Armenian pensioners to get cashless pensions 

ArmInfo. Armenia will now pay pensions exclusively by bank transfer. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave the order at a government meeting on November 6.  Pashinyan  noted that a decision had previously been made to pay pensions in  cash to citizens over 75.  However, he still can't understand why,  especially since he recently discovered that pension delivery people  are charging 500 drams for their "services."

"They say that pensioners over 85 can't leave their homes. I'm  telling you, even better, they won't have to leave their homes; the  card is right there, and the money is deposited," Pashinyan said.

"You have two weeks. All pensioners must receive their pensions only  electronically," the prime minister insisted. Shirak Region Governor  David Arushanyan, in turn, noted that relatives of elderly people  with mobility issues most often complain about difficulties obtaining  bank cards. He added that banks should be asked to visit these  pensioners to issue cards. In response, Pashinyan stated that there  are only a few thousand such pensioners, and their issue can be  resolved in various ways.

"Starting January 1, there will be no paper money circulation for  pensions. Everyone, without exception, must receive them only  electronically," Pashinyan noted.

The prime minister believes this is the best solution for pensioners  with mobility issues. Previously, they couldn't leave the house or go  to the store, and had to ask someone else to do it for them, handing  them paper money and risking being cheated. Now, it will be easier to  control their expenses, plus they can even receive refunds on  non-cash purchases. As a reminder, the cashback program for  pensioners and benefit recipients paying with bank cards was extended  in 2025. The program was launched in July 2022. All pensioners who  used their cards to purchase goods and services received a 10%  cashback, up to a maximum of 5,000 drams. Starting in October 2024,  the cashback amount on non-cash purchases was increased to 12%, or up  to 6,000 drams.