The use of credit and debit cards in Greece continues to grow exponentially, with plastic now used for even the smallest purchases.

According to the most recent figures collected by the Bank of Greece (BoG), the number of active cards issued by Greece-based credit institutions was in excess of 20.7 million last June. Debit card use has outpaced credit card purchases, now accounting for 85% of all card transactions.

The total value of the transactions conducted with debit and credit cards in the country in the first half of 2024 rose to 53 billion euros, or 1.185 billion individual transactions, up 2% on the corresponding period of 2023.

The average number of transactions per card in Greece increased to 57 during the same period.