For the longest time, Poles were used to cash transactions whenever they carried out shopping or any other money-related activity. But over the years, the game has changed with the introduction of cards and online payments. The latest technology that completely changed the game was the introduction of BLIK.
The idea of BLIK was conceptualised in 2013 when six competitive banks in Poland—Bank Millenium, ING Bank Śląski, Alior Bank, PKO Bank Polski, Bank Zachodni and mBank—came together to create a convenient mobile payment system. In 2015, BLIK was launched, and after six months, it had its first one million users.
The uptake of BLIK among the population was quick, and people considered it a fast and convenient payment method compared to others. More and more people started using the platform, and the number of users and transactions increased every year. In the first quarter of 2021, BLIK users carried out more than 153 million transactions and had 7.6 million active users.
BLIK became popular with online shopping and even online gaming. It is a secure payment method that makes solvent online casinos easy to play. With their slogan “BLIK in a blink”, the payment method shows that speed is one of its top features.
Even though BLIK started with only six banks, more banks have made it available, and now more than 90% of mobile banking users can use it as a payment option. In their recent partnerships with PPRO, Adyen and Mastercard—which became a strategic partner—BLIK can now be used for global transactions.
Why Is BLIK The Future of Payments?
The covid-19 pandemic came with challenges and opportunities, and online payments were one of those chances. With strict government restrictions to mitigate the pandemic, movements became limited, which prompted businesses to shift online. Businesses did most transactions online, and BLIK thrived in this environment. BLIK was convenient for online transactions, and even after the restrictions were relaxed, people had already gotten used to its fast payments.
Another trend that gives BLIK its mileage is the increased peer-to-peer (P2P) payments. Besides eCommerce payments, the second most common function among users is phone transfers. The first quarter of 2021 had 19 million P2P transactions, increasing every year. Many Poles prefer sending money to their family, friends or colleagues via mobile payments rather than rushing to the nearest ATM to withdraw some cash.
Lastly, BLIK contactless payments pushed people even further away from cash payments. In 2021, the six largest banks in Poland—Santandar Bank Polska, Alior Bank, mBank, ING, PKO Bank Polski and Millenium—made contactless payments available, and BLIK was used over 2.8 million times. With BLIK contactless payments, you don’t even need to carry your wallet. The truth is more and more transactions, and activities are shifting online, and BLIK is and will be a major player in the future.
