Real story the detention of a foreign card by an ATM of a Polish bank ended in victory for the strange policy of a Polish bank. The admonitions that this is the only way to pay and get cash have no effect.
Tourism in Poland is, of course, developed. As well as the services associated with it. But payment by bank cards is not possible in all places, although it seems to be ubiquitous. Going on a trip, of course, it is much easier to keep money on the card. Often tourists do just that - they pay with a card everywhere, and if cash is needed somewhere, they go to an ATM and withdraw the amount they need in the currency of the state in which they are located.
There are also workers from non-EU countries. They also often use the cards of their banks that are not located in Poland.
The situation looked similar in the described case. PKO Bank Polski SA (not to be confused with PEKAO - a mistake is possible, since the names sound the same as "Pekao") has a huge number of ATMs in Poland. As well as many branches across the country. This biggest player Polish banking market. Many who have been to Poland have probably met with the logo of this bank in the form of a stylized piggy bank. Taking advantage of the fact that the PKO ATM was at hand, the hero of this material with a Sberbank card in his hands decided to use the services of the PKO Bank ATM to withdraw cash.
As a result, the card of Sberbank of Russia, when pressing "withdraw cash" and choosing the currency "Polish zloty", was detained by the ATM without warning. The situation was complicated by the fact that the time was 21 hours Warsaw time.
A call to PKO ATM support revealed a surprising state of affairs. It turns out that all cards held by ATMs of the PKO bank after their withdrawal are subject to instant destruction. The card cannot be returned even by a bank employee, even if the card was detained during the working hours of the bank branch, even if in front of his eyes.
"You don't have to let your clients know everything"
The fact is that, paradoxically, Bank Polski PKO ATMs are serviced by a third-party company. In addition, according to the expert hotline” of the bank, the procedure for holding and returning cards is regulated by the internal documents of the bank. To a clarifying question about the possibility of reading these rules somewhere, the specialist answered literally the following - “this is an internal order of the bank. A bank is not required to disclose all of its documents to customers.”
There are no exceptions to this rule. The admonitions that “I am a tourist”, “a card of a foreign bank”, “I have no cash” - collided with amazing logic - “you still have the opportunity to turn over cash and the ability to withdraw it from the account”. It's funny that nothing said about foreign bank, about the only opportunity to withdraw money, etc., was not heard. There was only one answer - "you need to order new map” and “you can order a card of our bank in any of our branches”.
Everything would be fine if the conversation was conducted with an auto-informer. But a live specialist spoke. The indifference and cynical ignorance of the problem as such is striking.
The age of subsistence farming and exchange
It is also striking that this is Europe and the 21st century is outside the window. A century when the fact of owning a given card can be confirmed not only with a passport, but also with all kinds of applications, up to a fingerprint. But it turns out that this is not enough. Apparently, the automated state of affairs does not suit someone. It is much more interesting to handle a lot of paperwork, waste the bank employees' labor hours and the client's time (although what time is there for the client when he does not need to be informed about such subtleties as card retention and the difficulties that await him).
The situation turned out to be deeper after questioning Polish citizens on this topic, with whom a similar story happened with their cards of Polish banks. It turned out that she looked like this.
Regardless of the name of the bank, the branch employees ignored the incident, stating that it was not their problem, but some third-party organization that services their bank's ATM. Yes, just the one that stands in their hall and pasted over with their logo.
In this material, we will not cite the names of banks given by the respondents. We will limit ourselves to the name of the one with which the author had the opportunity to discuss the detention of the card personally - Bank Polski PKO. But be careful - there are no ends to be found.
The conclusion is simple
If you are a tourist in Poland and your ATM “ate your card”, and you have no money, they will not listen to you and make exceptions for you, too. What to do in such a situation? I want to believe that the police will help. Even just contact the consulate. No need to immediately rush to “squeeze” the phones of passers-by. Remember the testament of the hero Andrey Mironov - “Russo tourist! The face of morality!”.
