Q:

How to pay for things in Greece?

My boyfriend and I are headed to Greece (Athens for some time and islands for some time). We plan on bringing euros that we ordered from our personal banks in the States. But I am curious what the best way to pay for things is if we run out of euros.
Is there an accepted debit or credit card over there that I could open here in advance? If there is, what's the card with the lowest fee for using it out of country? Any information regarding currency and paying for goods/services in Greece as an American is much appreciated. Thanks! 

A:

Pay as you normally do at home.

Have some cash with you when you land in Greece for small immediate purchases (tourist things, taxi...), I'd say, 200, 300 euros per person.
Pay with credit card for larger purchases (hotel, restaurants, train/boat reservations...).
ATM are (should be) available pretty much everywhere to get cash. Prefer using Bank ATM over "no-name" ones, look for "Cirrus" or "Plus"  logo on your debit/credit card and ATM machine.

YMMV in regards to smaller restaurants or smaller stores, they might not accept credit cards or debit cards.
Both MasterCard and Visa are widely recognized in Greece, you should not have problem with either of them.
Be certain to contact your credit card provider that you will be traveling to Greece; this will remove/reduce the risk of your card be blocked.

A:

It's unfortunate you have pre-ordered Euros. USA banks offer terrible rates of exchange. What you need to do is investigate the foreign currency fees of your various credit and debit cards, almost all of which will work in Greece. Even Discover is accepted (look for Diners Club logo). However the fee will vary from 0 to 3%. Use the cards with the best rate just as you would in the States.
Debit cards will work in ATMs. The issue of fees charged by the ATM operators is complex. Several other forums say that Greek banks do not charge for ATM use.

A:

Two things to add to the answer by Max.
You need to avoid dynamic currency conversion (DCC) when it is offered. So if they ask you whether you want to pay by card in euros or in your own currency you should answer euros. The rate you obtain from your own card issuer is usually better than that offered by the provider of DCC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_currency_conversion
At times of economic uncertainty they may become reluctant to take cards. This is often euphemistically stated as the card machine being broken. So when you go out for your evening meal either check it is working before ordering or be sure to take enough cash with you to cover the likely bill. Sadly the Greek economy is not the most flourishing one so this can be an issue if you are not prepared.

