TBC Bank vs. Bank of Georgia: Choosing the Best for Your Trip

One question comes up constantly in Georgia travel forums in 2026: “Which bank ATM should I use?” It sounds trivial until you notice the fee clocking up on every withdrawal, or you arrive in Tbilisi on a Sunday night and find the first ATM out of cash. Georgian banking has also shifted noticeably since 2024 — ATM fees for foreign cards have risen, account opening for non-residents is now significantly harder, and the two big banks, TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia, have pulled even further ahead of the competition in terms of network coverage. This guide cuts through the noise and tells you exactly how to handle your money here.

The Georgian Lari — What You Need to Know Before You Land

Georgia’s official currency is the Georgian Lari (GEL). It has been the country’s sole legal tender since 1995, and you will not get far without it. Banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 GEL. Coins — called tetri — come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 tetri, plus 1 GEL and 2 GEL coins. Keep the small denominations close. You will need them for markets, minibuses, and the occasional corner shop that cannot break a 50.

USD and EUR are widely understood as reference currencies — many guesthouses and tour operators quote prices in USD or EUR — but all actual transactions must happen in GEL. No one will accept your euros at a Tbilisi supermarket checkout. The practical implication: arrive with a plan to get lari quickly, whether that means a currency exchange office before you leave the airport arrivals hall or a nearby ATM in the city.

The lari has remained broadly stable against major currencies through 2025 and into 2026, which has made Georgia consistently good value for European and American visitors. That said, the spread between the official rate and the street exchange rate matters, and we cover that in the currency exchange section below.

TBC Bank vs. Bank of Georgia: ATM Networks and Foreign Card Fees

These two banks dominate Georgia’s financial landscape. Walk down Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi or the seafront boulevard in Batumi, and you will pass branches and ATMs from both within a few minutes of each other. For a traveler using a foreign debit or credit card, here is the honest comparison.

Network Coverage

Both TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia maintain one of the largest ATM networks across Georgia. You will find their machines in city centres, shopping malls, petrol stations, and near most major tourist sites. In remote areas — mountain villages in Kazbegi, Mestia in Svaneti, Omalo in Tusheti — coverage thins dramatically. TBC Bank has a slight edge in overall machine count nationally, but in practice, both networks are extensive enough that you will rarely need to choose based on availability alone in any major town.

Fees for Foreign Cards in 2026

This is where travelers feel the difference from a few years ago. As of 2026, both TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia charge 5 GEL per transaction for withdrawals made with international debit or credit cards. This is a rise from the 2–3 GEL fees that were common in 2024. Liberty Bank charges a similar rate. The fee is applied by the Georgian bank — on top of whatever fee your home bank charges for international withdrawals.

The strategic response is straightforward: withdraw larger amounts less often. Taking out 500 GEL once costs you 5 GEL in local fees. Taking out 100 GEL five times costs you 25 GEL. The math is obvious, but it is easy to forget when you are just grabbing a bit of cash for dinner.

For TBC Bank Account Holders

If you hold a TBC Bank-issued card (relevant for long-term residents or people who have opened an account), withdrawals at TBC Bank ATMs are free. The same logic applies at Bank of Georgia — their own cardholders pay no fee at their own machines. For the majority of tourists using foreign cards, this distinction does not apply.

Apps and Online Tools

Both banks offer solid mobile apps. The TBC Bank App (available on iOS and Android) and the Bank of Georgia App (also on iOS and Android) both include ATM locators, which are genuinely useful. You can find the nearest machine, check whether it dispenses GEL, and see opening hours for branches. Even if you never open an account, downloading one of these apps purely for the ATM finder is worth the 90 seconds it takes.

• TBC Bank website and ATM locator: tbcbank.ge
• Bank of Georgia website and ATM locator: bankofgeorgia.ge

Step-by-Step: How to Withdraw Cash at a Georgian ATM

Georgian ATMs are reliable and straightforward, but a few things trip up first-time visitors. Here is the exact process:

1. Insert your card. Most ATMs take standard chip cards. Contactless card insertion is not yet common at ATMs, so use the chip slot.
2. Select English. Language options appear on screen immediately. Georgian, English, and Russian are standard options.



