What’s in the functional specification extension – What businesses need to do
The regulatory framework for the complete interconnection of the POS and Cash Systems of businesses with the information systems of AADE, including the new technological possibilities of issuing documents through electronic invoicing and the POS that operate through software (softPOS), are completed after consultation with the stakeholders bodies the Independent Public Revenue Authority and the Ministry of National Economy and Finance.
At the same time, the schedule of the individual steps of upgrading the POS and cash systems and the interconnection between them is determined. In particular, by a decision of the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Haris Theoharis, the obligation of Electronic Invoicing Providers to apply the operational specifications of AADE is determined, in order to ensure their interconnection with the cash systems they serve with the POS that accept payments for documents that issued by them.
At the same time, with a series of decisions by the Governor of AADE, Giorgos Pitsilis:
• facilitating the interconnection of businesses that use electronic invoicing or complex cash systems.
• the obligation of Payment Service Providers (Acquirers) and Payment Means Providers (NSPs) to submit a Declaration of Conformity to the operational specifications of AADE is determined, in order for the POS they have in the Greek market to continue to operate legally.
• the times and procedures for upgrading the POS and connecting them with the cash systems of the businesses are clearly defined.
Based on the above decisions, the POS and cash systems interconnection process takes place in three stages:
Stage 1: Submission of a Declaration of Conformity by the Payment Service Providers (Acquirers) and the Payment Means Providers (NSPs) involved in the operation of the POS, declaring that their specific POS models are in line with the AADE specifications and can be upgraded.
For the POS models currently operating in the Greek market, Declarations of Conformity must be submitted:
• for domestic Providers until 24/10/2023 or 24 November 2023, depending on the type of interface of the cash register and POS
• for foreign Providers until 24/10/2023.
In these Declarations, POS compliance deadlines with the AADE specifications are set as follows:
• until 17/11/2023, for the interconnection of simple cash registers with wired or wireless POS in a local network by national Providers
• until 8/12/2023, for the interconnection of simple cash registers with mobilePOS (4G) and softPOS from domestic Providers
• until 8/1/2024, for the interconnection of POS with all complex cash systems from domestic Providers, as well as any interconnection from foreign Providers.
Stage 2: Upgrading the POS by the Providers and informing the AADE by the Providers about the updates on a daily basis.
The Providers have an obligation to immediately upgrade the POS they manage and to inform AADE every day about the upgrades they carried out the previous day.
Stage 3: Upgrading the cash systems, if their connection with the POS is required, under the responsibility of the businesses that use them after being notified by the AADE.
Businesses are notified by AADE by email about the completion of the upgrade process by the Providers of all the POS they have, as they have been recorded in the POS Registry.
From this notification, they are obliged, within 30 days, to upgrade their cash register, if required, and to complete the interface with their POS, by calling a certified FIM technician.
Instead of upgrading their existing POS, businesses can declare in the POS Registry, no later than 1/15/2024, that they intend to replace them with new ones, already harmonized with the AADE specifications.
In any case, and regardless of the time in which they will receive individual notification, businesses must have completed the interconnection of cash systems with their POS or acquired new systems that meet the relevant specifications no later than 29/2/ 2024.
Soon, in collaboration with the Information Society, they will restart the support programs for the acquisition or replacement of POS, old tax mechanisms, etc., and they will also be enriched with the new technological solutions covered by the relevant decisions of the Governor of AADE.
