Partner Stories

Certainly, there are areas that need further effort – these will be our focus as partners at Future Finance Poland.  As Mastercard, we established the first specialization within FFP – Digital Payments – and we are pleased to see that our leadership has inspired others to act in their fields of expertise. Soon we will also launch Digital Identity specialization that is close to our core competencies and is critical for the development of digital economy in Poland. Specializations are crucial for overall development of Polish Financial Centre as through them we focus on our advantages, following the example of centers that lead international rankings.

Mastercard was the first corporate partner to believe in the concept of international financial center in Poland and we are happy to be a “founding parent” of this special cross-market cooperation. We believe in the strong potential of Poland as the Next Generation Financial Center, as we see Poland’s strengths grow year by year: advanced infrastructure, quick adoption of innovations, and outstanding work and life quality, which works like a magnet on boosting the potential of human capital.

Electronic payments in Poland are already on a world-class level – 3 out of 4 Poles pay cashless, and nearly every fourth payment is made with a mobile device. While further development and innovations are imaginable, we believe that the key is to put emphasis on promotion, so that we get the international recognition that we deserve! 
 The vision is to work on this promotion along with further strengthening of payment ecosystem in Poland. We aim to do this through creating:

diverse ecosystem of interacting participants,
accessible and predictable business and regulatory environment,
secure and widely used payment innovations.

To make this vision come true, we have already launched three working groups engaging diverse market participants to address identified challenges and seize opportunities related to digital payments in Poland and bring our market to another level.

As Mastercard, we support the development of the markets in which we operate, not only through our direct business activity, but also by strengthening and dynamizing the local ecosystem for innovation. This innovative ecosystem is one of the key reasons why Polish financial sector is worth investing in. Highly digitalized and consumer-centric banks, rapidly expanding fintech scene, or the strong presence of leading technology and R&D players are only a few indicators to prove it.

Also, the current geo-political situation requires a new, regional leader, which has not yet clearly materialized in our part of the world. Poland is perfectly positioned to take on this role. However, our standing in global rankings (such as GFCI ranking) does not reflect our full economic potential, which may be the result of a less favorable perception and limited networking capabilities as compared to other financial centers.

That is why we hope that Future Finance Poland initiative will help promote Polish financial sector globally and alleviate the discrepancy between the current perception of Poland and the factual state of our innovativeness and digitalization.

We decided to join Future Finance Poland as it offers an excellent environment for collaboration with other institutions, tech companies, and startups, fostering the creation of larger initiatives. It is a setting where BLIK, being a strategic partner of Future Finance Poland and a leading company in mobile payments, can share its expertise with businesses that are just starting out. What is more, participation in this organization shows our commitment to staying at the forefront of financial innovation and supporting the digital transformation of this sector in our country.

Our main goal and priority for this initiative is to collaborate on developing innovations that will improve the performance and safety of financial services. One of the primary objectives of Future Finance Poland is to strengthen Poland’s economic branding among global financial centres. This aligns perfectly with BLIK’s foreign expansion efforts and ambition to facilitate payments across Europe. That is a reason why we are constantly working on expanding our network of partners and integrations, making the system even more accessible and convenient for users across various platforms and services.

There are plenty of reasons to invest in Poland, so I will focus on a few of the most important ones. First and foremost, our country has a dynamic fintech ecosystem that collaborates with banks and startups, making it easier for new companies to enter our market. Additionally, Polish regulatory bodies are becoming increasingly supportive of fintech innovation, creating a conducive environment for growth and development.

Furthermore, Poles are tech-savvy and open to innovative solutions, quickly adopting new technologies and eagerly trying new things. We can see this clearly with BLIK as it has quickly gained huge recognition and became popular. As a result, nowadays, it connects over 16 million users of different ages and backgrounds into a “BLIK generation” of people who choose to pay in a swift, comfortable, and safe way.

Moreover, Poland’s unique location at the heart of Europe makes it a strategic gateway between Western and Eastern Europe, facilitating investment opportunities across the continent. I see this as a great opportunity for expanding services to major markets of the European Union.

Overall, Poland is an attractive investment destination, having demonstrated consistent economic growth even during global economic downturns. In my consideration, all of these factors create an ideal environment for fostering innovation and support the development of new businesses.

Visa has decided to join this initiative due to shared values and vision. We have decided to particularly engage in the area of Open Finance (FIDA), one of the most promising fields for the development of modern, data-driven finance. As one of the world’s leaders in digital payments we aim to support the Polish banking and financial sector in facing challenges and leveraging opportunities arising from openness to data coming from outside traditional banks — such as data from investment companies or credit bureaus. The goal is to enhance user convenience, provide a broader range of available financial solutions, and further improve their security in the time of rapid technological advances that have changed the way we spend, manage our money, and live our lives. We see great promise in Open finance. It can increase competition and innovation while enabling better access to financial products for everyone, everywhere. But it’s also a significant challenge as there’s a need to put in place proper safeguards to protect consumer data.

Poland’s highly skilled workforce and vibrant IT sector make it an ideal location not only for us, but for investors in general, to develop new payment solutions and seek innovations, that can for example change the way we pay, accept transactions, send funds, or manage finances. The entry of new generations that expect a more seamless world, the consumerization of money movements, and economic changes make it an exciting time to be doing what we do, helping our clients and partners navigate these changes and prepare for this new age of commerce. And I’m glad we can do this in Poland.

Well, as a matter of fact, Poland is a highly digitized country that has been important for Visa for years. Seeing the great potential in it, we have started operating here in 1995 and ours was the first payment card in Poland. You can say, that since the early digital days, Visa innovations have underpinned many of the ways that consumers and merchants pay and are paid in this country. With Visa as a driving force in digital payments, Poland became the first market in the world to achieve 100% contactless availability. Insights from the Polish market have also inspired the creation of an innovative method of card payment in online stores – Visa Mobile. That’s why, right here, the company often implements new solutions, engages in groundbreaking sector projects, such as the Cashless Poland Foundation and is opening the first of its kind for Visa in Central and Eastern Europe Global Technology and Product Hub.