Georgian Banks to Charge 1.5% Fee on Lari Payments Abroad Starting April 15

From today, customers of certain banks will be charged a fee for payments made in GEL on foreign platforms

Starting April 15, 2026, customers of TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia will be subject to a 1.5% fee when making payments in Georgian lari (GEL) using bank cards on foreign platforms.

The banks notified customers of this change several weeks in advance. The fee will apply to transactions such as international online shopping, airline ticket purchases, hotel bookings, and other payments on platforms that do not operate with Georgian bank accounts.

At the same time, taxi and delivery services that use local bank accounts will not be subject to this fee.

The charge will apply only when payments are made in GEL and will amount to 1.5% of the transaction value, with a maximum cap of 10 GEL. Transactions below 5 GEL will not be subject to the fee.

The change applies to all types of debit cards — including those held by individuals (such as student cards) as well as business cards.

According to the banks, to avoid the additional fee, customers are advised to select a foreign currency instead of GEL when making payments, if the platform allows it.