Are Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards accepted in Georgia?
Which card networks Georgian terminals accept.
Short answer
Visa and Mastercard are accepted by Georgian bank terminals, and TBC announced American Express acceptance across its merchant network in October 2026. Liberty Bank terminals also take UnionPay and local cards. Which cards a particular shop takes depends on its bank and terminal.
Why
- Shops accept cards through the bank that serves them, so the set of networks depends on the bank and the type of terminal.
- A standard Terabank terminal accepts Visa and Mastercard, and a Liberty Bank terminal also accepts UnionPay and local cards.
- In July 2025 American Express opened its payment scheme in Georgia and the National Bank welcomed it, and on 29 October 2026 TBC and American Express announced Amex acceptance in stores and online.
Details
A standard Terabank POS terminal accepts Visa and Mastercard, while its Android and integrated terminals accept any type of card. Liberty Bank's terminal accepts international systems such as Visa, MasterCard, UnionPay and local cards.
On 25 July 2025 the National Bank of Georgia welcomed American Express's decision to open its payment scheme to financial institutions in the country. TBC and American Express announced on 29 October 2026 that TBC will be able to accept Amex cards at points of sale and online, from local and international cardholders. How to pay on a trip is covered in How can Russian tourists pay in Georgia, and which cards work, and foreign services in Do PayPal, Revolut and Wise work in Georgia.
Tip
Take a Visa or Mastercard as your main card. If you carry Amex, keep a backup card and some cash until you have checked that the place takes it.
What may differ
The set of cards depends on the shop, its acquiring bank and the terminal, and on the bank that issued your card. Check the timing and coverage of Amex acceptance with TBC.
Common misconception
If a shop has a card terminal, it accepts every kind of card.
What actually happens
The set of cards is determined by the shop's bank and the terminal type: a standard Terabank terminal takes Visa and Mastercard, while Liberty Bank's list also includes UnionPay.
People also ask
- Are Visa and Mastercard accepted in Georgia?
- Does American Express work in Georgia?
Sources
Card acceptance depends on the individual shop, so keep a backup way to pay.
How to pay in Georgia: cards, cash and taxisRelated questions
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How do you receive a transfer from abroad to a Georgian account?
You can receive money from abroad by bank transfer to your IBAN, through a system such as Western Union, or via Visa+ by phone number to a TBC card.
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What is a Georgian IBAN and where do you find it?
A Georgian IBAN has 22 characters: the country code GE, two check digits, two letters of the bank code and 16 digits of the account identifier assigned by the bank.
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How can you top up a card or pay a bill at a terminal in Georgia?
Utilities, mobile, internet, television and state services in Georgia are paid at payment terminals: the TBC Pay network has more than 4,000 terminals and over 1,000 services.
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Where can you exchange damaged or old lari banknotes?
Worn and damaged lari banknotes and coins are replaced free at face value at the National Bank of Georgia and commercial banks if they still meet the fitness criteria.