The value of the ecommerce market in Poland is expected to reach 141 billion Polish złoty (PLN) by 2027. Businesses that want to accept payments in this market can tap into that growth by honing in on local payment preferences. Offering a variety of choices at checkout, from traditional payment methods to emerging ones, can help your business appeal to Polish customers and increase conversion rates.

Below, we’ll discuss tactics for entering the Polish payment market, including:

• Providing diverse payment options
  
• Focusing on security and data protection
  
• Building customer trust
  

The state of the market

Polish customers exhibit varied payment habits. While cash and credit cards remain popular, electronic transfers and mobile payments are becoming more commonplace, especially as the ecommerce market expands.

Poland’s European Union membership has contributed to its adoption of digital payments. Polish financial policies are shaped by the nation’s alignment with EU directives such as the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While Poland is part of the EU, the country uses the PLN rather than the euro as its currency.

At the helm of Poland’s financial system is the Narodowy Bank Polski (NBP), the central bank that oversees the country’s monetary policies and holds foreign reserves. The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) supervises the banking sector.

Payment methods

Poland has a strong history of cash transactions but has shifted toward digital methods in recent years. Here’s a closer look at common payment methods in this market.

Current usage

Cash remains a major force, with a 2022 NBP report finding that 33% of Poles use only cash or use it more than noncash alternatives. Credit cards are also popular in Poland: in 2023, they accounted for about $10.4 billion in transaction value.

Online shopping has seen substantial growth, with two-thirds of the Polish population buying goods and services online in 2024. Mobile payments platforms like BLIK have seen widespread adoption. The transaction value of mobile point-of-sale payments is estimated to reach about $69.6 billion in 2025.

BLIK, which began as a cooperative venture among several major Polish banks, has transformed mobile payments in the country. Apart from facilitating retail transactions, BLIK also enables peer-to-peer transfers, utility bill payments, and online payments. At the end of 2024, BLIK reported more than 18 million active users.

Popular B2C payment methods in Poland

• Credit and debit cards
  
• Mobile payments (e.g., BLIK)
  
• Buy now, pay later (BNPL) payments (e.g., PayPo)
  

Popular B2B payment methods in Poland

• Credit cards
  
• Bank transfers
  
• Wire transfers
  

Emerging trends

Since the emergence of local BNPL solution PayPo and Swedish giant Klarna, Polish customers have shown a growing interest in installment payments. BNPL payments in Poland are expected to exceed $1.7 billion in 2025, highlighting the demand for flexible payment methods.

Ease and friction of entry

Expanding your business into Poland involves particular considerations regarding taxes, payment disputes, international payments, and payment security. Here’s a brief overview.

Taxes

Value-added tax (VAT) is a major factor in Poland. The standard VAT rate is 23%, although some items, including books and food, are taxed at lower rates. While customers directly pay this tax as a part of the purchase price, businesses must collect and remit it to the government. Additionally, Poland has a retail tax for stores with monthly revenues of over 17 million PLN.

Chargebacks and disputes

Poland’s Consumer Rights Act, which aligns with the EU’s Consumer Rights Directive, puts the onus on businesses to prove a transaction’s legitimacy in the event of unauthorized transactions.

The country also complies with PSD2, which mandates Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) with multiple layers of authentication for electronic transactions. SCA plays a pivotal role in the event of chargebacks, as the additional layers of verification can prove the business verified the customer’s identity.

International payments

If your business plans to accept B2C or B2B cross-border payments in Poland, it’s important to understand how currency conversion and popular international transaction methods function in this market. Here’s a rundown.

• Currency conversion
  International payments often require currency conversion because Poland doesn’t use the euro. Currency conversion rates are typically based on the interbank rate and marked up between 1% and 3% for other customers. Platforms like Stripe offer currency conversion services at competitive rates to simplify international payments.

• Transparent conversion rates
  PSD2 requires full transparency in conversion rates and associated fees, and the KNF ensures financial institutions adhere to this standard.

• Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) transfers
  Poland is 1 of 41 countries in the SEPA zone. This enables fast, inexpensive credit transfers and direct debits in euros. These payments simplify cross-border transactions within Europe, allowing businesses to benefit from integrating them into their payment systems.

Security and privacy

Poland’s focus on security and trust has helped create a secure environment for both customers and businesses. This is what you should know about how the country manages security and privacy matters.