3. Enter your 4-digit PIN. Cover the keypad with your other hand as you type. This is good habit anywhere.
4. Select “Withdrawal.” Some ATMs label this “Cash Withdrawal” or simply show an icon of notes.
5. Choose an amount. Pre-set options are usually 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 GEL. You can enter a custom amount on most machines.
6. Decline dynamic currency conversion. If the ATM offers to show the amount in your home currency and charge you in that currency, decline. Always choose to pay in GEL. This alone can save you 3–5% per transaction.
7. Collect your cash, card, and receipt. Transactions typically complete in 30–60 seconds. Do not leave without your card — some machines return it before dispensing the cash, others after.

Daily withdrawal limits for foreign cards typically sit between 1,000 GEL and 2,000 GEL depending on the ATM and your home bank’s own limits. If you need more than this in a single day, you may need to make multiple withdrawals or visit a bank branch for an over-the-counter cash advance.

Liberty Bank and Other ATMs — When They Make Sense

Liberty Bank is Georgia’s third major ATM network. It has a strong presence in smaller towns and, notably, inside post offices across the country. For travelers sticking to Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, Liberty Bank ATMs are perfectly adequate. The foreign card fee is approximately 5 GEL per transaction, on par with TBC and Bank of Georgia.

Where Liberty Bank stands out is in coverage of secondary towns — places like Gori, Zugdidi, Akhaltsikhe, and Telavi — where TBC and Bank of Georgia machines may be fewer. If you are travelling the regions and find only a Liberty Bank ATM, use it without hesitation. The fees and process are the same.

A few smaller banks also operate ATMs — ProCredit Bank and Credo Bank have some machines — but their networks are sparse. In a pinch they work fine, but do not plan around them.

Contactless Cards and Digital Wallets in Georgia (2026 Reality)

Tbilisi in 2026 feels genuinely modern when it comes to card payments. The vast majority of restaurants, hotels, larger supermarkets (Carrefour, Fresco, Goodwill), pharmacies, and clothing shops in cities accept contactless Visa and Mastercard. That familiar tap-to-pay moment — the quiet beep of a terminal confirming your payment in under a second — is now the default experience in any urban Georgian establishment.

Apple Pay and Google Pay work well here. Link your international Visa or Mastercard to your digital wallet before you arrive, and you can move through a Tbilisi coffee shop or Old Town wine bar without touching your physical card. This also adds a layer of security — your actual card number is never transmitted to the terminal.

American Express has limited acceptance. Discover and JCB are essentially not accepted. Stick to Visa or Mastercard for any card-based payment.

The caveat, and it is an important one: outside the major cities, card acceptance drops sharply. A roadside khinkali place near Kazbegi, a family guesthouse in Svaneti, a local bakery in a village between Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe — these places work in cash only. The smell of freshly baked shoti bread wafting through the door of a village tone oven bakery, the baker dusting flour from her hands before passing you a warm loaf — that transaction will be cash. Plan for it.

Currency Exchange Offices — Better Rates Than Any ATM

Here is something many travelers miss: the best exchange rates in Georgia are not at banks or airports. They are at the independent currency exchange offices (გაცვლითი პუნქტი — gatsvlyti punkti) clustered around city centres, near markets, and on main tourist streets.

These offices display their buy and sell rates on large boards outside, usually digitally updated in real time. Look for signage that says “NO COMMISSION” (კომისიის გარეშე — komisiis gareshe). This is common and genuine — the profit is built into the rate spread, not a separate fee.

USD and EUR get the best rates. GBP, Turkish lira, and Russian ruble are also commonly exchanged. If you are arriving with USD or EUR cash, an exchange office in the city will give you meaningfully more GEL than an airport kiosk or a bank branch counter.

Practical tips for exchange offices:

• Compare at least two or three offices on the same street before committing. Rates can vary by a few tetri per unit, which adds up on larger amounts.
• Larger denomination bills (USD 100, EUR 100 or 50) typically get slightly better rates than smaller ones.
• Always count your GEL at the counter before you walk away. Mistakes happen, and it is much easier to correct them immediately.
• Never exchange money with individuals who approach you on the street offering “better rates.” This is a scam.
• The exchange office at the Tbilisi airport arrivals hall is convenient but offers worse rates than city offices. Change only a small amount there if you need immediate cash.

