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.
When asked by ArmInfo why ArCa-UPI was prioritized over ArCa-Mastercard—given that memoranda of understanding were signed with both systems simultaneously—Hovhannes Khachatryan, Chairman of the Council of Armenian Card, clarified: "Negotiations with UPI began much earlier, back in 2024, whereas discussions with Mastercard and Visa are still ongoing. Because UPI's policy facilitates the issuance of co- badged cards, it allowed us to achieve results more quickly. Regarding Visa and Mastercard, I should note that co-badging with local cards is not universally practiced by them (limited primarily to Europe and Asia—Ed.). Nevertheless, we are negotiating; we are working through the commercial details of issuing co- badged cards with Visa and Mastercard, while also addressing issues pertaining to the sovereignty of our payment system."
In the same context, Vardan Khachatryan added that, alongside the tokenization of ArCa cards for Google Pay and Apple Pay, the company has initiated the replacement of digital chips on local cards, including those that are co-badged. This upgrade is essential to ensure the full accessibility of ArCa cards within international services, specifically for tokenized payments via Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Armenian Card Development Director Ruben Saghoyan clarified: "The tokenization of ArCa cards is currently in an active phase. Linking ArCa cards to Google Pay will be possible by the end of 2026 or early 2027, with Apple Pay integration to follow in the second half of 2027."
Recall, in November 2025, Armenian Card and the Mastercard and Union Pay payment systems signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the issuance of co-badged cards in 2026 to expand the use of ArCa cards abroad. And, as reported by Hovhannes Khachatryan, Chairman of the Armenian Card Board, negotiations are also underway with Visa regarding the issuance of co-badged ArCa cards.
It should be noted that three banks issue and service UPI cards in Armenia: Acba Bank and Converse Bank (since May 2024) and Evocabank (since September 2024). Acba Bank has been servicing cards of this system since 2019. From the issuance of these cards in Armenia through March 2026, there are already 339 of them, with 183 being issued by Acba Bank. These three banks simultaneously issue and service both local cards and international Visa and Mastercard.
