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Guide · Checked 12 October 2026

Getting paid in Cyprus.
What a small salon actually needs.

Since 2021, hair salons, barbershops and beauty centres in Cyprus have had to accept cards. Here is what the law asks for, what the main card providers charge, and what a one- or two-chair salon really needs.

You have to take cards

Decree ΚΔΠ 259/2021, issued under article 30A of the Assessment and Collection of Taxes Law (4/1978), lists the businesses that must accept card payments from consumers. Activity code 96.02, hairdressing, barbering and beauty centres, is on that list.

  • When: a new business has one month from the day it starts trading.
  • Which cards: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, UnionPay and similar cards are mandatory. Amex and Diners are optional.
  • What counts: a fixed or wireless terminal, a mobile reader, or an app on a phone. A bank transfer, direct debit or e-banking payment does not count, so an IBAN on the wall is not enough.
  • Signs: you must show that you take cards at the entrance and at the till.
  • No minimum: “cards only above €10” is a violation. So is accepting cards only for some services.
  • Licensed provider: the terminal must come from a licensed payment service provider.

The fine

The current consolidated text of article 50ΣΤ on CyLaw sets fines of up to €6,000, after an amendment in 2025. Older sources, including JCC's own page, still say €4,000, and the original 2021 figure was €2,000. We could not confirm the exact date the €6,000 limit took effect, so treat it as “up to €6,000 under the law as amended in 2025”.

The law halves the fine if you pay within 30 days, or if within 30 days you show an invoice for a card terminal you have bought. There is no fine if a licensed provider refused your application in writing.

No surcharge for paying by card

EU rules cap what the cardholder's bank can take on consumer cards: 0.2% on debit cards, 0.3% on credit cards (Regulation 2015/751). Because of that cap, PSD2 does not allow you to add a fee for paying by a normal consumer card. Everything a provider charges above those caps is its own margin and the card schemes' fees, which is why rates can be compared and sometimes negotiated.

What it costs

Published rates for in-person payments with EU consumer cards, which is what almost every local client pays with. Tourist cards, business cards and Amex cost more with every provider.

ProviderFee per paymentHardware fromWhere the money landsTap to Pay on a phone
SumUp1.95%, or 0.89% on the €19/month Payments Plus plan€34 + VAT (Solo Lite)Your bank, next business dayiPhone and Android
Viva.com1.69%, minimum €0.03, plus a monthly plan (minimum charge €4.99)€49 (Mini Card Reader)A Viva account with a Greek IBAN; €0.80 per transfer outiPhone and Android
myPOS1.69% + €0.05€39 + VAT (Go 2)A myPOS account; €4 per transfer to your bankAndroid only
Stripe1.4% + €0.10 (Tap to Pay adds €0.10)€59 + VAT (WisePad 3)Your bank; first payout after 7 days, then every 3 business daysListed for Cyprus as “public preview”
Revolut Business0.8% + €0.02 (could not be confirmed, see below)Not confirmed for CyprusNot confirmediPhone
JCCNot published, quote on requestRented, not soldAny local bank, next business dayAndroid only

Revolut's pages could not be read directly; its figures come from search results and one of its own pages shows a different fixed fee. Ask Revolut before you rely on them. JCC, owned 75% by Bank of Cyprus, is the local incumbent and publishes no merchant prices. We found no card terminal product of its own from Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic Bank or Eurobank; ask your bank.

One month, worked out

A salon taking €4,000 a month on EU consumer cards, 100 payments of €40. Headline rates only, hardware not included:

ProviderMonthly cost
SumUp, pay as you go€78.00
SumUp Payments Plus€54.60
Stripe Terminal€66.00
Viva.com (€4.99 plan)€72.59
myPOS€72.60, plus €4 every time you move money to your bank
JCCAsk for a quote

SumUp's plan pays for itself from roughly €1,800 a month in card takings (€19 divided by the 1.06-point rate difference). Real bills differ with tourist cards, premium cards and VAT on fees.

What a small salon actually needs

  • One or two chairs: a phone with Tap to Pay, or a reader for €34 to €59, is enough. On iPhone that means SumUp, Viva, Stripe or Revolut; on Android, JCC, myPOS, SumUp or Viva. Tap to Pay needs a steady internet connection and a phone that stays at the desk.
  • Busier salons: a standalone terminal with a printer keeps a staff phone free.
  • Watch where the money lands. SumUp and JCC pay into your bank. Viva and myPOS pay into their own account first, and moving it out costs €0.80 or €4 a time. If you move money every day, that adds up.
  • Every till needs a way to take cards, and the sticker goes on the door and at the till.

Receipts and tax

A card slip is not a tax receipt: keep issuing your normal receipt or invoice. Card payments are visible to the Tax Department through the provider, which was the point of the 2021 decree. We found no Cypriot rule for certified cash registers or real-time receipt reporting of the kind Greece has with myDATA. What a salon that is not VAT-registered must issue is a question for your accountant.

Online is a different price

Payments where the card is not present, like payment links or a card saved at booking, cost more than tapping a card at the desk: SumUp charges 2.75% online, Stripe 1.5% + €0.25 for standard EU cards. They also carry a higher risk of chargebacks. Klivo itself takes no share of any booking, online or not.

Sources

Bookings sorted, too.
Klivo, €19 a month, no commission.

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