The step-by-step process at any exchange office is simple: approach the counter, state the currency and amount you want to exchange, review the GEL amount offered, confirm, hand over your cash, receive GEL and a receipt, count it immediately.

Can You Open a Bank Account as a Tourist? What Changed Since 2024

Between 2022 and early 2024, Georgia had a reputation as one of the easier countries in which to open a bank account as a foreigner, sometimes requiring little more than a passport. That era is over.

Since 2024, both TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia have significantly tightened their Know Your Customer (KYC) policies. By 2026, opening a full current account as a short-term tourist is, for most people, not possible. Both banks now typically require:

• A long-stay visa or residency permit
• Proof of a Georgian address (a lease agreement, not just a hotel booking)
• A demonstrable reason for needing a Georgian account — employment contract, property ownership, business registration, or enrollment in a Georgian educational institution

This change was driven by increased pressure on Georgian financial institutions to comply with international anti-money laundering standards, and by the sheer volume of account-opening requests that followed Georgia’s surge in digital nomad and relocation traffic after 2022.

For a traveler on a two-week or even two-month trip, this means: do not plan around opening a local account. It is not a realistic option for most visitors. Your foreign card — ideally one with low or no international fees — is your best tool.

Long-term residents (those on a one-year visa-free stay, for example, with genuine ties to Georgia) have a better chance, particularly if they can demonstrate regular income deposited from a Georgian employer or a local business registration. Even then, the process can take several visits and weeks of back-and-forth.

Paying for Transport — Where Cash Still Rules

Transport is where cash matters most, and where many travelers get caught short.

Georgian Railway (Sakartvelos Rkinigza)

Train tickets can be booked online at tickets.railway.ge, and by 2026 the platform has become more reliable for international Visa and Mastercard payments than it was in previous years. Book in advance for the Tbilisi–Batumi route, especially during summer and public holidays — the sleeper train in particular sells out. Tickets can also be purchased at station ticket offices, where card payments are accepted, though carrying cash at smaller stations is wise.

Marshrutka Minibuses

Intercity marshrutkas — the backbone of overland travel in Georgia — are cash only. You pay the driver or an assistant during the journey. Fares are low: depending on the route, expect to pay between 5 GEL and 30 GEL for intercity journeys. Always have small notes ready. Handing a driver a 100 GEL note for a 7 GEL fare to Mtskheta will not make you popular.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

Bolt is the dominant ride-hailing app in Georgia in 2026 and accepts card payment linked to your account. Yandex Go also operates and similarly supports card payment. Both are considerably more reliable than street taxis for pricing transparency. Street taxis generally require cash, and the fare must be agreed before you get in — meters are rare and often non-functional.

Tbilisi Metro and City Buses

The Tbilisi metro and city buses use the Metromoney card system or accept contactless bank cards directly at turnstiles and onboard readers. A single metro trip costs 1 GEL. Top up your Metromoney card at any metro station or use your contactless Visa or Mastercard directly.

Tipping Customs and Small Cash Situations

Tipping in Georgia follows a fairly consistent set of norms, and getting it right means having small denomination notes on hand.

In restaurants, check your bill before leaving a tip. Many establishments in tourist areas — particularly in Tbilisi’s Old Town, Batumi’s seafront, and Sighnaghi — automatically add a service charge of 10% to 18%. It will appear as “service charge” or “მომსახურების საკომისიო” on the bill. If it is already there, you are covered — though a few extra GEL for genuinely good service is always appreciated. If there is no service charge on the bill, 10% is the standard tip.

The warmth of a long wine-and-feast evening at a Tbilisi restaurant, your tamada (toast-maker) raising another glass of amber wine and the whole table joining in — these are the moments where a generous tip feels natural, and where having a folded 20 GEL note in your pocket makes it effortless.

