Athens, June 30, 2026 – Starting today, users of the IRIS Payments service can make instant cross-border money transfers across Europe using only the recipient’s mobile phone number.
A new era for instant digital payments begins as DIAS S.A., through its participation in the EuroPA (European Payments Alliance) initiative, connects the Greek instant payments solution with corresponding services in other European countries.
Through this new connection, IRIS Payments users can make instant cross-border money transfers to users of equivalent payment services in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Andorra, using only the recipient’s mobile phone number, without the need to enter an IBAN.
The service is initially available through Eurobank, Piraeus Bank, and Viva.com, while the gradual integration of additional Greek banks is expected to further expand users’ access to the European EuroPA instant payments network.
EuroPA connects national account-to-account instant payment solutions, such as IRIS Payments in Greece, MB WAY in Portugal, Bizum in Spain, and BANCOMAT Pay in Italy, with the goal of creating a unified European payments ecosystem.
Today, June 30, marks the launch of the first phase of IRIS Payments’ European interoperability for Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions, connecting 57.3 million European citizens across five countries.
By the end of the year, the objective is to expand the network’s reach to more than 176 million European citizens across 18 countries, enabling instant money transfers via mobile phone.
In 2027, interoperability is expected to expand to include payments at both online and physical retail stores.
The connection with the European payment schemes is implemented through DIAS S.A. – Interbanking Systems, Greece’s national interbank payment clearing institution. DIAS’s infrastructure applies the rules of the European SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) scheme, ensuring the secure routing and clearing of transactions within seconds, with a high level of reliability, speed, and security.
Through participation in EuroPA, IRIS Payments users gain the ability to:
The launch of the new service was announced during the Payments 360 Conference powered by DIAS, held on June 30, 2026, at the Athens Concert Hall.
Ms. Stavroula Kampouridou, CEO of DIAS S.A., presented for the first time the capability for instant money transfers between users in different European countries through the EuroPA ecosystem.
The panel also featured Mr. Fokion Karavias, CEO of Eurobank, along with representatives of the European payment schemes participating in EuroPA: Ms. Teresa Mesquita, Executive Board Member & COO of SIBS, Mr. Fernando Rodriguez Ferrer, Deputy Director General of International Expansion at Bizum, Mr. Massimo Itta, Chief Commercial Officer at Bancomat.
Regarding IRIS Payments’ participation in EuroPA, Ms. Stavroula Kampouridou stated:
“Today’s connection of IRIS Payments with EuroPA represents a significant milestone not only for DIAS and the Greek payments ecosystem, but also for the creation of a truly unified European payments experience.
For the first time, IRIS Payments users can send and receive money instantly from users of equivalent services in other European countries using only their mobile phone numbers, with the same simplicity and security they already know.
Today’s interoperability concerns person-to-person money transfers. However, this is only the beginning. The next step is extending interoperability to business payments, enabling European citizens to make payments across Europe with the same ease as sending a message from their mobile phone.
At DIAS, we believe that the future of payments is instant, interoperable, and European. Through initiatives such as EuroPA, successful national payment solutions are interconnected, creating a European network that strengthens innovation, competition, and European sovereignty in payments for the benefit of millions of citizens and businesses.”
About DIAS S.A.
DIAS S.A. (Interbanking Systems) is Greece’s National Interbank Payment Clearing Institution and has been operating continuously since 1989.
With shareholders including the Bank of Greece, Greek credit institutions, and payment service providers, it manages critical infrastructure for the secure clearing of transactions within Greece and internationally, in accordance with the standards of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).
The company has evolved into Greece’s national payment settlement hub, managing interbank payment infrastructure, instant payments, and IRIS payment services.
Its strategic objective is to develop innovative payment solutions in collaboration with banks and payment service providers, aiming to modernize transactions, strengthen the digital economy, and serve the needs of both the public and private sectors.
DIAS S.A. operates under the supervision of the Bank of Greece and actively participates in European organizations such as EACHA, EPC, and EMPSA, strengthening Greece’s position on the European payments landscape.