The widespread adoption of digital transactions in our country makes it easier for citizens and businesses to make and receive payments quickly and securely. Furthermore, thanks to the initiatives adopted in 2023, electronic payments have played a decisive role in reducing tax evasion and securing additional revenue that is reinvested in society through social policy.
These remarks were made by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis while speaking today at the 10th Payments 360 conference.
“Electronic payments have gradually—and certainly rapidly—become part of our daily lives, especially from 2023 onward. We all send money from our computers and mobile phones quickly, easily, and securely, while professionals and businesses, in turn, receive payments without delay,” noted Kostis Hatzidakis.
“At the heart of this major transition lies, without a doubt, IRIS—the now widely recognized money transfer service developed by DIAS and supported by the government as a robust alternative for transactions by citizens and businesses.”
What the data shows
According to the data presented:
- More than 4.6 million citizens are registered with IRIS Person-to-Person and conduct direct transactions between individuals. These transactions exceeded 111 million in 2025.
- More than 600,000 self-employed professionals and sole proprietorships receive payments directly through IRIS. Steps should be taken here to further promote the use of IRIS in this specific sector.
- IRIS Commerce is now universally available in both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail, having been integrated into the daily payment processes of businesses and consumers.
- And the big picture is that by 2025, the value of IRIS transactions reached 10.9 billion euros, a 70% increase compared to 2024.
- Now, instant payments account for 27% of all money transfers—that is, more than one in four.
The broader picture for digital transactions is similar, as:
- The total value of card transactions reached 120 billion euros in 2025.
- The total number of payments soared to 2.7 billion in just one year.
- Cards and electronic payments are now used even for very small everyday transactions.
“When I joined the Ministry of Finance in 2023, the goal was to move in this direction. Because, of course, it benefited consumers, but it also benefited the state. Because these payments are a tool for greater transparency and less tax evasion.
Through all the initiatives we’ve taken—linking POS terminals to cash registers, the implementation of MyData, the digital modernization of the tax administration, and the capabilities provided by IRIS, the VAT gap—which stood at 24% in 2018—is projected to have fallen to 9% by 2024. That is, below the European Union average. Greece, which had the second-worst performance in the European Union in the area of VAT, is now above the European Union average,” emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister, adding:
“This was achieved thanks to the government’s determination—the determination of certain individuals who ignored the backlash and the political cost. I am proud of this, because it has generated additional tax revenue of approximately 1.8 billion euros for 2024 and an additional 2.2 billion euros for 2025. “This money constitutes the surplus generated in part by these measures and is returned to the public as a social dividend.”
The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that the integration of IRIS with other European systems makes this service available to citizens of other European countries. “This is not a technical detail, but a substantial step toward European interoperability in payments. IRIS, a tool that began as a purely Greek solution, is now becoming part of a more comprehensive response at the European level, making instant payments accessible, user-friendly, and transparent for citizens and businesses,” he noted.
“The government is here and will continue to provide support in this direction,” Kostis Hatzidakis concluded. “Because Greece must be a modern European country, and Greek citizens must feel like first-class citizens within Europe. But also because these tools, in practice, help combat tax evasion and ensure equality before the law.”