ArmInfo. The Armenian national payment system Arca and the Chinese UnionPay International (UPI) have signed a cooperation agreement on online payment acceptance. According to a statement from Arca, the document was signed on September 3 in China.

ArmInfo.  Non-cash transactions have been steadily gaining ground in the Armenian plastic card market, increasing to 60.7% of the total by July 2026 (from 55.8% a  year ago), exceeding AMD 2.3 trillion ($6.3 billion) in absolute  terms in the first half of the year. This is evidenced by data from  the Central Bank of Armenia on transactions made in Armenia and  abroad using cards issued by Armenian banks.

ArmInfo.  By July 2026, the Armenian plastic card market will already have 5.5 million cards,  with annual growth accelerating from 15.1% to 20.2%. These are  primarily microprocessor cards with NFC chips - 4.8 million, or 87%  of the total number (versus 83.5% a year ago), with annual growth  remaining at 29%. According to data from the Central Bank of Armenia,  local Arca microprocessor cards with NFC chips have seen significant  annual growth.

ArmInfo.  As part of a U.S. Department of State Professional Fellows Program (PFP)  reciprocal project, Vladimir Karyan, Head of Operational Risk  Management at Acba Bank and PFP alumnus, and Dr. Mariofanna Milanova,  Professor of Computer Science at the University of Arkansas, Little  Rock, brought their expertise in AI applications, agentic AI, and  fintech to Armenia,  reported by the US Embassy in Armenia. 

ArmInfo.For the second consecutive year, the Armenian banking system has maintained a high growth rate of non-performing loans (NPLs). This is evidenced by the Financial Rating of Armenian Banks as of June 30, 2026, prepared by IC ArmInfo on the basis of published financial statements and additionally requested data (including credit risk data). According to analysts, NPL growth, which barely slowed from 39% to 32% year-on-year by mid-year, is nevertheless increasingly weighing on profits, which are "melting" due to write-offs.

ArmInfo.Consumer loans dominate not only in volume, but also in toxicity

ArmInfo. Fast Bank has launched an initial public offering of registered, coupon, non-certificated, non-convertible dram bonds totaling 13 billion drams. According to a Fast Bank statement, the offering began on August 10 and is scheduled to be completed on December 30 of this year.

ArmInfo. Firebird has launched a large-scale artificial intelligence factory in the city of Hrazdan, Armenia, powered by NVIDIA DSX AI technology and recognized as the largest facility of its kind in the region.

ArmInfo.  Armenia's banking system increased its tax contributions to the state budget by 10.3% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching 116.1 billion drams  (approximately $274 million). Direct taxes accounted for 92.1% of  this total, or 106.9 billion drams, representing a 9.2% annual  growth. According to data from the State Revenue Committee of the  Republic of Armenia, all 17 operating banks in the country made the  list of the top 1,000 corporate taxpayers, with 13 banks securing  spots in the top hundred (compared to 14 banks the previous year).

ArmInfo.  Armenia's banking system net profit in the first half of 2026 slowed in year-on-year growth from 17% to 7%, exceeding AMD 214.3 billion or $582.5 million. 

ArmInfo. Twelve banks have already joined the ArcaPay system, and eight have joined ArcaQR, with the majority participating in both, as stated by Vardan  Khachatryan, Chairman of the Management Board and Executive Director of Armenian Card, during a press conference He noted that banks are  currently in the integration phase for an additional ArcaPay function: B2B services for legal entities.

ArmInfo.The first co-badged Arca-UPI (UnionPay International, China UnionPay) cards will are set to launch  in Armenia within the next one to two months.  Additionally, accelerated efforts are underway to tokenize Arca cards for integration with Google Pay and Apple Pay services, as stated by  Vardan Khachatryan, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Armenian Card, during a press conference. He was responding to a  question from ArmInfo. 

ArmInfo. In the Armenian plastic card market, non-cash transactions are increasingly becoming the dominant payment method. By April 2026, their share in the total volume of transactions reached 62%, up from 56% a year earlier. In  absolute terms, this amounted to 1.2 trillion drams ($3.1 billion)  for the first quarter of 2026, according to data from the Central  Bank of Armenia.

ArmInfo.With the support of ACBA Leasing, Prom Group purchased 20 modern Volvo trucks, which will be used to export high-quality Armenian tomatoes to Europe starting in July of this year. This was announced by ACBA Leasing on its  Facebook page.

ArmInfo. On 9 June an official reception entitled “Armenian Banking Days in Germany” was held in Frankfurt at the initiative of the Union of Banks of Armenia, dedicated to strengthening cooperation between the financial sectors of Armenia and Europe.

ArmInfo. The combination of macroeconomic, price, and financial stability, underpinned by a robust institutional framework, provides a vital foundation for building a deep and reliable capital market in Armenia. He made the remarks in his keynote speech at the opening of the international conference on  capital market development, "25 Years of Excellence, Growth, and  Global Integration," which marks the 25th anniversary of the Armenian  Securities Exchange (AMX).

ArmInfo. On May 7, Visa, the global leader in digital payments, announced the appointment of Sergey Martinchuk as Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Ukraine, Moldova, Southern and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Based in Kyiv, Martinchuk will be responsible for Visa's operations and strategy in  17 countries, according to a Visa announcement.

ArmInfo.In the first quarter of 2026, Armenia's banking system increased tax payments to the state treasury by 3.2% annually, reaching 28.6 billion drams ($75.9 million). Notably, 84.8% of this total—approximately 24.3  billion AMD—was derived from direct taxes, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year. 

ArmInfo.  Acba Bank has announced a strategic partnership with one of the world’s leading financial institutions, The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon). This collaboration aims to expand the bank's international network and streamline cross-border transactions in US dollars.

ArmInfo. About 89% of the leasing portfolio provided by Armenian banks is subsidized by the state in terms of interest rates, as stated by Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan  at the opening of the LEASING EXPO 2026 exhibition, citing data from the Credit Registry.