data on transaction results must be stored. This was reported by Daryo.uz and Spot.uz.

The problem is old: the ATM debits the amount, no banknotes come out, but the statement says "successful." The customer goes to the bank, and the issue is not always examined on the merits. Now the regulator says directly: the status in the system is not the final word—an investigation is needed. For banks, this means stricter review of each disputed case and preservation of logs. For suppliers, it signals that demand for properly working ATM networks and transparent data about them will grow.

What this means for suppliers

Those who service ATMs and payment infrastructure will benefit: service companies, suppliers of spare parts, consumables, monitoring and video surveillance systems. Banks will have to prove whether a failure occurred or not—which means growing demand for equipment and software that records every transaction. Prepare documents confirming your experience: contracts for ATM maintenance, supplies of cassettes, receipt paper, dispenser modules. If you work with data, show how your system stores and provides logs on request.

Tenders for ATM network maintenance and equipment purchases are usually announced closer to fleet upgrades or the end of the budget cycle. There are no exact dates, but the topic is now under the regulator's scrutiny, and procurement for monitoring and service may well appear in the coming months. Watch the "Equipment and Machinery" and "IT" sections.

According to TenderLabs, there are currently 971 open lots in "Equipment and Machinery" and 1,424 in "IT." Some may relate to banking infrastructure, but check each lot individually.

What to do now

• Check whether you have valid contracts for ATM service or component supply. Gather them into one package—it will help confirm your experience.
• Describe how your equipment or software records and stores transaction data. Banks need this to resolve complaints, and such an argument in your bid will carry weight.
• Set up procurement monitoring in the "Equipment and Machinery" and "IT" sections using keywords: ATM, cassette, dispenser module, monitoring, video surveillance.
• Prepare a short brief on how you help a bank prove that cash was dispensed or a failure occurred. This is not speculation but a real need the regulator has directly pointed out.
• Check the validity of your electronic digital signature and access to the platforms where banks place procurement. Without this, you cannot submit a bid when a lot appears.

The main thing is not to wait for complaints to turn into inspections. Banks are already reviewing their approach to logs and network maintenance, and a supplier with a ready document package will be ahead.

Photo: Daryo.uz