What is BLIK? Poland's Mobile Payment Revolution

Yes, foreigners can use BLIK, but they need to have a Polish bank account with a participating bank. You cannot use BLIK with foreign bank accounts or banking apps. Once you open a Polish bank account and download the bank's mobile app, you can register for BLIK services and start using the system immediately.

Yes, BLIK is completely free to use for most transactions. There are no fees for payments in stores, online purchases, or money transfers between BLIK users. Some banks may charge small fees for certain services like ATM withdrawals or international transfers, but basic BLIK functionality is free of charge.

BLIK is accepted at over 400,000 locations across Poland, including supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, pharmacies, and most retail stores. You can also use BLIK for online shopping on Polish e-commerce sites, paying bills, withdrawing cash from ATMs, and sending money to friends. Look for the BLIK logo on payment terminals.

BLIK codes expire after 2 minutes for security reasons. If your code expires before you can use it, simply generate a new one in your banking app. There's no limit to how many codes you can generate, and the process takes just a few seconds. This expiration feature helps protect your account from unauthorized use.

No, you need an internet connection to generate BLIK codes and confirm transactions. The system requires real-time communication between your banking app and the bank's servers for security purposes. However, once you generate a code, the payment terminal doesn't need internet - only your phone needs connectivity for the initial code generation and transaction confirmation.

Standard BLIK limits are: 5,000 PLN per day for all transactions, 1,000 PLN per single transaction, 1,500 PLN per day for ATM withdrawals, and 20,000 PLN per month for transfers. These limits can vary slightly between banks, and some banks allow you to request higher limits for business accounts or after meeting certain criteria.

BLIK is considered very secure because it uses dynamic codes that expire quickly, requires app confirmation for each transaction, and connects directly to your bank account without sharing card details with merchants. Unlike credit cards, there's no physical card to lose or clone, and each transaction requires active confirmation on your smartphone.

BLIK is primarily designed for use within Poland and is not widely accepted internationally. However, some Polish banks are working on partnerships that may allow BLIK usage in select countries in the future. For international transactions, you'll still need to use traditional payment methods like credit cards or international money transfer services.