Moreover, you need to remember - when traveling to Poland, it makes sense to keep cash with you. In dollars or euros. Like emergency stock. Despite all the apparent transparency, customer focus and technology, you should only rely on your ingenuity and on the sayings “the stock does not pull” and “do not have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends”. Friends can be asked to transfer money through popular systems with the issuance of them at one of the points. To do this, it would be nice to have enough funds on the phone to call home.
Be careful with ATMs in Poland so that nothing can overshadow your travels in this beautiful country, life or work in it.
Poland is the best country for owners of their own business and people who decide to open private business in this country. The main advantage is a stable banking system.
Polish financial market has representatives of local and foreign banks. Most foreign financial institutions from Germany.
Almost all banks in Poland have a customized Internet banking system. This allows you to make purchases on the Internet, simply by using the online service.
What banks are there in Poland
The financial market of this country is saturated and has many representatives who offer their services at a high level. Consider the most popular financial institutions operating in Poland.
mBank
In 2000, a new financial structure–nBank. After the appearance of this bank, a real revolution took place in the country. An opportunity has opened up to transfer funds without leaving home, using the Internet for this. For a short period (5 years), the number of customers was about 5 million. The financial institution is considered comfortable for saving savings.
PKOBank Poland
The bank began operating in 1919, but was not very popular among ordinary citizens. The situation changed in 1974, when it became possible to open a personal account to store savings. The bank keeps its traditions and is considered to be one of the first banks that started its activity on the territory of the Republic of Poland. Has a reliable reputation with its clients, suits legal and individuals. The capital totals about PLN 1.25 billion.
BZWBK
Bank Zachodni was formed after the merger, in 2001, of two financial institutions. 2011 was a favorable year for him - the bank joined one of the largest groups in the world - SantanderGroup. A couple of years later, it takes over KredytBank, which led to the fact that BZWBK took the third place in Poland in terms of scale. Bank Zachodni has more than 1000 branches throughout the country and became one of the first owners of " mobile bank". In 2012, it was recognized as the best for customers and making payments using mobile services.
bankmillennium
This organization was founded as economic bank in 1989. It is one of the first banks to be listed on the stock exchange. valuable papers in Warsaw. 8 years after the establishment, they will merge with Bank Gdański SA and one bank from Portugal. The name BankMillennium appeared in 2003. Since then, it has the status of one of the largest and most influential banks in Poland. The company provides services to individuals and legal entities ideal for doing business.
You can open the following accounts:
Konto360° - suitable for salaries and pensions, has a mobile account.
DobreKonto – for citizens or companies with a good turnover of funds exceeding PLN 1,000.
INGBankŚląski
Established in 1989 and throughout its existence has a good reputation among citizens. Included in the four the best companies countries, serving more than 3 million people. INGBank aims to work with all categories of customers - young people, workers, students, private entrepreneurs. The capital is PLN 130 million.
Bank Pekao S.A.
Bank Pekao has been operating in Poland for over 80 years. Established in 1929, the bank has undergone numerous reorganizations. He also changed his logo after joining UniCredit. It is among the top three in the country. Its most sought after product is mobile bank. The company provides a wide range of services for entrepreneurs, due to which it is optimally suited for business.
Poland has a wide range of financial institutions. This allows you to select a bank according to individual preferences, choosing best conditions. Stability financial system attracts more and more foreign investors, improving conditions banking services for the population of the country and entrepreneurs.
Opening a bank account in Poland is a chance to become a member of one large and stable banking system, which is rapidly moving forward and offers favorable conditions for cooperation to non-residents of the country. If you open an account correctly, you will receive all the necessary range of services without paying additional commissions and monthly fees for holding your bank card on the balance sheet of an institution.
Which bank in Poland to choose?
