Polish mobile payment system operator Polski Standard Platnosci (PSP) is eyeing significant expansion across the Euro zone, with CEO Dariusz Mazurkiewicz revealing plans for integration into at least three large Romanian banks later this year. PSP operates Blik, Poland’s most popular mobile payment system, jointly owned by major Polish banks including PKO BP and mBank. Blik enables users to make secure mobile transactions. This strategic move follows a successful period for Blik, which processed 2.9 billion transactions and served 20.7 million active users last year.
Speaking at the annual European Financial Congress in Sopot, Mazurkiewicz noted that while such integration efforts can span several months to a year and a half, some Romanian banks are currently prioritising their local payment system, RoPay. Simultaneously, PSP is positioning Slovakia as a crucial hub for its wider European expansion. The company has already acquired a local platform there and commenced cooperation with Tatra banka, with further partnerships underway with local institutions like VUB.
Following its rollout in Romania and Slovakia, Blik aims to develop its presence in Hungary, potentially in parallel with further strategic markets such as Austria and the Czech Republic. Mazurkiewicz emphasised the urgency of this expansion, stating, “We want to build this and it’s important not to let the train leave the station,” warning against ceding the payments market to global technology giants like Apple or Google.
PSP is also deepening its collaboration with Austria’s Erste Group, which recently became a Blik shareholder through its stake in Erste Bank Polska and also owns Slovakia’s largest bank, Slovenska sporitelna. Integrating Blik into Erste’s digital banking platform, George, could significantly facilitate broader expansion into other markets where the banking group operates, further cementing Blik’s regional footprint.
