IRIS expands limits for instant mobile payments in Greece
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Starting Jan. 15, 2026, Greece’s IRIS payment system will allow both individuals and businesses to transfer larger sums directly via mobile devices, bypassing cards and traditional bank transfers, with immediate settlement.
Daily transfers between private individuals will now reach up to 1,000 euros, with the same daily limit applied to payments to freelancers and sole proprietorships.
Monthly Cap Introduced for Individuals
A monthly ceiling of 5,000 euros will apply to person-to-person transactions. Business payments, however, will have no monthly limit, fundamentally changing how payments are collected in the market.
As a result, IRIS will cover a larger share of everyday transactions. Payments to professionals, service settlements, and transfers among friends or family will occur instantly, free from the delays and fees typically associated with card payments or bank transfers.
This new framework complements IRIS Commerce, already available at every POS and online store across Greece.
Record Adoption Across Greece
Greece is now the first European country to achieve widespread adoption of account-to-account instant payments at all points of sale in such a short time. Notably, in the first half of Dec., instant payments accounted for approximately 40% of credit transfers in Greece—a rate above the Eurozone average.
By the end of 2025, IRIS is projected to handle 120 million transactions worth 11 billion euros, including 4.5 billion euros through IRIS Commerce, which is available at 1.2 million POS terminals and 70,000 e-shops. In early 2026, IRIS will connect with other instant payment systems via the EuroPA/EPI network, enabling initial cross-border transfers between private individuals across the EU.
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