The National Bank of Georgia welcomes the decision of global service provider American Express to open its payment scheme in Georgia.

On July 25, 2025, American Express announced its readiness to make its payment scheme available to all eligible financial institutions operating in Georgia. According to the company’s statement, it intends to collaborate with banks that express interest in issuing and acquiring American Express cards within the country as part of its global network.

American Express’s decision represents a significant step toward promoting effective competition in Georgia’s payments industry.

The National Bank of Georgia plays an important role in this process. In line with its mandate, the NBG ensures the effective enforcement of competition laws within the financial sector.

Georgia’s payments legislation conceptually aligned with that of the European Union places strong emphasis on ensuring objective, proportionate, and non-discriminatory access to payment systems and schemes, while also fostering increased competition among financial institutions in the payments space.