OREANDA-NEWS The Payment System of Armenia (ArCa) has informed the National Payment Card System (NSPK) that its members will cease servicing Mir cards as of March 30. RBC reports, citing the NSPK's press office. At the same time, VTB Armenia Bank will continue working with Russian cards that use Mir cards in their infrastructure fully.

This information has also been confirmed by the Union of Banks in the Republic to Sputnik Armenia. The union clarified that the decision was made due to the risks associated with secondary US sanctions. Before that, the Central Bank of Armenia noted that commercial banks in the country independently determine which payment systems they want to cooperate with based on their risk assessment strategy. "If there are any changes to the terms of service, banks must notify their customers," they said.A representative of VTB Armenia earlier told RBC that from March 30, 2024, ATMs and POS terminals in most banks in Armenia will no longer accept Mir payment cards. He also noted that holders of VTB Group bank's Mir cards and other Russian bank's cards will still be able to use their cards at VTB Armenia ATMs to withdraw money, make payments online and pay for purchases made online in services that accept Mir cards.

The publication also warned that the operation of Mir cards is likely to be terminated in most Armenian banks.