The vast majority of Polish banks work according to all modern standards and offer a wide range of advantages, among which are the availability of Internet banking, low cost of service, speed of transactions, access to a huge number of ATMs around the world and much more. That is why it is necessary for the client to make a decision in which bank it is better to open an account without outside help.
The list of popular banks working with clients from Ukraine includes:
| 1. Bank Millennium; | PLN 8 for service or 0 if the card receives more than PLN 1000 monthly. |
| 2. Bank Smart; | No commission for opening and maintaining an account and PLN 0 for cash withdrawals from any Polish ATMs. |
| 3. PKO Bank Poland | PLN 6.9 for the service or 0 if the plastic card and the account were opened at the same time. |
| 4. Alior bank | PLN 12 per month or free of charge with regular withdrawals of PLN 700 per month from the card. |
| 5. WBK Bank Zachodny | PLN 0 for opening and maintaining an account and PLN 7 per month for use plastic card. |
| 6. ING bank | 0 zł per use bank account, 7 zł for card maintenance (free of charge in case of monthly withdrawal from PLN 300 and above). |
Depending on the chosen institution, the cost of maintenance varies from 0-2.45 to 4.05 euros per month. The fee for issuing a plastic card is the same for each bank and amounts to 40 euros. In addition, for a separate fee of 90 euros per year, the client gets the opportunity to register an address intended for bank correspondence.
How to open an account in a Polish bank?
It will not be difficult for a Ukrainian to open an account in a Polish bank with the proper level of knowledge of Polish or English. The state allows you to open Bank account not only to a resident, but also to a non-resident of the country, which is the main advantage of the country's financial system.
In order to open a bank account, you must have the following documents with you:
- Visa and passport. If you are a non-resident of the country (for example, a student or common man who came for temporary work), you need to have your passport and national, confirming the legality of your stay in Poland.
- . A resident (if you are already one) is advised to take this document with you, or any other papers indicating permanent residence or residence permit. With such a document, any bank in the country is opened for you, as well as any operations, incl. and clearance and deposits.
In addition to documents, the bank will require a number of other information from the client, which you can provide without accompanying papers. Such information may include: phone number (only Polish), address of residence in your home country, address of residence in Poland, full name of mother and father, name of the company you work for, etc.
All other subtleties of opening a bank account and receiving a card, the client learns on the spot. Do not be afraid to ask bank employees questions, even if you speak Polish and English at a low level. System banking services in this country is very loyal to those who came to work from Ukraine and in case of misunderstanding, you can use mobile internet and an online translator to clarify your questions.
Video from the guys who opened a bank account in Poland for themselves:
For foreigners, especially for citizens of countries outside the European Union, the choice of a bank may be limited to certain formalities, i.e. the need to provide relevant documents required by banks. Unfortunately, some banks refuse to open accounts for some foreigners (in particular, this applies to those who do not have a PESEL account number, or have not yet received a residence permit). The internal rules of banks determine who and under what conditions banks serve. Unfortunately, these rules are not publicly available even to potential clients.
Some banks require a PESEL number, which is currently quite problematic for a foreigner due to legal regulation, as it has become almost impossible for newly arrived foreigners to obtain a PESEL number.
1. One of the banks where a foreigner is NOT required to have a residence permit and a PESEL number is the bank Millennium, which has many branches throughout Poland, modern Internet banking (the application for opening an account can also be submitted via the Internet), as well as an interesting offer of banking services.
2. At the bank ING Bank Slaski a foreigner can open an account using a passport or other bank-acceptable document issued in the country of origin, which confirms the address of residence in the territory of this country, or a statement of the foreigner about the place of residence in the territory foreign country. In ING Bank Śląski, a foreigner can also open an account using an identity card issued in the country of origin (if it is in the list of samples available at the bank) along with another document acceptable to the bank, indicating the address of residence in their country, or together with declaration of residence in the country of origin. Thus, the easiest way to open an account is using a passport and a statement of residence or an identity card in combination with the above statement (more details here). The services of ING Bank Śląski are somewhat more expensive, it has significantly fewer branches, and it should also be taken into account that here we will not be able to open an account via the Internet.
