ArmInfo. Team Telecom Armenia, seeking to clarify some comments and assessments circulating in the press regarding changes in payment acceptance methods that are causing public concern, states: the terms offered to Team Telecom Armenia by payment processing companies Fast Shift LLC, Idram LLC, EasyPay LLC, and Telcell OJSC (Fast Shift, Idram, EasyPay, Telcell) implied significantly higher service rates than those applied by these same companies, for instance, to utility companies, as noted in a statement issued by Telecom Armenia.
The Telecom Armenia team has proposed to its partners aligning tariffs with current market conditions, including discussing the possibility of a gradual reduction based on mutual interests. These proposals were presented in a well-reasoned manner, emphasizing the importance of market balance and a fair competitive environment. However, the proposals presented by the team were not accompanied by any substantiated rebuttals or explanations as to why lower tariffs apply to companies providing services in other sectors, while completely different conditions apply to the telecommunications company.
The Telecom Armenia team continues to cooperate with all partners providing payment processing services, operating under fair and transparent conditions in accordance with current market tariffs. At the same time, emphasizing the convenience of its subscribers, the Telecom Armenia team assures that it is ready to continue cooperation with the aforementioned companies in the event of mutually beneficial and fair market conditions.
It should be noted that this week, all three Armenian mobile operators-Viva Armenia, Team Telecom, and UCOM-issued statements noting that payments for their services through the platforms of payment processing organizations (PPO) EasyPay, Idram, Telcell, and Fast Shift would be unavailable starting in February. "Payments for services will not be processed through payment systems, payment terminals, online wallets, or branches of the aforementioned companies," the messages stated.
According to ArmInfo, PPOs received a commission of up to 3% of the payment amount from mobile operators for accepting payments through PPOs and wallets. However, starting in 2026, the mobile operators approached their partners with a request to reduce the agency commission. The parties were unable to reach an agreement. Currently, the operators are seeking to migrate users to their own or bank payment channels (apps and websites), where the commission is 0%.
