IRIS (ΙΡΙΣ) — Greece’s instant mobile payments, explained

IRIS is Greece’s national instant payment system — real-time, bank-to-bank transfers using a mobile number, email, QR code or tax number, with no card or IBAN to exchange. P2P is free. The one rule that matters: IRIS has no chargeback. Once sent, the money is gone — treat it like cash.

What it is

Operated by DIAS Interbanking Systems (ΔΙΑΣ), IRIS moves money between Greek bank accounts in real time, 24/7, built on the EU’s instant-transfer rails (SCT Inst / TIPS). You send to a mobile number, email, QR code, or AFM — no need to share card details or an IBAN. It is the Greek analog of Poland’s BLIK.

The three variants

IRIS P2P (person to person) — send to someone’s mobile/email alias. Free.
IRIS P2B (to professionals) — pay a freelancer or sole trader by scanning their QR or entering their AFM/mobile. Free to the payer; the receiver pays per their bank contract.
IRIS Commerce — pay a merchant by QR at the till or a bank redirect online, approved with biometrics. Free to the payer; the merchant pays a per-transaction fee.

Limits (as of early 2026 — verify, they change often)

P2P around €1,000/day (raised from €500 in January 2026) with a roughly €5,000/month cap; P2B about €1,000/day; payments to merchants (IRIS Commerce) have no monthly limit. Confirm the current figures on dias.com.gr — the caps have moved repeatedly.

The single biggest “how not to get cheated” point — no chargeback: there is no dispute or chargeback framework for IRIS the way there is for cards. An IRIS payment is effectively irrevocable once sent. So treat it exactly like handing over cash: only send to people and merchants you actually trust, double-check the recipient before confirming, and be suspicious of any “pay me by IRIS first and I’ll send the goods” request. This is the opposite of a card payment, where you can dispute.

Foreigner lens

IRIS needs a Greek bank account and a Greek mobile number registered in your banking app — which means it needs an AFM first. Until you have a Greek-IBAN account, IRIS is the one mainstream rail you are locked out of. That alone is a concrete reason to open a Greek account early (see first IDs, in order).

Where it’s going

DIAS joined the EuroPA alliance (with Spain’s Bizum, Italy’s Bancomat, Portugal’s MB WAY), so cross-border IRIS P2P across those countries is rolling out through 2026, with a future link to schemes including Poland’s BLIK on the roadmap.

IRIS is mandatory for businesses · AFM (tax number) · card & payment scams · first IDs, in order

This is general information, not financial advice. IRIS limits and rules change — confirm current details at dias.com.gr. WTP Finance is informational only.

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