Albania is going cashless - POS payments are increasing significantly. Businesses towards equipment obligation by May 30
From morning coffee to supermarket purchases, Albanians are increasingly choosing to pay by card. In the first two months alone, January-February, the number of card payments at POS terminals reached around 4.85 million transactions, a significant increase compared to the same period in 2025, when there were around 3.73 million.
This means an increase of approximately 30% in the use of cards for payments in shops, restaurants and other services. So, fewer and fewer citizens are paying cash and more and more are using cards.
The same trend is also seen in value. In January-February 2026, POS card payments reached around 17.7 billion lek, while in the same period a year earlier they were around 15.15 billion lek. Here too we have a noticeable increase, which indicates not only more transactions, but also more spending via card.
This growth is related to several factors such as changing consumer behavior, greater use of contactless payments and the increase in points where the card is accepted.
But this trend is not just spontaneous. It is also being driven by concrete legal measures. The Tax Administration has decided that by May 30, 2026, all businesses in the tourism, transport and public institutions sectors must be equipped with POS terminals at every point of sale.
This obligation includes hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, taxis, transport companies and many other services. The goal is clear: reducing the use of cash, increasing transparency and formalizing the economy.
At a time when tourism in Albania is growing significantly and foreign visitors prefer card payments, this measure is expected to have a direct impact on improving service and increasing business revenues.
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