Tourists and expatriates with cards from European banks should also benefit from the abolition of fees when withdrawing cash in Greece.
Summary of Recent Changes and Usage Trends in ATM Withdrawals
In mid-August 2025, a new regulation dropped all fees for cash withdrawals from ATMs belonging to banks in the DIAS network.
Before this, folks paid anywhere from €1.50 to €2.00 if they used an ATM outside their own bank.
Now, the rule covers every bank ATM network in Greece, even those run by third-party providers.
For consumers, it’s a pretty big change—one that feels overdue, honestly.
This update has shifted people’s habits.
During the busy holiday stretch in August, over 66,000 withdrawals happened at ATMs outside users’ own banks, showing a real swing back toward cash.
Impact on Withdrawal Volumes and ATM Usage
DIAS network stats paint a clear picture of this uptick:
-
- Withdrawals in August 2025 shot up by 36% compared to August 2024.
- The first 10 days of September 2025 saw a 67% jump in transactions over the same period last year.
- Roughly 496,000 withdrawals took place in August alone, marking a 35.6% rise from the year before.
- The cash total reached €101.4 million, which is 30.8% higher than last August.
Rules on Fees and Limits
Fees are gone at member bank ATMs, but third-party providers can still tack on charges.
Even then, the law caps those fees at €1.50, so nobody gets gouged.
Basic ATM services like checking your balance stay free of charge.
At least now, people know what to expect when they use different banks’ ATMs—no more nasty surprises.
Broader Access and European Context
This policy isn’t just for Greek cardholders.
It covers all EU citizens, thanks to rules that ban cross-border payment discrimination.
Greece is the only EU country to make its entire ATM network free for European cardholders, which is kind of wild when you think about it.
Portugal runs something similar, but only on ATMs jointly owned by banks under a shared scheme.
Greece’s approach is much broader, and Greek banks are eyeing these models to maybe roll out shared ATM services at home.
Bank Responses and ATM Network Management
The surge in withdrawals has forced banks to step up ATM maintenance.
The four big Greek banks, who own more than 3,500 off-site ATMs, have to restock machines with cash a lot more often.
It’s not cheap, either—each restock can run from €500 to over €2,500, depending on where the ATM is and what security is needed.
To keep customers happy, banks quickly absorbed the lost withdrawal fees.
Some, like Attica Bank, even scrapped fees at thousands of their ATMs before the law officially kicked in.
Summary Table of Changes and Effects
Aspect |
Details |
|---|---|
Fee Removal Start Date |
11 August 2025 |
Fee Removal Scope |
All DIAS network ATM withdrawals |
Previous Fee Range |
€1.50 to €2.00 per withdrawal |
Usage Increase August 2025 |
+36% withdrawals versus August 2024 |
Total Withdrawals August |
496,000 transactions |
Total Withdrawn Amount |
€101.4 million (+30.8% from previous August) |
Third-Party ATM Fee Cap |
€1.50 maximum charge |
EU Cardholder Inclusion |
Equal access to fee-free ATM transactions |
Major Off-site ATMs |
Over 3,500 owned by top four banks |
ATM Replenishment Cost |
€500 to €2,500 per trip |
Greek banks are making some real changes—removing fees for all DIAS network ATM withdrawals starting on August 11, 2025.
That old fee? Used to be somewhere between €1.50 and €2.00 every time you took out cash.
With this shift, ATM withdrawals are expected to jump 36% compared to August of the year before.
That’s about 496,000 transactions in just one month.
People will probably pull out a total of €101.4 million, which is nearly 31% more than last August.
Third-party ATMs can’t charge more than €1.50 per withdrawal now.
Anyone with an EU card gets the same access to fee-free transactions.
The four biggest banks own over 3,500 off-site ATMs, so there’s no shortage of machines.
But refilling those ATMs isn’t cheap—each trip costs anywhere from €500 up to €2,500.
