Greece · Currency & payments · 2026
Paying for things in Greece
Athens and Thessaloniki are card-friendly, but Greece is the most cash-reliant of the Mediterranean Schengen countries — especially on the islands. Beach tavernas, water taxis, and small-island ferry purser desks regularly insist on cash.
Cash, cards, and ATM tactics
Greek ATMs charge €1.50-3 per withdrawal as of 2024 (regulatory change), even for EU cards. Withdraw larger amounts less often.
Decline DCC aggressively — Greek POS terminals push the upsell harder than most EU countries.
On Cyclades / Dodecanese islands, plan to take 30-50% of your daily spend as cash. Power outages and POS-terminal flakiness are real summer realities.
Avoid currency-exchange windows in Athens airport's arrivals hall — rates are 6-9% off mid-market. The ATMs in the same hall are far better.
Tipping — what locals actually do
- Restaurants
- 5-10% if you were happy. Greeks themselves often round up rather than tip a percentage. Cash tips reach the staff; card tips often don't.
- Taxis
- Round to the nearest euro. Athens taxis sometimes 'forget' to give change — assume that's the tip.
- Hotels & service
- €1-2 per bag for porters. Tip the bartender on the first round, drinks tend to be stiffer for the rest of the night.
The travel-card question
Wise, Revolut, and N26 all work. ATM withdrawals beat exchange offices by a wide margin. If you're staying >2 weeks, opening a digital Greek IBAN through Revolut Premium streamlines accommodation deposits.
Last reviewed . FX rates are not quoted on this page — they move daily; use Wise’s converter for the live rate.
See also: visa & entry · weather & climate · travel essentials.