Two of Georgia’s largest banks — Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank — have introduced a commission on payments made in the national currency (GEL) on international platforms starting April 15.
The fee applies when users pay in GEL with debit cards on international websites and apps such as Temu, Shein, Wizz Air, and Turkish Airlines.
Under the new rules, a 1.5% commission will be charged on each transaction, capped at 10 GEL. The fee applies only when the payment is made in GEL. Transactions in foreign currencies such as USD, EUR, or GBP are not affected.
The commission applies to all types of debit cards, including personal and business cards, but will not be charged on transactions below 5 GEL.
Local services such as Wolt, Glovo, and Bolt are excluded from the fee.
The banks note that the commission will not be shown during the payment process and will instead be deducted separately. The fee will also not be refunded if the original transaction is later reimbursed by the merchant.