3. You should also check the offer of the bank Raiffeisen Polbank– here you can open an account using a passport or residence permit, in addition, this bank offers interesting Financial services, it has a fairly extensive network of branches and bank branches, which means that it will always be convenient for us to resolve all current issues.
4. An interesting offer in the field of bank accounts can be presented by a bank Bank Zachodni WBK– it’s worth going there or calling and checking their offer of banking services (the Internet banking interface, in addition to the Polish version, also has English and Spanish). Bank consultants say that a passport and a certificate of registration at the place of residence or a residence permit, regardless of its type, are sufficient to open an account. This is the third largest bank in Poland, it has an extensive network of branches where we can get professional help. We can also resolve many issues via the Internet or by phone.
5. If we are considering opening a bank account in Poland, we definitely cannot overlook the bank PKO BP, which has an interesting offer of banking services, modern products, as well as many branches and branches, even in small settlements. To open an account, you must present a passport, as well as other documents required by the bank. In practice, it may turn out that only one passport is enough to complete all the formalities, but there is also a possibility that the bank will ask us, for example, for a residence permit. These are individual questions and each foreigner will be in a different situation, and the bank will require various documents in different persons.
6. The next bank to think about is the bank Pekao S.A., since it also has a dense network of branches - we can certainly choose something close to work or home. Here, to open an account, it is enough to present a passport and declare monthly receipts to this account. This is completely sufficient to actually open an account as a foreigner, regardless of the country of origin.
Banking services for students
Among the many banks, the first places were occupied by those banks that offer accounts without additional costs. Registration of transfers, periodic transfer Money, using an Internet account, as well as payments through an ATM - all these services are provided completely free of charge.
The best mobile bank was offered by mBank, which at the time of the study offered eKONTO dla Młodych (18-26). Except free services listed above, the bank offered interesting bonuses for young people. Also, Konto Direct at ING Bank is quite profitable for students.
In the category of the best accounts for students, the priority is the possibility of free use of the account. Additional attractiveness of the offer is given by bonuses, which are especially necessary for young people. For example, cards for online payments, the ability to make Bank operations through mobile phone or various kinds of contactless payments. Bonuses addressed directly to students are also important. For example, additional discounts on language courses (BZ WBK), in online stores (mBank), as well as the possibility of obtaining a loan for driving courses (Credit Agricole). In addition, banks tempt debit cards with a photo of the owner and cards with an electronic display indicating the balance (ING Bank) or messages from the bank (Getin Bank).
Many Ukrainians who live in Poland or come to this country to work are faced with a situation where it is necessary to transfer money to their native country. Which method is better to choose in order not to pay a large commission? The portal site has made for you a selection of the most popular and profitable ways money transfer.
The second way is one of the cheapest and most popular - online transfer through PayUkraine. The service, created specifically for Ukrainians in Poland, literally “blew up” the market due to its special approach to Ukrainians and favorable conditions. Regardless of the transfer amount, you will only pay a fixed commission - PLN 6.99. And with the promo code SS723, you will make the transfer absolutely free. You can transfer up to PLN 4,000 per day from a card or account of any Polish bank to a card of a partner bank of PayUkraine - PrivatBank. Convenient application and an understandable website allow you to make a translation in just a few clicks - without lengthy data entry. The service clearly deserves your attention, you can make a transfer on site.
And the sixth, fairly common and cheap way, is to transfer money through drivers who travel from Poland to Ukraine. They charge an average of 20-30 zł for this service. You can contact and negotiate with the driver using the website blablacar.com.ua. At the same time, there is no guarantee that your money will arrive safe and sound. Therefore, first look at how long this driver has been making trips from Poland to Ukraine and read reviews about him on the site.