\n<\/p>\n
Prepaid cards experienced a 50% jump in one year, reaching 3.6 million at the end of 2025, a number that now even surpasses credit cards, which according to bank data stood at 3.1 million.<\/p>\n
The state itself played a decisive role in the spread of prepaid cards, following the implementation of the new method of paying benefits and financial assistance by DYPA and OPEKA via prepaid cards on March 15, 2025.<\/p>\n
The result was not only a 50% increase in the number of prepaid cards, but also a more than doubling of the value of their transactions, which amounted to \u20ac2.2 billion, from just \u20ac900 million in 2024.<\/p>\n
The growth of this category is even more impressive when compared to 2020, when prepaid cards numbered 1.6 million, which means that they have more than doubled in five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Contributing to this rise was also the increasing use of corporate prepaid cards, which are constantly gaining ground, as the commissions that banks and payment schemes earn from them are significantly higher (even exceeding 2%) compared to simple debit or credit cards.<\/p>\n
The push toward prepaid cards continued in 2026, through government programs such as Fuel Pass, which also operated through digital prepaid cards.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The subsidy model itself created a strong financial incentive for using a digital card instead of a simple bank deposit.<\/p>\n
Beneficiaries received a smaller amount if they chose credit in IBAN and a higher amount if they used a physical prepaid card on their cellphone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, in continental Greece the Fuel Pass was set at \u20ac40 via a bank account, but at \u20ac50 via a digital card, while on the islands it was up to \u20ac60 via a prepaid card.<\/p>\n
Essentially, the government is now using the subsidies not only as a social policy tool, but also as a mechanism to accelerate the use of electronic payments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through this bonus, the aim is on the one hand to strengthen digital transactions and on the other to ensure the money will be spent exclusively for the purpose for which it is granted \u2013 in this case, for the purchase of fuel.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n