• Data protection laws
  Poland follows the GDPR and takes a meticulous approach to data protection. The country’s commitment to safeguarding user data ensures both domestic and international entities that collect and process personal data do so transparently and after receiving explicit user consent.

• Customer authentication protocols
  SCA is also a cornerstone of payment security in Poland. Polish financial institutions have adopted two-factor authentication for electronic transactions to add a layer of protection and build customer confidence.

• Consumer protection regulations
  Poland has stringent consumer protection laws, particularly regarding digital transactions. From fee disclosures to mechanisms for grievance redress, customers in Poland are well protected.

• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws
  Poland adheres to the EU’s AML directives, which require financial institutions to set up comprehensive systems to detect, monitor, and report suspicious activity.

• Regulatory oversight
  The KNF oversees the country’s banking and financial sectors, while the General Inspector of Financial Information plays an important role in activities related to AML and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT).

Key success factors

Businesses that enter the Polish market must account for the local nuances of its payment system. Here are a few approaches that can help them succeed.

• Varied payment methods
  Poles are increasingly using mobile and BNPL payment methods for both in-person and online transactions, but cash payments are still widely and frequently used. In-person businesses that operate in Poland should strongly consider accepting cash alongside digital payment methods. Ecommerce businesses should also offer multiple digital payment options to serve consumer preferences.

• Refined mobile interfaces
  Businesses should tap into the prevalence of BLIK by choosing a payment gateway that can accept this type of mobile payment. At the same time, fine-tuning your payment interfaces for mobile can lower cart abandonment rates.

• Easier cross-border payments
  Poland’s strong trading partnerships with neighboring countries and the broader EU lead to a considerable volume of cross-border transactions. Although SEPA regulations have simplified transactions in euros, payments that involve currencies outside the eurozone still pose challenges. Use a payment gateway that accepts multiple forms of international payments and automatically handles currency conversion.

• Protected customer data
  Poland strictly regulates data management. Businesses should prioritize data governance to avoid fines and reputational damage, especially considering multinational ecommerce and retail firms are among the top sectors scrutinized for their GDPR compliance.

• Strengthened fraud prevention systems
  With more ecommerce payments comes a greater risk of card-not-present fraud. As a countermeasure, many Polish businesses invest in advanced fraud detection systems and transaction verification processes with tools such as 3D Secure authentication.

Key takeaways

Businesses can improve the customer payment experience by aligning with local Polish preferences and using emerging payment tech. This customer-centric approach, combined with an understanding of the Polish market, can drive both transaction success and customer loyalty. Here’s a recap of accepting payments in Poland.

Provide diverse payment options

• Integrate BLIK mobile payments
  BLIK, a beloved mobile payment system, boasts millions of users in Poland. Ensure your business’s payment interfaces and gateways are integrated with BLIK to accommodate the large Polish customer base that prefers this payment method.

• Offer installment payments
  Installment payments through BNPL providers have gained popularity in Poland, especially for high-value purchases. Providing flexible payment options can increase conversions and order values.

• Enhanced mobile experience
  Given the ubiquity of smartphones, more and more ecommerce transactions are completed with phones. Refine your checkout processes for mobile to take advantage of this trend and potentially reduce transaction drop-off rates.

Focus on security and data protection

• Choose secure payments infrastructure
  Use a secure payment gateway that can encrypt and safely transmit financial transaction details such as credit card numbers.

• Safeguard customer data
  Keeping customer payment data secure is important for GDPR compliance and building trust in your company. On top of GDPR guidelines, follow Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) rules for top-tier data security.

• Stay up-to-date on PSD2 implications
  Poland adheres to PSD2, which requires SCA. Implement two-factor authentication systems that support SCA to adhere to both security requirements and user convenience.

Build customer trust

• Localize pricing
  Display prices in PLN and offer favorable conversion rates for foreign currencies to make the checkout process as frictionless as possible.

• Provide customer support in Polish
  Offering customer support in the native language can enhance the payment experience. Address queries or concerns in Polish to show a commitment to serving the local customer base and improve customer satisfaction.

• Honor local holidays and traditions
  Poland has specific shopping peaks related to local holidays and traditions such as Wielkanoc (Easter) and Boże Narodzenie (Christmas). Customizing promotions around these times can help increase engagement and sales.