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. At the August 27 government meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on the  authorities to quickly launch a renovation program for Armenia's  housing stock.

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. S&P Global Ratings affirmed Armenia's long-term and short-term sovereign credit ratings for foreign and local currency obligations at 'BB-/B', maintaining the positive outlook on the long-term ratings. S&P Global Ratings expects Armenia's GDP growth to slow to 4.9% in 2026 (from 7.1% in  2025), followed by an acceleration to 5.1% in 2027. Exports are expected to recover from a double-digit decline to 2.2% growth in  2026, accelerating to 3.7% in 2027. This is noted in a statement from S&P Global Ratings, which presents the rationale for this credit  action.

ArmInfo. Expenditures aimed at safeguarding the interests of the Republic of Armenia in international courts and ensuring the enforcement of adopted rulings  and decisions have increased significantly. This is according to a report by the Luys Foundation, which analyzed the execution report of  the state budget of the Republic of Armenia for the first half of 2026. 

ArmInfo. Baku and Ankara's demands to close the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant have a long history, but while previouslyAzerbaijanis tearfully proposed  closing the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant at international forums, now  they are making this demand confidently and authoritatively. Artak  Zakaryan, a member of the board of the Republican Party, writes about  this in his article.

ArmInfo. Discussions about the possible introduction of a visa regime with Russia amid  Armenia's rapprochement with the EU potentially harbor risks for the  Armenian tourism sector. This opinion was expressed by Vahe Davtyan,  leading researcher at the Caucasus Studies Sector of the Institute of  China and Contemporary Asia of the RAS / Southern Federal University,  PHD in Political Sciences.

ArmInfo.  AMD 19.6bln will be allocated for the continuation of the road construction program in Armenia. The decision was made at a government meeting on August 6.

ArmInfo.Converse Bank is expanding its cooperation with Visa, a world leader in digital payments, by announcing the launch of a new phase of partnership focused on enhancing the customer experience and advancing customer loyalty solutions.    This phase of the partnership is particularly significant at the current stage of the Bank's strategic development, as the Bank continues to enhance its C360 ecosystem and the Converse Mobile application, delivering a more personalized and valuable experience for customers.     As the partnership enters a new phase, Converse Bank will gain access to Visa’s advanced technological solutions and global expertise, enabling the Bank to further enhance the capabilities of the C360 ecosystem, develop loyalty tools, and provide customers with value-added solutions while expanding access to innovative services tailored to their evolving needs.  Since the partnership began in 2002, Converse Bank and Visa have collaborated across a broad range of initiatives, from payment card products and international payment services to technology innovation, global expertise, and advisory support.   The new phase of the partnership highlights expanded opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, reflecting the evolution of banking beyond traditional financial services. Through access to Visa's technology solutions and expertise, the Bank aims to further strengthen its digital capabilities and deliver innovative, customer-centric experiences.

ArmInfo. 

ArmInfo. One of the most alarming features of the Armenian government's Medium-Term  Expenditure Program for 2027-2029 is the overly optimistic nature of  the economic growth forecasts, according to an analytical study by  the Luys Foundation.

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, the launch of a cash-back program in 2026 has boosted the market penetration of Arca cards to 24–25% by June, as  stated Vardan Khachatryan, Chairman of the Board and Executive  Director of Armenian Card, during a press conference. 

ArmInfo. New platform brings together cyber and payments intelligence to help institutions detect threats earlier and reduce downstream fraud risk

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.Armenian authorities will provide assistance to farmers who have established intensive orchards and who have faced restrictions on exporting their produce to the Russian Federation. The decision was made at a government meeting on June 25.

ArmInfo. Online shopping has long become part of everyday life. With just a few clicks, you can order sneakers, clothing, accessories, or virtually any other product from stores around the world. But shopping becomes even more enjoyable when it is not only convenient, but also rewarding.

ArmInfo.  As part of the internet transit agreement between Telecom Arenia OJSC (Team Telecom Armenia) and Azertelecom OJSC, Azerbaijan will gain access to a 100 Gbps  bandwidth channel. This was reported by Telecom Armenia employees in  response to questions posted on the Facebook page of David Ananyan, a  member of the Wings of Unity party and former Chairman of the State  Revenue Committee of Armenia.

ArmInfo. Telecommunications transit between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not a one-sided affair, as it can become either a process of mutually beneficial cooperation or interdependence.