Expanding Cash Access in Greece: Partnership Between DirectPay and iXchange Utilizing NCR Atleos for Enhanced Cash Transactions
In a significant move to improve cash access and financial transaction convenience for customers in Greece, DirectPay and iXchange, two leading payments companies based in the country, have partnered with NCR Atleos Corporation. This partnership, which aims to expand financial access and self-service empowerment, is set to revolutionise the financial landscape in Greece.
According to Ben Bregman, Senior Vice President, Global Network Solutions for Atleos, the partnership will reduce consumer friction in accessing their accounts and growing loyalty. The European Central Bank's latest consumer payment behavior study, "2024 SPACE," indicates that Greek consumers rely heavily on ATMs for cash and find access to cash a challenge.
To address this critical shortage of ATM access points, DirectPay and iXchange are integrating Atleos’ Cashzone Network to deploy advanced ATMs across more than 1,300 agent locations nationwide. This expansion will provide consumers with reliable, convenient, and secure access to cash, a feature especially important in Greece where over 85% of financial transactions are cash-based.
The new ATMs offer real-time security features, multi-currency support, and seamless integration with the Allpoint network, part of NCR Atleos’ global surcharge-free ATM ecosystem. This integration ensures that customers can perform a variety of transactions—including money transfers, bill payments, and foreign currency exchange—securely and efficiently within familiar retail environments.
By offloading routine cash transactions to self-service ATMs, DirectPay and iXchange staff can focus on more complex customer needs, improving overall service quality and reducing wait times. The partnership directly responds to the findings of the European Central Bank’s 2024 SPACE study, which identified Greece as the country with the highest reliance on ATMs for cash access in the Eurozone, while also highlighting persistent challenges in accessing cash.
The Cashzone Network, as recognised by Atleos, offers robust security, advanced capabilities, and reliable uptime. The partnership is expected to create new revenue opportunities and operational efficiencies for DirectPay and iXchange.
Panos Spiridakos, Managing Director of DirectPay, stated that the partnership will help maintain optimal service levels and customer satisfaction. Giannis Kontis, Managing Director of iXchange, stated that implementing Atleos' ATMs will provide consumers with a dependable, secure way to withdraw cash and conduct transactions with convenience and ease.
In summary, this partnership is designed to provide reliable, secure, and convenient cash access and financial services across Greece, addressing both consumer needs and market gaps in the country’s financial infrastructure. The DirectPay iXchange partnership is part of a broader commitment to improving financial services in Greece.
ffnews.com reported about the partnership between DirectPay and iXchange, two Greek payments companies, with NCR Atleos Corporation aimed at enhancing financial transaction convenience. This partnership, with its integration of Atleos’ Cashzone Network, plans to deploy advanced ATMs nationwide, offering features such as real-time security, multi-currency support, and seamless integration with the Allpoint network.
This extension of ATM access points responds directly to findings from the European Central Bank’s 2024 SPACE study, which identified Greece as the country with the highest reliance on ATMs for cash access in the Eurozone, thereby addressing the persistent challenge in accessing cash. The new ATMs will provide consumers with a dependable and secure way to withdraw cash and conduct transactions with convenience and ease, while freeing up DirectPay and iXchange staff to focus on more complex customer needs.
