TBC Bank and American Express Expand Card Acceptance Across Georgia

TBC Georgia has entered an agreement with American Express to significantly expand card acceptance across the South Caucasus nation. For fintech professionals, this move signals a deepening of international payment rails in emerging markets, enabling local merchants to capture high-spending global cardholders while modernising the domestic digital payment infrastructure for both physical and e-commerce transactions.

What was announced

TBC Georgia, a subsidiary of the London-listed TBC Bank Group, will now facilitate American Express payments at both physical merchant locations and through online gateways. This expansion is designed to provide a more seamless and secure payment experience for millions of consumers and businesses within Georgia. By integrating American Express into its merchant network, TBC allows local businesses to attract a broader demographic of international visitors and high-value cardholders who prefer using the American Express network.

The agreement covers the entire region where TBC operates, focusing on increasing payment flexibility and supporting the growth of the local payments ecosystem. Globally, American Express has been on an aggressive expansion path; its cards are now accepted at more than 190 million merchant locations worldwide. This figure includes an addition of approximately 20 million locations in the current year alone. Furthermore, the company has reported that the number of merchant locations accepting its cards outside of the United States has more than doubled over the past four years, highlighting a strategic shift toward international market penetration and network density.

"We are pleased to partner with American Express to expand American Express Card acceptance in Georgia. This collaboration reflects our commitment to offering merchants a simple, convenient and secure payment experience, and giving customers greater payment choice. The partnership opens new opportunities for merchants to serve a wider range of customers, including international visitors, while also supporting the development of the payments ecosystem in Georgia,"

Sandro Rtveladze, Retail Business Director at TBC Georgia.

The companies involved

TBC Georgia is a primary financial institution in Georgia and a key component of the TBC Bank Group, which maintains a listing on the London Stock Exchange. As a dominant player in the Georgian banking sector, it provides a wide range of retail and corporate banking services, positioning itself as a gateway for international financial standards in the region. American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights, and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.

Unlike traditional bank-led networks, American Express often operates a "closed-loop" or hybrid model, though it increasingly partners with third-party banks like TBC through its Global Network Services division to expand its merchant reach. The company has a significant presence in the fintech news cycle, with a history of integrating its network with modern digital platforms and retail giants. Its recent strategy has focused heavily on diversifying its merchant base beyond its traditional luxury and travel strongholds to include everyday spend categories and emerging geographic markets like the South Caucasus.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked American Express’s extensive efforts to broaden its ecosystem through high-profile partnerships and technological innovation. This includes the American Express and Airbnb Launch Exclusive Global Travel Rewards Partnership, which targeted the global travel sector. The company has also moved into co-branded retail solutions, as seen when Albertsons Launches First Co-Brand Credit Card Powered by Imprint and American Express. On the infrastructure side, the network has expanded its reach via fintech enablers, notably when Marqeta Expands Block Partnership to Power Square Credit Card on American Express Network. Additionally, the firm has focused on security for the next generation of commerce, recently having American Express Launches Intent Intelligence Framework to Secure AI-Driven Agentic Commerce.

What this means

This move puts pressure on regional competitors to match the premium card acceptance levels that TBC can now offer. For American Express, the doubling of its international footprint over four years suggests a pivot away from being a US-centric network toward becoming a truly global utility. However, the success of this expansion in Georgia will depend on whether local merchants perceive the value of the American Express network as outweighing its typically higher merchant fees compared to Visa or Mastercard. It raises questions about whether other regional banks will follow suit to prevent TBC from monopolising high-spending tourist and corporate traffic.