Card-to-card transfer limits have been introduced in Azerbaijan

Starting August 1, restrictions on card-to-card transfer operations have come into effect in Azerbaijan.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to FED.az, based on an agreement reached between the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and commercial banks, limits on card operations ("card-to-card") have been introduced in the country.

The restrictions apply to the amount of transferred funds and the number of operations, as well as to the total number of cards.

In addition, the introduction of new limits on the number of payment cards, electronic money accounts, and the use of electronic wallets is envisaged.

However, the greatest public interest is drawn specifically to the limits on card-to-card transfers.

So, cardholders are hereby informed: starting August 1, 2026, as part of measures to strengthen security and transparency in the field of digital payments, certain changes in card operations have been introduced.

In particular, for card deposits and card-to-card transfers, a maximum of 5 operations per day is allowed. That is, a cardholder can make 5 transfers from their card daily and, in the same manner, receive 5 payments.

Despite the limitation on the number of daily operations, no daily amount limit has been set. Instead, a monthly limit of 20,000 manats has been established for the total amount of card-to-card transfers.

Operations carried out between a bank client's own cards are not subject to these restrictions — the limit does not apply to them.

It should be recalled that the conditions for card operations were presented to members of the Azerbaijan Banks Association and the Azerbaijan Fintech Association several days earlier.

On the other hand, according to the new rules, restrictions have also been introduced on the number of payment cards and electronic wallets. In particular, for electronic wallets, the use of 2 wallets in manats and 1 wallet for each foreign currency is permitted.

The introduction of limits on card-to-card transfers is driven by several reasons. The position of the government and the Central Bank is that these limits are primarily aimed at increasing transparency and reducing fraud cases. In addition, the new rules are designed to combat tax evasion and illegal bookmaking operations.

It should be noted that only Azer Turk Bank has published an official statement regarding this decision. The other banks have not sent any warnings to their clients on this matter.