Is cash still important in Greece?
Yes, in stores. Cash covered 54% of point-of-sale transactions in 2024, and half of Greeks say they prefer it. Online its role is smaller, mostly through cash on delivery.
In detail
Yes, in stores. Cash covered 54% of point-of-sale transactions in 2024, and half of Greeks say they prefer it. Online its role is smaller, mostly through cash on delivery.
How people pay in Greece in 2026
Habits are still mixed. Cash remained the most used instrument at the point of sale in 2024, and many online shoppers still pay the courier on delivery.
Payment by cash in Greece
Cash is still deeply rooted in Greece. In the ECB's 2024 survey on consumer payment attitudes, 54% of point-of-sale transactions in Greece were paid in cash, worth 42% of the value, and 50% of Greek respondents said they prefer cash, the highest share in the euro area.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in Greece
X-Pay wallets are the fastest-growing way to pay online in Greece. In the GR.EC.A. and ELTRUN 2026 e-commerce survey, 34.4% of online shoppers said they use Apple Pay or Google Pay, the largest increase of any method, against 67.3% for debit cards. In stores, contactless is the norm, and Nexi estimated in 2024 that about 20% of transactions in Greece were made with a smartphone or smartwatch.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in Greece.