Yerevan - Post Report Question and Answers
Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
I tried to only use the ATM at the embassy or the one inside Carrefour grocery store. - Jan 2022
We use credit cards at main stores, otherwise, it is a cash society. I can’t comment on public ATMs, but the embassy has a cashier where you can cash checks. - Aug 2021
Credit cards are used here and it seems pretty safe. We mostly use cash though at restaurants and small shops. The grocery stores we use our credit cards. - May 2021
Credit cards are accepted, but cash is highly preferred especially for smaller purchases. ATMs are common and I'm unaware of any problems with crime (such as card info being skimmed). - Mar 2017
Not all places accept credit cards even when they advertise that they do. But when they do accept them - they work properly. ATMs work well. - Oct 2014
This is a cash society. You can use your credit card at places like the Marriott Hotel, but that is about it. There are ATMs throughout town, but not all are very secure. The best option is to cash personal checks at the embassy to get money. - Sep 2011
You can use credit cards in many places (hotels, supermarkets), though Armenia is still largely a cash economy. Plenty of reliable ATMs around town. - Oct 2009
Most folks use credit cards sparingly at places like the Marriott or at the Embassy's in-house travel agency, Globe Travel, to purchase plane tickets. Armenia remains a predominantly cash based society. ATMs are popping up--I think the Embassy has three or four machines from different banks (HSBC, Cascade) on compound. Both FSOs and local staff use these ATMs to no ill effects that I know. - Jul 2008
Billions of dollars come into Armenia via the Diaspora every year. There is an ATM and a Western Union on every corner and in every hamlet. The banks don't know how to lend (credit? what's that?) but boy you can get 100,000 dram without blinking an eye. - Jan 2008
