IRIS is Greece’s instant payment system: the customer pays straight from their bank account, usually by scanning a QR code with their banking app. Money moves in seconds, account to account.
What the law says
Law 5193/2025 (article 219) added to Law 4446/2016 the obligation to accept payments through instant payment services when the customer is a consumer. The obligation applies from 1 December 2025, after the original deadline was extended. The fines announced are €10,000 for businesses with single-entry books and €20,000 for those with double-entry books.
In a physical shop
The POS shows a QR code with the transaction details, the customer scans it, and the receipt shows that the payment was made via IRIS.
On your website
For online payments, the simplest route is a provider that offers IRIS next to cards on the same payment page — such as Viva’s Smart Checkout. One integration then covers both cards and IRIS, and the booking or order completes the same way.
Technically, what matters is that every payment is verified on the server, by asking the provider, before the booking is written. That is how we build every payment system.
This article is for information only. Ask your accountant what applies to your business.