Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Armenia - cash only, or do cards work too?
No credit card support on Armenia’s public transport. Metro needs tokens, buses and marshrutkas need AMD 100-200 cash per ride. I spent about AMD 1,200 a day getting around Yerevan. Cash for buses and metro in Armenia is non-negotiable, especially in towns like Gyumri or Dilijan. I kept a coin purse just for transport. It’s old school, but once you prep for it, it’s no problem.
I was surprised how analog everything felt. No transit cards, no tap-to-pay - just coins and small dram bills. Even the bus from Yerevan to Sevan only took AMD 500 in cash. Cash-only transport is still the norm in Armenia, especially on rural and intercity routes. I made sure to get change from supermarkets so I’d always have exact fares. Card apps aren’t useful for daily rides - yet.
Yerevan’s metro doesn’t support contactless payments - only plastic tokens, bought at station kiosks with dram. Same goes for local buses and minibuses throughout the city and country. Cash is still the only way to pay for public transport in Armenia. Some electric buses in trial phase may add card readers, but as of 2025, they’re not widely implemented. I recommend loading up AMD 5,000 in small bills every few days for local transport.
In Yerevan, the metro and buses are all cash-based. The metro costs AMD 100 and you buy tokens at the entrance. For minibuses (marshrutkas) and city buses, just hand over AMD 100-200 to the driver. Public transport in Armenia still runs on cash, no card taps or mobile payments. I always carried a stack of AMD 100 notes or coins - super useful. Don’t count on cards for daily transport, especially outside Yerevan.