When Greece’s farmer’s markets get back to their usual schedule this coming Tuesday, the sellers will be obliged to use Point of Sale (POS) machines for credit and debit card transactions for the first time, local media reported Monday.
The measure, which will come into immediate effect, will oblige all street sellers, fairs and Sunday bazaars to accept card payments as well as direct payment services (such as the IRIS online payment service) in which money is transferred between bank accounts,.
In addition, sellers will have to declare one or more business accounts to the Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE) in order to accept POS, IRIS and other online transactions.
In cases of noncompliance, a relevant ministerial decision provides for a short grace period from 01.02.2024 to 01.03.2024 in which fines will be suspended, as long as it can be proven that card terminals have been acquired pending installation.
A fine of 1500 Euros will be implemented after that.
In a press release, the Federation for Market Sellers announced that “We welcome a new era for street markets with the implementation of POS systems allowing credit and debit card payments to be accepted. This is now mandatory, to the benefit of everyone and to optimally serve the needs of both consumers and sellers, thus satisfying a long-standing sector demand.”
POS terminals are now mandatory in almost all market sectors.
