ArmInfo. The number of virtual point-of-sale (vPOS) terminals in Armenia will reach 5,814,000 by 2026, of which 52%, or 2,999,000, are used in retail, catering, and service outlets.
The 30%, or 1,336,000 increase in vPOS terminals by 2025, and the 16%, or 13,514,000 increase in regular POS terminals, can be explained by the increased use of cashless payments, which became mandatory with the introduction of legislative restrictions on cash transactions in July 2022. This is according to data from the Central Bank of Armenia.
Thus, by 2026, 57,343 POS terminals (including 2,160 vPOS) will be in use at wholesale and retail locations (supermarkets, stores, markets, and fairs), with an annual growth rate of 16%, or 7,819 units. At the same time, the number of ATMs at these locations has increased by 3%, or 17 units, to 604. At the same time, banks, by optimizing their ATM networks in their branches (44 ATMs were dismantled), have increased their POS network by 114 units (105 regular POS terminals and 9 vPOS terminals).
By 2026, there will be a total of 104,014 POS terminals in Armenia, 98,200 of which are standard POS terminals. Bank head offices and branches will have 1,196 units (including 115 vPOS terminals), while retail, food service/service outlets (hotels, restaurants, cafes, bistros), and healthcare facilities (hospitals, dental clinics, pharmacies) will have 75,417 units (including 3,182 vPOS terminals).
By 2026, there will be 1,455 ATMs in Armenia, a year-on-year decrease of 4%, or 63 units. Of these, 921 are in the capital, and 534 are in the regions. The number of ATMs in the capital and regions has decreased by 25 and 38 units, respectively, year-on-year. It should be noted that a significant reduction in ATMs, in particular a 53-unit reduction in regional ATMs, was recorded in the third quarter of 2023 due to the tragic September events in Artsakh, which led to the forced displacement of Artsakh residents. Banks with infrastructure there suffered material and non-material damage, with Artsakhbank suffering significant losses-including all branches, ATMs, and POS terminals (30 ATMs and 84 POS terminals).
The Central Bank's report also indicates the number of payment terminals-11,501 units, of which 5,328 are in the capital and 6,173 in the regions. Moreover, only 881 of these terminals are installed in banks. The majority-10,620 units-were distributed by payment systems across large shopping centers, busy streets of the capital, and in the regions.
According to the Central Bank, there are already over 5 million cards in Armenia (with a 16% annual growth rate), and the volume of plastic transactions (including international transactions using cards issued by Armenian banks) exceeded 7.5 trillion drams in 2025 (with a 9% annual growth rate).
For the third year in a row, the growth of plastic transactions has been supported by high activity through POS terminals, especially virtual and mobile POS terminals. While cash transactions traditionally dominated overall plastic transactions, since the legislative restrictions on cashless card transactions (since July 2022), the situation has shifted in favor of non-cash card transactions, which will become dominant as early as 2023 and further strengthen their position.
