Poland’s card payment market, which has been on the rise for the past few years, registered a slowdown in 2020 with a growth rate of 9.9% due to COVID-19 as lockdowns reduced consumer and commercial spending, according to GlobalData. However, the leading data and analytics company notes that, with the gradual recovery in economic activities and COVID-19 accelerating the shift to electronic payments, the card payments market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.7% between 2021 and 2025 to reach PLN920.9bn (US$246.5bn) in 2025.
The pandemic has boosted online spending, as wary consumers are staying home and using online platforms to avoid exposing themselves to potential disease vectors. Overall, ecommerce value stood at PLN91.9bn ($24.6bn) in 2020 – an increase of 19.5% for the year. This has also boosted the use of payment cards online.
Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “While cash has traditionally been the most preferred payment method in Poland, consumers are now gradually embracing electronic payments. Government financial inclusion initiatives (such as mandatory availability of basic banking services along with a debit card with zero or minimal costs), improving payment infrastructure and a gradual rise in consumer preference for non-cash payments has driven the growth of card transactions during the past few years. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer spending, it has also highlighted the importance of digital payments, which will push the use of card payments in the country.”
When shopping in store, consumers have shifted from cash payments to digital payments, particularly contactless cards. In March 2020, the Polish Government raised the contactless payment limit in the country from PLN50 ($13.39) to PLN100 ($26.77) so that consumers could make payments without coming into close contact with POS terminals.
Mr Sharma adds: “The COVID-19 outbreak hindered the constant strong growth of the card payments market in Poland in 2020. However, with the gradual economic recovery, improving payment infrastructure and rising contactless and e-commerce adoption, card payments are expected to rise by 14.3% to reach PLN463.4bn (US$124.1bn) in 2021.”
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
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