Survey: Majority of Travelers to Greece Pay by Credit Card

The majority of foreign travelers to Greece pay by credit card for their transactions, according to a study released this week by Mastercard’s Global Consumer Tracker (GCT).

A total of 60 percent of tourists visiting Greek destinations paid for 14 billion euros worth of transactions by card in 2017. Broken down: 64 percent of card payments were made for accommodation purposes, 16 percent for food, and 5 percent on shopping.

“Mastercard is the ideal companion for travelers seeking valuable experiences and appreciating the security, speed and convenience of electronic payments,” said Aspa Palimeri, country manager, Greece, Cyprus & Malta at Mastercard.

According to the study, which also includes tips for travelers, Europeans are keen on travel, making an average of 10 recreational trips per year in their own country or abroad.

Meanwhile, Greeks were among the Europeans who took the least number of trips in 2016 with the majority citing financial concerns, according to a new study released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service, earlier this week.

The Mastercard report also provides tips for card users on holiday such as paying while traveling in local currency, using POS machines personally, knowing card benefits, keeping useful phone numbers handy, and checking balance of transactions within 30 days of return.