The majority of Greeks choose to pay by card both before and during their trips abroad, according to a new INEMY-ESEE survey carried out on behalf of Visa. The survey focused on both pre-trip transactions involving transportation and accommodation, as well as payments made at the destination.

In detail, 8 out of 10 choose to pay by card for the expenses they incur before the trip (transportation, accommodation), while almost 7 out of 10 choose the cards for the expenses they incur at their destination. More than one in two choose debit cards for their transport and accommodation, while two in ten prefer credit cards.

Prevalence of the card in all categories of expenses

Regardless of the category of expenses, Greeks prefer to use their card (debit, credit or prepaid) over other payment methods. Specifically, 75% pay with cards at retail outlets with entertainment (69%) and dining (69%) following. For commuting within the city, 65% choose a card compared to 35% who choose cash.

Ease and speed in transactions

The research also focused on the reasons why Greeks prefer cards for their expenses in the countries they visit. Regardless of age, the card is the main means of payment. The predominant reason for using the card with a percentage of 48% appears to be the “ease and speed of transactions”. This is followed by the “security of transactions” with a percentage of 27%, 12% declare that “this is the way they usually pay” and finally 8% declare that they prefer this payment method because this way they manage their money better. Of those who use the card as their main payment method in their transactions abroad, 75% prefer it in its physical form, while 25% prefer to have it stored in the digital wallet or on smart devices, e.g. smartwatch. In the 65+ age group, 9 out of 10 use the card in its physical form. In the remaining age groups, the use of digital wallets varies between 21% and 30%.

Italy, Germany and France are the most popular destinations

In relation to destinations, 78% of the sample usually travel to Eurozone countries, 15% to European countries that have their own currency and 4% to America. Regarding the reasons for travel, 73% state that they travel mainly for leisure, 14% to visit a relative or friend and 11% for business reasons. On their most recent trip abroad most seem to have visited Italy, Germany and France, with 52% staying 4 to 7 nights. It is noted that over half (55%) book the trip alone exclusively via the internet, while over half of Greeks who traveled abroad in the last two years made more than one trip.

96% have not been a victim of fraud

Investigating the case of fraud before or during the trip abroad, the majority appear to have never been defrauded (96%), while the isolated cases found mainly involved unjustified or unexplained charges (46%), overcharging of the account by some transaction (35%) and tracking transactions after card theft or loss (20%). When asked if “someone has attempted to defraud you or intercept your information in order to carry out a digital transaction” 17% answered positively. Of these, 41% reported an attempt to defraud via email, 35% via a message on their mobile phone or an app and 23% via a phone call, while 79% answered that they have not been attempted to defraud them.

Payments on future trips

Finally, in the question “in which of the following ways will you make your transactions on your next trip”, 91% of those who are going to travel abroad in the next quarter say they will use a debit, credit or prepaid card for the reservation and 81% % will use the same payment method for purchases during the trip.

Nikos Petrakis, Country Manager of Visa in Greece said: “We are pleased to note that card payments have become the most popular means of payment for Greeks both in Greece and abroad. Card payments are fast and secure, with one of the lowest fraud rates among all forms of payment. Thanks to Visa’s network spanning more than 200 countries, Greeks can travel with confidence, knowing they can pay easily and securely anywhere in the world. At Visa, we will continue to work to improve the digital payment experience both in Greece and abroad.”

Valia Aranitou, Scientific Director of INEMY-ESEE and Associate Professor of EKPA stated: “As it appears from the survey conducted by INEMY-ESEE on behalf of Visa, it seems that Greeks who have traveled abroad in the last two years widely use digital payment methods. In particular, most people choose the card because of the ease, speed, and security of transactions with this means of shopping. In fact, the widespread use of the card is adopted as a shopping practice by all age groups, regardless of the type and category of purchases, such as entertainment, shopping, dining, etc.”

Research ID

The research was carried out by INEMY – ESEE on behalf of Visa Greece with the aim of examining the preferences and habits of Greek travelers regarding payment methods during their trips abroad in the last two years. With nationwide coverage and a sample of 1,000 people, data collection was done through telephone interviews between November 5 – 14, 2024.