How can someone in Tbilisi receive an international money transfer without using a banking app?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 10 days ago
TL;DR
In Tbilisi, you can receive money without using a banking app via Zolotaya Korona: the sender pays by bank card, enters the recipient’s surname in Latin letters, gets a pickup code, and the recipient collects the cash at a bank with ID. For regular transfers, expats report that Georgian bank cards are often available with just a passport.
What the community said
For regular incoming transfers, expats say it is usually easier to open a local bank card in Georgia than in neighboring Armenia: often a passport alone is enough, without proof of income or residency.
10 days ago Passport only
If your Georgian phone number receives bank SMS but your cards or accounts do not appear in the app, people still report using the yellow money-transfer service, Zolotaya Korona, instead of relying on app-linked banking.
10 days ago Zolotaya Korona
A practical setup for someone who does not use apps: the sender installs Zolotaya Korona, chooses the payout currency in USD or GEL, links their bank card, and creates the transfer in the recipient’s name.
10 days ago USD or GEL
When creating the transfer, the recipient’s surname should be entered in Latin letters exactly as written on their ID. The sender then receives a code to pass on, and the recipient can go to a bank in Tbilisi with that code and their Georgian ID card and collect the cash.
10 days ago Georgian ID card