Can Armenian Bloggers Earn Money Through YouTube and Cash Out with Armenian Bank Cards?

Armenia is making efforts in three directions to get involved in the YouTube Partner Program, which will allow Armenian bloggers and companies to earn money from their created content and cash it out using Armenian bank cards. According to Armenpress, Minister of High-Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan announced this during his year-end press conference.

"There is a YouTube Partner Program that allows you to generate money from content uploaded on YouTube as a partner. Armenia is not included in the list of countries that can be part of the YouTube Partner Program. While money can be generated, it cannot be withdrawn with an Armenian bank card. Bloggers and those companies wishing to earn money from content often register their businesses in other countries," said Arshakyan, noting that there is also an issue with the identification of Armenian content on YouTube.

Arshakyan assured that progress is being made in three areas. The first is through official channels, where he has sent letters requesting support. Secondly, he has met with a group of Armenians working at Google and YouTube in Silicon Valley to present the issues. As a result, they are also trying to find mechanisms. The third direction involves the Armenian diaspora trying to assist.

Armenia is also working to resolve issues present in Google Maps, one of which is the lack of recognition for Artsakh on the map. The government is paying attention to payment systems such as PayPal and Google Pay. "We have already achieved some success last year. A local company that had its application on the Google Store could not receive payments because Armenia was not included in the partner list, but now it is. This is a good opportunity for Armenian companies not to seek registration elsewhere," said Arshakyan, adding that the same should be done for YouTube and PayPal.