Other tipping guidelines:

• Cafes and bars: Rounding up the bill or leaving 1–2 GEL is fine.
• Taxis: Round up to the nearest GEL or add 1–2 GEL.
• Hotel porters: 2–5 GEL per bag is appropriate.
• Housekeeping: 5–10 GEL per stay is appreciated.
• Tour guides: 10–20 GEL per person per day for group tours; more for private guides, depending on duration and quality.

All of the above are cash transactions. Card tipping at Georgian restaurants is not common practice — the terminal is brought to the table for the bill, but adding a tip via card is inconsistent at best. Carry small notes for tipping, always.

2026 Budget Reality — What Things Actually Cost

Georgia remains excellent value in 2026, but prices have risen from the lows of 2021–2022, and budget travelers need to recalibrate expectations set by older guides.

Accommodation (per night)

• Budget: Hostel dorm in Tbilisi or Batumi — 35–60 GEL
• Mid-range: Private room in a guesthouse or 3-star hotel — 130–250 GEL
• Comfortable: Boutique hotel or 4-star property in Tbilisi Old Town — 350–600 GEL

Food and Drink

• Budget: Khinkali (dumplings) at a local canteen, 5–6 pieces — 8–12 GEL. Freshly baked shotis puri bread — 1–2 GEL.
• Mid-range: Lunch for two at a neighbourhood restaurant with wine — 80–140 GEL
• Comfortable: Dinner for two at a well-regarded Tbilisi restaurant — 200–350 GEL

Transport

• Budget: Marshrutka Tbilisi to Mtskheta — 5–7 GEL. Tbilisi metro single trip — 1 GEL.
• Mid-range: Bolt ride across central Tbilisi — 8–18 GEL. Train Tbilisi to Kutaisi — 15–20 GEL.
• Comfortable: Train Tbilisi to Batumi (reserved seat) — 25–40 GEL. Private taxi to Kazbegi — 150–200 GEL.

ATM Fees

• TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, Liberty Bank — all charge 5 GEL per transaction for foreign cards in 2026. Withdraw larger amounts to reduce the cost per lari withdrawn.

Daily Budget Estimates

• Budget traveler (hostel, local food, public transport): 80–120 GEL per day
• Mid-range traveler (guesthouse or mid hotel, restaurant meals, Bolt taxis): 200–350 GEL per day
• Comfortable traveler (boutique hotel, good restaurants, private transfers): 500–800 GEL per day

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TBC Bank or Bank of Georgia better for foreign card withdrawals?

For most travelers in 2026, there is no meaningful difference. Both charge 5 GEL per transaction for foreign cards and both have extensive ATM networks in cities and major towns. Choose whichever machine is nearest and most convenient. The more important decision is how often you withdraw, not which bank you use.

Can I use Apple Pay or Google Pay in Georgia?

Yes. By 2026, Apple Pay and Google Pay work at the vast majority of card terminals in Georgian cities. Link your Visa or Mastercard to your digital wallet before arriving. In rural areas and mountain villages, cash is still the only option, so keep physical notes available regardless of how well your digital wallet works in Tbilisi.

Should I exchange money at Tbilisi airport or wait until I reach the city?

Exchange only a small amount at the airport — enough for a taxi or Bolt if you need it — then find a city-centre exchange office for the rest. Airport exchange rates are noticeably worse than what you will get in the city. USD and EUR in larger denominations get the best rates at independent exchange offices in Tbilisi’s centre.

Can I open a Georgian bank account as a short-term tourist in 2026?

No, not practically. Since 2024, both TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia require non-residents to show a long-term visa or residency permit, proof of a Georgian address, and a genuine reason such as employment or property ownership. Short-term tourists cannot open accounts. Use your foreign card with a low-fee provider instead.

Do Georgian marshrutkas accept card payments?

Intercity marshrutkas are cash only in 2026. Pay the driver directly, and always carry small denomination GEL notes — fares typically range from 5 to 30 GEL depending on distance. In Tbilisi, city buses and marshrutkas accept the Metromoney card or contactless bank cards, but outside the capital, assume cash is required for all minibus travel.

📷 Featured image by CardMapr.nl on Unsplash.