A new draft decree of the Government of the Republic of Armenia introduces a public-private partnership program that will provide individuals with cashback for non-cash transactions made through the ARCA payment system and the ARCAPAY instant payment system operated by “Armenian Card” CJSC.
The objective of the program is to promote the use of cashless payments and raise public awareness of financial technologies, while encouraging the use of ARCA payment instruments.
The period for the cashback is from January 1, 2026 till December 31, 2026. Cashback payments will be made from February 2026 to January 2027.
Eligible participants:
- hold an ARCA payment card linked to an account with an Armenian bank, or make non-cash payments through the ARCAPAY system (with QR codes), and
- has aa Armenian social services number or a certificate on refusal to obtain one.
Cashback terms and limits are:
- The cashback is 2% of monthly non-cash payments but not more than AMD 60 000. If multiple ARCA cards or QR codes are used, the limits apply to the aggregate amount of all payments made in a given month.
- The cashback applies only to transactions exceeding AMD 1000.
- The maximum cashback per transaction is AMD 6000.
The cashback consists of 1% funded by the state budget and 1% funded by “Armenian Card” CJSC. The state-funded portion includes the applicable income tax, ensuring that beneficiaries receive a net 2% cashback.
Cashback will not be provided for:
- utility, communication, and information service payments;
- payments to state or community budgets;
- transactions at high-risk merchants (e.g., dating sites, casinos, gambling platforms);
- payments to financial institutions;
- payments made with ARCA gift or one-time cards;
- refunded, compensated, or chargeback transactions.