# ArcaQR

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/arcaqr
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-06
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Arca — National Payment System of Armenia](https://arca.am/)
- [Ameriabank joins ArcaQR — Arka](https://arka.am/en/news/business/payments-directly-from-bank-accounts-ameriabank-joins-arcaqr/)

## Overview

**ArcaQR** is **Armenia's unified national QR-payment system**, launched **30 September 2024** by **Armenian Card CJSC (Arca)** — Armenia's national payment system <sup>[1][1], [3][3], [Armenia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AM)</sup>. ArcaQR enables **instant payments directly from bank accounts with a single scan** — users log into mobile-banking app, scan the QR code, and pay directly from any bank account. The official launch event was **attended by representatives of the RA Government, the Central Bank of Armenia, payment-and-settlement systems, and Armenian banks** — a high-profile multi-stakeholder unveiling.

The structural significance: **Arca has been providing technological support to Armenian banks for more than 25 years** — card processing, payment solutions, interbank services. **ArcaQR is the recently-launched unified national QR solution** complementing **ArcaPay** (Arca's instant-money-transfers system). Initial participating banks include **Ardshinbank, AraratBank, Armeconombank, Evocabank, Converse Bank, Ameriabank** — substantial Armenian-banking-sector coverage. Arca is supervised by **the Central Bank of Armenia**. A regional structural development: **Arca, Bank of Georgia, and Ameriabank signed a Memorandum of Understanding** — suggesting potential **cross-border Armenia-Georgia QR-payment cooperation** as Caucasian regional payment-system integration develops.

## History

**Background — Arca + Armenian payment landscape** <sup>[Armenia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AM)</sup>:
- **Armenian Card CJSC (Arca)** — Armenia's national payment system, 25+ year history.
- **Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)** — supervisor.
- **ArcaPay** — Arca's earlier instant-money-transfers system.
- **DRAM** — Armenia's domestic card scheme.

**ArcaPay launch** [[finport]]:
- Arca's first instant-money-transfers product.

**30 September 2024 — ArcaQR officially launches** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- Multi-stakeholder launch event.
- Initial participating banks: Ardshinbank, AraratBank, Armeconombank, Evocabank, Converse Bank.

**Subsequent — Ameriabank joins** <sup>[1][1]</sup>:
- Major Armenian commercial bank adds support.

**Arca-Bank of Georgia-Ameriabank MoU** [[armenpress]]:
- Regional cooperation potential.
- Caucasian payment-system integration ambition.

## Technical specification

ArcaQR is **Arca-operated CBA-supervised unified national QR scheme** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:

| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Operator** | **Armenian Card CJSC (Arca)** — National Payment System of Armenia |
| **Regulator** | **Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)** |
| **Launch** | **30 September 2024** |
| **Currency** | AMD (Armenian dram) |
| **Companion system** | **ArcaPay** (instant money transfers) |
| **Card scheme companion** | **DRAM** (Armenia's domestic card scheme) |
| **Settlement** | Instant directly from bank accounts |
| **Cross-border MoU** | Bank of Georgia + Ameriabank |
| **Participating banks** | Ardshinbank, AraratBank, Armeconombank, Evocabank, Converse Bank, Ameriabank |

**Single-scan flow** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- User opens any participating bank's mobile-banking app.
- Scans ArcaQR.
- Payment instant from chosen bank account.

## Use cases

**Merchant QR payments** <sup>[1][1]</sup>: Cardinal use.

**P2P transfers (via ArcaPay)** [[finport]]: Companion instant rail.

**Cross-bank flexibility** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: User can pay from any participating-bank account.

**Cashless culture fostering** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: Strategic goal — Armenian-government-supported cashless drive.

**Cross-border (potential)** [[armenpress]]: Armenia-Georgia MoU foundation.

## Implementations & ecosystem

**Operator**: **Armenian Card CJSC (Arca)**.

**Regulator**: **Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)**.

**Initial participating banks** (5 + Ameriabank):
- **Ardshinbank**.
- **AraratBank**.
- **Armeconombank**.
- **Evocabank**.
- **Converse Bank**.
- **Ameriabank**.

**Regional MoU partner**: **Bank of Georgia**.

**Companion**: **ArcaPay** (instant money transfers), **DRAM** (card scheme).

## Fun facts

- **30 September 2024 launch** — recent national-QR rollout.
- **25+ year Arca history**: Arca's longstanding role provides foundation.
- **Multi-stakeholder launch event**: Government + CBA + banks attending.
- **5+1 participating banks**: Substantial initial coverage.
- **Bank of Georgia MoU**: Caucasian regional payment-system integration potential.
- **CBA-supervised**: Central-bank-supervised but not operator — bank-consortium-coordinated model.
- **Direct-from-bank-account model**: Like UK Open Banking, no card-rail intermediation.
- **"Arca" branding family**: ArcaQR + ArcaPay + DRAM = comprehensive Armenian-payment-system brand.

## Comparison

| Feature | ArcaQR (AM) | DRAM (AM card) | [Blink](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/blink) (BG) | [NEPALPAY QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/nepalpay-qr) (NP) | [Bizum](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/bizum) (ES) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Arca (national payment system) | Arca | BORICA AD | NCHL | Bizum SL |
| Launch | **30 Sep 2024** | Earlier | 2021 | Mar 2022 | Oct 2016 |
| Type | Unified national QR | Domestic card | Instant payment scheme | EMVCo 4.3 QR | A2A bank consortium |
| Settlement | Direct from bank accounts | Card-rail | BISERA6 | NCHL connectIPS | Iberpay SCT Inst |
| Cross-border partners | Bank of Georgia (MoU) | n/a | TIPS (EUR) | Sri Lanka | None |

## Status

**Active, recently launched** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:
- **Arca operator** since 30 September 2024.
- **5+ participating Armenian banks**.
- **CBA-supervised**.
- **Cross-border MoU with Bank of Georgia**.
- **Direct-from-bank-account single-scan**.

## Sources

[1]: https://arka.am/en/news/business/payments-directly-from-bank-accounts-ameriabank-joins-arcaqr/ "Ameriabank joins ArcaQR — Arka"
[2]: https://arka.am/en/news/business/ardshinbank-joins-arcaqr-system-payments-directly-from-bank-accounts/ "Ardshinbank joins ArcaQR"
[3]: https://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=95174&lang=3 "AraratBank joins ArcaQR — Arminfo"
[finport]: https://finport.am/full_news.php?id=51575&lang=3 "ArcaPay system launch — Finport"
[armenpress]: https://armenpress.am/en/article/1235339/amp "Arca-Bank of Georgia-Ameriabank MoU"

- [1] [Ameriabank joins ArcaQR — Arka][1]
- [2] [Ardshinbank joins ArcaQR][2]
- [3] [AraratBank joins ArcaQR — Arminfo][3]
- <sup>[Armenia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AM)</sup> `reports/countries/AM-armenia.md`

## Deployments

Found in the following country reports (grep across `reports/countries/`):

- **AM** — [AM-armenia.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AM)
- **AZ** — [AZ-azerbaijan.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/AZ)